Play Online Pokies, but Visit a Casino for Live Blackjack

Everyone has a different perception of what the best casino games are, where they should be played, and whether internet-based casinos are better than the brick-and-mortar variety. One thing a lot of advanced players have noted time and again is that its better to play pokies online, while blackjack is better in a live setting.

Obviously, this won’t hold true for everyone, and the size of your bankroll has a lot to do with it. Location is important too, because not all of us have easy access to a local gambling destination, while pretty much anyone (of legal age) can log onto an interactive casino from their home computer or mobile device.

Strategically speaking, though, playing the pokies online comes with a lot more advantages than playing in person, just like blackjack players – especially the veterans who are able to incorporate deeper stratagems – will find live casinos to be more accommodating.

Online Pokies Better for ROI & Bankroll

If there’s one enormous difference between land-based and online pokies – or slot machines as the rest of the world calls them – it’s the ROI, or Return on Investment. That’s because most pubs, clubs, hotels and live casinos in Australia are only required to set their payout percentages at 87.5%. They can set them a bit higher if they want to, but since they don’t have to, they generally don’t.

When you play pokies online, the payout percentage are set much higher, ranging anywhere from 90-98%, and that translates to a much higher ROI than land-based poker machines. They can afford these higher rates because they don’t have the enormous overhead costs of live casinos.

Comparatively speaking, a machine with an 88% payout is going to award, on average, $88 for every $100 it takes in, whereas a 98% payout awards $98 for every $100 it takes in wagers. Thus the better choice is obvious.

The online variety is also better for the longevity of a player’s bankroll. When you visit a live casino, you’re not just paying to play the games. You have travel expenses, accommodations (if staying for more than a day), food, beverages, etc. When you play pokies online, the only required expense is the amount of money you choose to deposit and wager, and perhaps your home internet service or mobile telephone bill, but I’m fairly certain you’d pay that whether you gambled online or not.

Live Blackjack Better for Strategists

If you’re a casual blackjack fan who just wants to play and maybe invoke a basic strategy, there’s no significant difference between playing live or online. If, however, you have the knowledge and capability to count cards, you’ll want to take your game to a live casino, where the cards aren’t reshuffled with each new hand.

A word of caution, though. You’ll definitely want to be extremely discreet about the fact that your counting cards, because – while there’s nothing illegal about it – casinos do have the right to remove any player from the floor, and potentially ban them, for any reason they see fit.

In addition, the more you play live blackjack, the more perks you can expect to receive from the establishment. Players are often comped with freebies; everything from free meals to hotel stays in their exclusive penthouse suites.

The best, top-tier perks tend to go towards high-rollers, but even the smaller bankrolls can earn some decent rewards when using their players club card.