Poker or BlackJack?

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WorkIsPlay

Member
I've been playing poker seriously for 5 years, I've even lived on it as only source of income for 6 months, until i realized it was too stressful. Because of that I cooled down on it and just started focusing on the job and other things instead.

And then I just recently got into blackjack, read a few books and practice a lot. I feel a lot less stress playing the dealer in a mathematical structured way, compared to poker when your sometimes not 100% whether you lost because you made the wrong move or not.

I just want to know others opinion on transitioning from poker as a side source of income to blackjack, or just stick with what i've been training for years (poker)
 
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MaaK

Member
I would say that its a good move. In fact Poker is a great introduction to blackjack. You already know the principles of Bankroll management, your used to fast calculations, have experienced variance, you know what it feels like to grind and you have a pokerface :p

Good luck bud
 
moo321

moo321

Well-Known Member
Well, in all honestly, if you thought the variance in poker was bad, it's worse in blackjack.
 
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Thunder

Well-Known Member
The long term variance is worse but the short term variance isn't. In poker, you can easily lose your buy in in one hand. In BJ, you are pretty sure you're not going to lose more than double your max bet on a hand which should be less than your buy in.
 
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Thunder

Well-Known Member
In answer to the poster's question, it really depends on how good the BJ games are by you and the rake in poker. Poker has less long term variance which means you don't need as big of a bankroll but I find it to be incredibly boring at times. If you still have an abundance of fish, I'd say stick with poker. Or you can do what I do and play both that way when you're bored of poker or BJ you can switch to the other game.
 
kewljason

kewljason

Well-Known Member
Thunder said:
In answer to the poster's question, it really depends on how good the BJ games are by you and the rake in poker. Poker has less long term variance which means you don't need as big of a bankroll but I find it to be incredibly boring at times. If you still have an abundance of fish, I'd say stick with poker. Or you can do what I do and play both that way when you're bored of poker or BJ you can switch to the other game.
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I wanted to comment on the boring aspect of playing. I am not a poker player so my thoughts are strictly blackjack. I love the game of blackjack and also love that I am able to support myself from the game. But you want to talk about boring! Even here in Vegas where I have access to a far greater number of games than I used to, I still have different 'routes' that I hit weekly. I vary the times so that I might hit route A on a Tuesday during the day and the next week on a Friday evening, but invariably I still see the same faces (dealers and pit). Just not as often. And the game itself. Lets face it. At times, just not very exciting. Especially during stagnant and losing periods. Sometimes it seems like a chore. :(

I should do a 'trip report' type post chronicling a week in the life of KJ. You all would be bored to tears. :laugh:
 
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WorkIsPlay

Member
Appreciate your guyses input,,, and Thunder if the forum's had a like button, i'd no homo click on yours

Felt weird playing poker after so many practices and games of blackjack,

while playing poker if i see an 6-5, first thing that registers to mind is the count and double down

or if i see a A-6 i initially look at the dealer to see if i should double down, just to realize there's no up card and im playing poker LOL

buttt, yeah i like where you coming from thunder, I think i'll stick with both
 
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mjbballar23

Well-Known Member
kewljason said:
I wanted to comment on the boring aspect of playing. I am not a poker player so my thoughts are strictly blackjack. I love the game of blackjack and also love that I am able to support myself from the game. But you want to talk about boring! Even here in Vegas where I have access to a far greater number of games than I used to, I still have different 'routes' that I hit weekly. I vary the times so that I might hit route A on a Tuesday during the day and the next week on a Friday evening, but invariably I still see the same faces (dealers and pit). Just not as often. And the game itself. Lets face it. At times, just not very exciting. Especially during stagnant and losing periods. Sometimes it seems like a chore. :(

I should do a 'trip report' type post chronicling a week in the life of KJ. You all would be bored to tears. :laugh:
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I'd definitely read it! Im just curious as to what you subject yourself to on a weekly basis. PMs are also good.
 
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mjbballar23

Well-Known Member
WorkIsPlay said:
I've been playing poker seriously for 5 years, I've even lived on it as only source of income for 6 months, until i realized it was too stressful. Because of that I cooled down on it and just started focusing on the job and other things instead.

And then I just recently got into blackjack, read a few books and practice a lot. I feel a lot less stress playing the dealer in a mathematical structured way, compared to poker when your sometimes not 100% whether you lost because you made the wrong move or not.

I just want to know others opinion on transitioning from poker as a side source of income to blackjack, or just stick with what i've been training for years (poker)
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I switched to ONLINE poker from blackjack, although i still mix in some blackjack once in a while when there is a good game. If my options are between LIVE poker and blackjack, i usually choose blackjack because live poker is one of the most boring activities in the world.

I can also second that the variance in blackjack compared to poker is WAY HIGHER. For me, online poker is higher hourly, lower variance...makes for an easy decision for me.
 
Gamblor

Gamblor

Well-Known Member
Poker and blackjack can get boring in similar ways.

In poker, most decent players will sit out hand after hand. In blackjack, you can go shoe after shoe with just minimal bets.
 
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mjbballar23

Well-Known Member
Gamblor said:
Poker and blackjack can get boring in similar ways.

In poker, most decent players will sit out hand after hand. In blackjack, you can go shoe after shoe with just minimal bets.
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Ideally you are comfortable playing BJ, poker, VP, "other games", and comfortable recognizing the value of promotions so you can gauge what the best opportunity is on any given day and increase the likelihood that you find a playable game everytime you go. learn both imo.
 
moo321

moo321

Well-Known Member
Gamblor said:
If you play 12 tables at a time, your variance should be real low. Assuming same bet level of course. I can't manage more than 3 or 4 :)
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And, assuming you're a winning player, which 98%+ are not.
 
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bigplayer

Well-Known Member
WorkIsPlay said:
I've been playing poker seriously for 5 years, I've even lived on it as only source of income for 6 months, until i realized it was too stressful. Because of that I cooled down on it and just started focusing on the job and other things instead.

And then I just recently got into blackjack, read a few books and practice a lot. I feel a lot less stress playing the dealer in a mathematical structured way, compared to poker when your sometimes not 100% whether you lost because you made the wrong move or not.

I just want to know others opinion on transitioning from poker as a side source of income to blackjack, or just stick with what i've been training for years (poker)
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Poker and low stakes blackjack compliment each other very nicely as part of a combined business plan. You can hit a shoe or a few shuffles of double deck on the way into the casino...go to the poker room and play for 4 or 5 hours and then hit another shoe or few shuffles of double deck on the way out.

The Variance is a good bit lower at Poker and you can control it by your chosen style of play (tight aggressive versus loose aggressive or small stack versus big stack). The hourly rate at poker is low compared to higher stakes blackjack but you can play a lot of hours at poker and never have to worry about a backoff. Using some very aggressive hit and run blackjack mixed with poker can boost your daily EV total a good bit. Blackjack variance is not to be underestimated...if bankroll swings are a real concern then you are betting too big. I know a lot of players who might play a few shuffles of double deck before going to the poker room, or who check out the sports book for any opportunities on the way to the poker room. All of that EV adds up and the more +EV things you can do the more you can make. Poker/Blackjack/SportsBetting/Coupon Hustling, etc are all very complimentary of each other.
 
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Thunder

Well-Known Member
Poker can also offer one very +EV AP strategy that in my opinion can make you more/hr than your expected EV from just playing the game itself if you do it right. Just know that the world of being an AP isn't confined to the strict act of beating the game head on. It's about using the resources and tools you have available to you to help you come out ahead no matter what the game is or the house edge.
 
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MangoJ

Well-Known Member
Thunder said:
Poker can also offer one very +EV AP strategy that in my opinion can make you more/hr than your expected EV from just playing the game itself if you do it right. Just know that the world of being an AP isn't confined to the strict act of beating the game head on. It's about using the resources and tools you have available to you to help you come out ahead no matter what the game is or the house edge.
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Do you mean the casino will let you count on BJ if you show larger losses on poker ?
 
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alwayssplitaces

Well-Known Member
The casino doesn't even track poker wins and losses since it's not their money. In blackjack, you're taking money from a faceless corporation: the casino. In poker, you're taking money from other players.

I like to combine blackjack and poker. The best times to play blackjack are the worst times to play poker and vice versa. It's like diversifying my gambling investments since the chance of having a big downswing in both blackjack and poker are lower. I played 70 hours of blackjack and poker combined in 1 week on my last trip to Vegas.
 
moo321

moo321

Well-Known Member
alwayssplitaces said:
The casino doesn't even track poker wins and losses since it's not their money. In blackjack, you're taking money from a faceless corporation: the casino. In poker, you're taking money from other players.

I like to combine blackjack and poker. The best times to play blackjack are the worst times to play poker and vice versa. It's like diversifying my gambling investments since the chance of having a big downswing in both blackjack and poker are lower. I played 70 hours of blackjack and poker combined in 1 week on my last trip to Vegas.
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It is a good way to diversify, and I agree about the times being complimentary. Play blackjack heads up on day, then head to the poker room when the ploppies mob the tables at night.

Personally, I find it easier to play 2 different games in a day. It's hard to count much more than maybe 8 hours for me, so after that I may head to the poker room for a few hours. Or, if I'm getting my ass handed to me (or winning too much) and just want to switch games, it can be great for mental fatigue and heat avoidance.
 
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