You’ve spent hundreds of hours calculating pot odds and reading opponents at the poker table. Good news – those skills work in other casino games as well, and I’m talking about some real mathematical advantages.
Well, the average poker player already has what it takes to beat several casino games – you understand variance, can calculate odds quickly, and you don’t chase losses like a drunk tourist. All these advantages translate directly into games where most players are just guessing their way through.
- Blackjack – Cut the House Edge to 0.5% Using Poker Math
Every serious poker player should be playing blackjack – the math is straightforward, the decisions are binary, and you can get the house edge down to 0.5% with basic strategy. Compare that to slot machines running at 5-15% house edge, and you see why this is so important.
So, what transfers directly from poker is: You’re already calculating odds in real-time, and in poker, you know your flush draw hits 35% of the time. In blackjack, you know the dealer busts 28% of the time when showing a 6 – same skill, different application. You already manage bankroll the right way – most blackjack players don’t even know what that means. And unlike poker, you don’t have to worry about five other players trying to outplay you.
The biggest difference is you’re playing against the dealer, and no other players – but this actually makes things easier. No bluffing, no tells to read, just pure mathematical decisions. So, stand on 17 against a dealer’s 6, double down on 11 against anything except an ace. Split aces and eights always.
Many seasoned players now prefer playing these games at crypto casinos, where you can keep your personal information private and hidden from any potential threat. Gambling expert Wilna van Wyk has covered what you need to know about the best crypto casinos, which process withdrawals in hours and don’t ask for annoying ID verification – the anonymity factor alone makes them worth considering.
- Three-Card Poker – One Decision That Pays 97.98% Return
Three-card poker is poker stripped down to its essence, though. So, you get three cards, the dealer gets three cards, and you make one decision: play or fold – and that’s it.
The entire strategy is to play Queen-6-4 or better, fold everything else – and this simple rule gives you a 97.98% return on the ante-play bet. The math here is bulletproof – Queen-6-4 represents the exact point where your expected value turns positive.
But what really makes this perfect for poker players is that you already know the hand rankings, though they’re slightly different here. A straight beats a flush in three-card poker because it’s harder to make with only three cards. The dealer needs Queen-high or better to qualify, which happens about 69% of the time. So, when they don’t qualify, you win your ante automatically.
The Pair Plus side bet carries a house edge between 2.32% and 7.28% depending on the pay table. Smart players skip it unless they’re specifically hunting variance. Stick to the main game where your poker knowledge actually means something.
- Pai Gow Poker – Bank Every Chance You Get for 1.5% Edge
Pai Gow poker plays differently from anything else on the casino floor. Well, you get seven cards and split them into a five-card hand and a two-card hand (or 3-card hand and a 2-card hand if playing with 5 cards). Your five-card hand must beat your two-card hand, and both must beat the dealer’s corresponding hands to win.
In this game, setting hands optimally requires the same strategic thinking as poker – and you’re balancing risk between two hands all the time. The game has a 41.5% push rate, meaning your bankroll lasts forever compared to other games.
The basic strategy is to split two pairs unless you have an ace with any other pair, then keep them together – but always split four aces into two and two. Keep full houses together unless you have a pair of twos with aces or kings – with this, you’ll cover 95% of the hands you’ll see.
- Video Poker – The Only Slot Machine That Can Pay More Than 100%
Video poker is where math nerds go to print money. Full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% with perfect play – and even basic Jacks or Better can return 99.54% if you find the right pay table. You’re five times more likely to hit a royal flush here than in live poker because you’re seeing so many more hands per hour.
The skill transfer is obvious, though – you’re making the exact same decision over and over: which cards to hold, which to discard. Every decision has a mathematically correct answer. Hold a low pair over four to a flush, and never break a straight or flush to chase a straight flush unless you have four cards to a royal.
What poker players miss is that most video poker machines are terrible. So, you need to find full-pay machines, which means checking the pay table before you sit down – but look for 9/6 Jacks or Better (9 coins for a full house, 6 for a flush) or better. Anything less and you’re throwing money away.
The variance is brutal – you might go 40,000 hands between royals. But if you’re playing with a slot club card and getting 0.3% cashback, plus using proper strategy, you’re actually playing with an edge – no other “slot machine” can give you that.
- Your Poker Background Is Actually More Important Than You Might Think
Poker develops skills that most casino players never get – you understand some expected value, while most people don’t even know what that means. You’ve trained yourself to make decisions without complete information, which is exactly what casino games ask you to do. Also, you know that making the right play doesn’t guarantee winning the next hand, but it guarantees winning over thousands of hands.
The psychological edge is huge as well – but you’ve already experienced the soul-crushing variance of poker. Nothing in the casino can tilt you after that. While other players lose their minds over a blackjack bad beat, you’re already calculating the next optimal play.
Start With These Games Tomorrow
If you’re a poker player looking to expand, here’s your roadmap: Start with blackjack using basic strategy cards until you memorize them. Move to three-card poker once you’re comfortable with quick decisions. Try Pai Gow when you want something slower with less variance – and save video poker for when you’re ready to study pay tables and memorize hold strategies.
Your poker skills give you real advantages in these games. So, stop leaving money on the table – your poker brain is already wired for this.