Blackjack - Table or Video

I%26#39;m taking my second trip to Vegas in a few weeks and i was wondering if you have a better edge playing blackjack at a table or on a machine? The reason I ask is I did a lot better playing video blackjack on my last trip.

I%26#39;m thinking this is because the machine is already required you pay back a certain percentage of the money it takes in and if you play ';perfectly'; you are getting better than the normal house advantage at a table game. Either that or I just had extra luck on the machine and below average luck at the table.

Blackjack - Table or Video

Forgetting about house edge and paybacks, I wouldn%26#39;t play video blackjack for the same reason I won%26#39;t play slots namely that gambling for me is a sociable fun thing to do and interaction with dealers and other players is most of the fun. If I win as well than even better.

No brainer for me - tables all the way!

Blackjack - Table or Video

The tables are so much more fun, but you have to bet more. Sometimes people find the tables intimidating, especially if they haven%26#39;t gone to Vegas a lot. I think that%26#39;s why so many people play the slots! They are afraid of making a mistake in etiquette at the tables.

i agree with the rest... also, If I wanna play video poker/blackjack I can stay home and do it online, same thing!

play the live tables! meet some people and have some drinks!

Good question, you still didn%26#39;t get an answer, If I had to bet it would be the table game has the better odds in your favor.

I did really well on video BJ (at Flamingo). I would stick a 20 in the machine, max bet ($2.50 playing quarters) until I made $40, then cash out. Stick in another 20 and do it again. 1/2 hour later I%26#39;d be up $60-$80 then I%26#39;d go to the slots with that money! I was surprised how well you can do with that, and you really can sit there a long time on $20!

Much better odds at the tables. For example, blackjack on video blackjack pays 1 to 1.

I%26#39;m not a 100% sure but I%26#39;d have to go with the table game giving the best odds. I like sitting at a bar and playing Video BJ and having a few drinks. The machine%26#39;s in the Harrah%26#39;s family of hotels do not let you split and they do not let you double down. Machines in both Harrah%26#39;s and MGM hotels only pay 1:1 for a black jack too so that alone would decrease your odds.

Also, I always played basic strategy on the video machines and would have, at best, nominal success. A bartender told me you need to ';chase 21'; more on video machines and when I started doing that---taking hits when I wouldn%26#39;t on a table--I won a LOT more hands. Just something to think about.....

Yeah, Plev, I noticed that too! I would hit on 15 against a 5 and get a 20 almost everytime!

The odds are better at the table usually because a blackjack on the machine pays 1:1, but if you%26#39;re a low roller you%26#39;d enjoy being able to play at $1/hand. I think the machines are under rated for people who want to practice their skills or not play $15/hand.

Your concept of ';payback'; is only applicable to video poker though. The same basic rules of blackjack apply to the table and the machine.

I would never play slot-machine style video blackjack. However, there is a new option which I would describe as a video blackjack *table*. It is a multi-player machine with usually about six seats. The table has a vid screen which shows your cards and bets, and another video screen shows video footage of a human being dealing the cards. Thus you have the social aspect of being able to play with other people.

I tried this in the Caribbean with 3:2 payout and a $2 limit. I enjoyed it and did about as well as at a real table. I have not seen one in Vegas yet but I have heard rumors that there are a few of them around. The house edge should be the same as at a real table, depending on the rules.