I’ve always been drawn to games of strategy—it’s just how my brain works. Maybe it comes from my background in automotive engineering, where everything is about precision, efficiency, and making calculated decisions. That’s probably why I’ve never been a big fan of slot machines or games of pure luck. Instead, I gravitate toward blackjack and poker, where knowledge and the right decisions actually matter.
I still remember my first time at a real casino, back when I was in my early 20s. A few friends and I took a road trip from Munich to Austria, and we stopped at a casino near Salzburg. I had played poker online before but never sat at a live table. That night, I quickly learned that poker wasn’t just about the cards—it was about the people. A middle-aged guy across from me barely reacted the entire session, and I thought I had him figured out—until he absolutely crushed me with a massive bluff. I walked away with my bankroll in ruins, but the lesson stuck: poker is a game of deception, patience, and reading people.
Blackjack, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. I had studied basic strategy beforehand and knew the “right” way to play, but once I sat at the table, I saw people doing all sorts of wild things—hitting on 16 against a weak dealer card, standing on 12 when they should have hit, and just playing based on gut feelings. I stuck to my strategy, played by the book, and while I didn’t win big, I could see the difference. Blackjack rewards discipline and numbers, while poker rewards adaptability and psychology.
Over the years, I’ve refined my approach to both games, but I’ve found that blackjack has a hard ceiling on skill. Even if you play perfectly, the house still has an edge. The only way to truly tilt the odds in your favor is through card counting, which I experimented with a few times. It’s not as easy as the movies make it seem—you don’t just count to 21 and start betting big. It takes real mental effort, and you have to stay under the radar or risk getting thrown out. I once tried it at a casino in Berlin, and after a few big wins, I got “the talk” from the pit boss. They didn’t kick me out, but they definitely let me know I wasn’t welcome to keep playing like that.
Poker, on the other hand, is a long-term grind, and I respect it for that. Unlike blackjack, where you're battling against the house, poker is a competition between players, and if you’re better than the people at your table, you will win over time. It’s one of the few casino games where you can actually have an edge without breaking any rules. That’s why professional poker players exist, while professional blackjack players have to stay on the move to avoid getting banned.
So, in my experience:
Blackjack is great if you want a structured, numbers-driven game where skill can improve your odds, but the house still has an edge.
Poker is the better long-term game because it rewards deep strategy, adaptability, and reading opponents, and truly skilled players can profit consistently.
At the end of the day, both games scratch a different itch for me. Blackjack is for when I want a controlled, analytical experience—following the math, making the best possible plays, and testing how well I can stick to my strategy. Poker is for when I want to challenge myself against other people, where every hand is a puzzle and every opponent is part of the game.
What about you? Do you think blackjack deserves more credit as a skill-based game, or does poker remain the ultimate test of strategy? And has anyone else here ever tried card counting in a real casino?
I still remember my first time at a real casino, back when I was in my early 20s. A few friends and I took a road trip from Munich to Austria, and we stopped at a casino near Salzburg. I had played poker online before but never sat at a live table. That night, I quickly learned that poker wasn’t just about the cards—it was about the people. A middle-aged guy across from me barely reacted the entire session, and I thought I had him figured out—until he absolutely crushed me with a massive bluff. I walked away with my bankroll in ruins, but the lesson stuck: poker is a game of deception, patience, and reading people.
Blackjack, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. I had studied basic strategy beforehand and knew the “right” way to play, but once I sat at the table, I saw people doing all sorts of wild things—hitting on 16 against a weak dealer card, standing on 12 when they should have hit, and just playing based on gut feelings. I stuck to my strategy, played by the book, and while I didn’t win big, I could see the difference. Blackjack rewards discipline and numbers, while poker rewards adaptability and psychology.
Over the years, I’ve refined my approach to both games, but I’ve found that blackjack has a hard ceiling on skill. Even if you play perfectly, the house still has an edge. The only way to truly tilt the odds in your favor is through card counting, which I experimented with a few times. It’s not as easy as the movies make it seem—you don’t just count to 21 and start betting big. It takes real mental effort, and you have to stay under the radar or risk getting thrown out. I once tried it at a casino in Berlin, and after a few big wins, I got “the talk” from the pit boss. They didn’t kick me out, but they definitely let me know I wasn’t welcome to keep playing like that.
Poker, on the other hand, is a long-term grind, and I respect it for that. Unlike blackjack, where you're battling against the house, poker is a competition between players, and if you’re better than the people at your table, you will win over time. It’s one of the few casino games where you can actually have an edge without breaking any rules. That’s why professional poker players exist, while professional blackjack players have to stay on the move to avoid getting banned.
So, in my experience:
Blackjack is great if you want a structured, numbers-driven game where skill can improve your odds, but the house still has an edge. Poker is the better long-term game because it rewards deep strategy, adaptability, and reading opponents, and truly skilled players can profit consistently.At the end of the day, both games scratch a different itch for me. Blackjack is for when I want a controlled, analytical experience—following the math, making the best possible plays, and testing how well I can stick to my strategy. Poker is for when I want to challenge myself against other people, where every hand is a puzzle and every opponent is part of the game.
What about you? Do you think blackjack deserves more credit as a skill-based game, or does poker remain the ultimate test of strategy? And has anyone else here ever tried card counting in a real casino?