[Editor's Note: Blackjack expert Arnold Snyder supplied this answer.]
Video blackjack is notoriously bad compared to live blackjack. But as you'll see, there are mitigating factors when considering playing the game in bars.
Always assume that every hand is dealt from the top of a fresh 52-card deck -- unless it says otherwise. And if it does, the only way that's better is if the machine lets you know when the deck is being shuffled.
While you can find rules disparities that make some games better than others (sometimes significantly so) in casinos, bar games are all fairly standard and at the bottom of the spectrum of good to bad rules. The rules on most games say "Blackjack Pays 2-for-1." This is very misleading and most video BJ games have this payout. A payout of 2-for-1 is not the same as a payout of 2-to-1. A 2-for-1 payout is the same as "even money." Blackjack (a 2-card natural 21 made up of an ace and any ten-valued card) is supposed to pay 3-to-2, which would be 5-for-2, or 2½-for-1. So a 2-for-1 payout robs you of 1/3 of the traditional blackjack win (you win 1 unit instead of 1.5 units).
Other common problems with video BJ are limited pair-splitting, if the machine even allows pair-splitting, and sometimes limited double-down options, like doubling on 11 only.
In general, you're usually facing a house edge of 3%-4%, even when playing perfect basic strategy. Accordingly, if you gamble in bars, video poker often offers better odds than video BJ, but not in all cases and usually not by much.
As is the case in any game, the better you play, the less it will cost you. Card-counting strategies are useless in most video blackjack games, so stick to basic strategy, which you should know if you want to play this game. And be aware that there's no bonus for betting max in VBJ as there is in VP, so you can usually wager less per hand and still get the benefit of free drinks with an overall expected loss that's slightly lower than video poker.
Bottom line, it's not a terrible move to choose video blackjack in a bar, just stay away from that pesky max-bet button.
