Aces and Eights

If you enjoy playing Jacks or Better but you are looking for a way to make your gambling experience more exciting, you can opt for playing Aces and Eights. Although it resembles the typical video poker game a lot, it offers some additional payouts for certain Four of a Kind hands.

The reason why many video poker devotees prefer to bet their money on Aces and Eights is that the game actually offers a rather good payback potential when one is using the right strategy. Of course, while having fun is important, most players are attracted by the potential payouts that Aces and Eights can secure.

Often Aces and Eights is referred to as the Dead Man’s Hand. Thanks to the infamous story about Wild Bill Hickok who was a popular figure of the Wild West. It is claimed that when Wild Bill was murdered he was holding two Aces and two Eights as a hand in five-card stud poker. This is why this has remained in the history of video poker as the Dead Man’s Hand. Despite the ominous story behind this hand, Aces and Eight is actually quite the entertaining video poker variation that offers rewarding outcomes.

How to Play Aces and Eights

How to Play Aces and EightsThere is nothing complicated about the gameplay of Aces and Eights, especially if you are used to playing Jacks or Better. Whether you decide to play at a brick-and-mortar or online casino, your gaming experience will not differ that much.

When playing Aces and Eights, players will be presented with the option to choose the size of the bet they would like to make. Usually, the maximum amount one can stake is 5 coins and players are always recommended to bet the maximum as it guarantees that they will enjoy the maximum reward for winning hands. The denomination of the coins can range between values that are more suitable for recreational players and amount that are more fitted for high-rollers.

When you are done making your bet, you will be dealt 5 cards which are picked on a random basis form a 52-card deck. If you have not drawn a winning hand, you will be able to pick which cards to hold and which ones to replace. This way, you will have the chance to form a winning hand on the second draw.

Aces and Eights Video Poker Gameplay


 

Paytables of Aces and Eights Variations

Paytables of Aces and Eights VariationsBefore you start playing, you should learn which is the best paytable for Aces and Eights. This way you will be able to maximize your winning chances when you embark on this adventure. Just as with every other video poker option, you have to look for a full-pay variant. It will guarantee that you can enjoy the best possible payback when staking 5 coins. On top of that, if you play a full-pay variation of Aces and Eight with a perfect strategy, the RTP is 99.78%.

If the paytable for Aces and Eights looks the following way, you have found a full-pay version:

Hand Payout
Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four of a Kind Aces or Eights 80 to 1
Straight Flush 50 to 1
Four of a Kind 7s 50 to 1
Any Other Four of a Kind 25 to 1
Full House 8 to 1
Flush 5 to 1
Straight 4 to 1
Three of a Kind 3 to 1
Two Pair 2 to 1
Jacks or Better 1 to 1

Like with many other video poker variations, it may be difficult to find a pull-pay variant of Aces and Eights. Often you may come across a lower-paying alternative which has dropped the payout for Full House to 7 to 1. This will also affect the RTP and lower it to 98.63%. The paytable for this variation will look like this:

Hand Payout
Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four of a Kind Aces or Eights 80 to 1
Straight Flush 50 to 1
Four of a Kind 7s 50 to 1
Any Other Four of a Kind 25 to 1
Full House 7 to 1
Flush 5 to 1
Straight 4 to 1
Three of a Kind 3 to 1
Two Pair 2 to 1
Jacks or Better 1 to 1

There is also the chance to come across an Aces and Eights version which has further lowered the payout for Full House and offers only 6 credits for betting 1 coin. This will give you even less advantage and the expected return will drop down to 97.48%. As you can see, these options are definitely not recommended to players as they significantly lower one’s winning chances.

It is also possible to come across Aces and Eights games with a 20/7/5 paytable which in addition to the lower payout for a Full House, has also decreased the reward for Any Other Four of a Kind. This gives the casino a bigger advantage and offers a long-term expected return of 97.72%. As you can see, it is still a better version than the 6/5 one. The paytable for the 20/7/5 Aces and Eight variant looks like this:

Hand Payout
Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four of a Kind Aces or Eights 80 to 1
Straight Flush 50 to 1
Four of a Kind 7s 50 to 1
Any Other Four of a Kind 20 to 1
Full House 7 to 1
Flush 5 to 1
Straight 4 to 1
Three of a Kind 3 to 1
Two Pair 2 to 1
Jacks or Better 1 to 1

The last version that you might come across has more alterations of the payouts. This is why you should be careful when checking paytables and pay attention to all winning hands. In this variant the payout for a Straight Flush is higher with 70 credits for 1, however, Four of a Kind Aces or Eights also pays 70 to 1, instead of 80 to 1. Any Other Four of a Kind pays 20 to 1, instead of 25 to 1, while Full House and Flush have remained full-pay with respective payouts of 8 to 1 and 5 to 1. When using a perfect strategy the RTP is 98.72% which is the next best option after the full-pay one. The paytable looks in the following way:

Hand Payout
Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four of a Kind Aces or Eights 70 to 1
Straight Flush 70 to 1
Four of a Kind 7s 50 to 1
Any Other Four of a Kind 20 to 1
Full House 8 to 1
Flush 5 to 1
Straight 4 to 1
Three of a Kind 3 to 1
Two Pair 2 to 1
Jacks or Better 1 to 1

Aces and Eights Strategy

Aces and Eights StrategySince there is an increased payout on Four of a Kind on Aces and Eights, it is only natural that players need to use a specific strategy. Compared to Jacks or Better, if you opt for playing this game, you have to concentrate on making Four of a Kind more frequently than other hands. The good thing about the strategy chart of Aces and Eights is that you do not need to keep a track of that many hands. In order to be able to make the optimal decision when playing this video poker variation you can use the following chart:

Hand Decision
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind keep your hand
Four cards to a Royal Flush draw one card
Full house, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind keep your hand
Four cards to a Straight Flush draw one card
Two Pair keep your pairs and draw one card
High pair (Jacks or better) keep the pair and draw three cards
Three cards to a Royal Flush draw two cards
Four cards to a Flush draw one card
Low pair (10s or lower) keep the pair and draw three cards
Four cards to an Open Straight draw one card
Two high-ranked cards of the same suit draw three cards
Three cards to a Straight Flush draw two cards
Two high-ranked cards of different suits draw three cards
Jack and King, Jack and Queen, or Jack and 10 of the same suit draw three cards
High card draw four cards
No winning hands discard all five cards

There are several things to remember when you are using the strategy chart of Aces and Eights. If you have a Flush or a Straight, you should keep these hands, even if you have some chances for a Royal Flush.

When you are wondering whether to hold four cards to a Flush or an Open Straight, you should opt for the Open Straight even if you are holding a high-ranked pair. If you are holding just two high-valued cards, you should hold them and hopefully get a hair pair. Even if you have just one high-ranked card, you should draw only four cards, instead of discarding all five cards.

Conclusion

video poker desktopAces and Eights is an interesting and rewarding video poker game which attracts many casino fans. It is a fairly easy game to play and if you use the right strategy, you have a rather big advantage. Of course, whether you play at a land-based or virtual casino, you have to always make sure that you have chosen the Aces and Eights version that provides the best payout opportunities. Once you have set your eyes on the right game and you have utilized the best possible strategy, you can be sure that your gambling experience will be both thrilling and rewarding.