While Jacks or Better is probably the most commonly known video poker game, it has plenty of variations that offer boosted payouts for certain hands and make the experience slightly different, yet entertaining. All American is also a Jacks or Better alternative which gives video poker fans the chance to snag great payouts for certain winning hands.
If you are used to simply play with no wild cards and have a standard deck, then you will have no trouble playing All American. Like many other video poker games, this one has several variants with ranging paytables. This also affects the payback percentage which means that you should learn the way to recognize the best-paying option.
For those who are eager to play this game, there is also a strategy that will help them enjoy the best winning chances. All American is especially popular among virtual video poker players. This is due to the fact that it is one of the few games of this genre that actually offers better online variants compared to the land-based ones.
How to Play All American
The great thing about this game is that it is pretty similar to Jacks or Better which means that its rules are not that different from the standard ones. You will start the game by choosing the size of the bet you would like to make. As it is with other video poker games, players are advised to make maximum bets on All American in order to optimize their winning chances. Usually, players can stake 5 coins at most on this video poker variation.
Once you are done making your bet, you will be dealt 5 randomly picked cards. The next step is to determine whether you will discard some of your cards in order to replace them with others and hopefully form a winning hand. If you manage to land a winning combination on the second draw, you will be paid the amount that is stated on the paytable.
Some online variations of All American will also allow winners to double their profit by making an additional bet. This will show you one card facing up and several others facing down. Your goal will be to select a card which will beat the one that is shown on the playscreen. If you manage to do so, your payout will be doubled. However, if your card is with a lower value, you will lose the profit you have gained in the base game.
All American Additional TipsAnother feature that some All American games offer is to bet on several hands. This will allow you to play numerous hands a lot faster. While the odds of the game will not change, if your budget allows you to do so, you can play several hands at once.
If you gamble online, sometimes, there is the opportunity to play for fun. This will allow you to play without betting any real money and practice as much as you wish. This way, you will be able to learn the strategy for All American and play for real money only when you are confident enough.
All American Video Poker Gameplay
All American Video Poker Variations and Their Paytable
Do not be alarmed if you come across many different variations of All American, especially if you play online. Numerous options equal various paytables which means that each type of All American offers players different winning chances. In order to be able to play the most rewarding game, you will have to be able to recognize which are the best possible payouts.
35/8 All American
As it is with many other video poker games, All American also has a full-pay version which is known as 35/8. It represents the payout of 35 to 1 for a Four of a Kind and 8 to 1 for a Full House, as well as a Flush and a Straight. The paytable for this variant of All American looks like this:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 35 to 1 |
| Full House | 8 to 1 |
| Flush | 8 to 1 |
| Straight | 8 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
If you compare this variant of the game with standard Jacks or Better, you will notice several differences in the paytable. The first one is that the payout for Two Pair is lowered from 2 to 1 to even money. This being said, the payout for straight Flush is significantly boosted and pays 200 to 1 instead of 50 to 1. Four of a Kind also pays more with All American, offering players 35 credits for staking 1 coin. While a payout of 8 to 1 may be considered a lower reward, compared to the 9 to 1 in Jacks or Better, a Flush and a Straight also paying 8 to 1 is quite the increase for these hands.
And while there are many hands with bigger payouts on All American, the even money on Two Pair significantly lower the winning odds which is why players should consider whether this game is the right choice for them. While playing with perfect strategy and making maximum bets on 35/8 All American will make the expected return 99.37%, the full-pay version of Jacks or Better offers a significantly better RTP of 99.54%.
30/8 All American
It is very likely to come across variations with lower payouts on certain hands. This will definitely affect the expected return which is why you should avoid such All American versions. One of the variants you may find has lowered the payout for a Four of a Kind and pays only 30 to 1. It is still higher than the usual 25 to 1 on Jacks or Better but considering that Two Pair yet again pays even money, it decreases the RTP to 98.49%. The paytable for this variant looks like this:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 30 to 1 |
| Full House | 8 to 1 |
| Flush | 8 to 1 |
| Straight | 8 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
40/7 All American
Often, when you play online, you can also find versions of All American with a 40/7 payout. This means that Four of a Kind more with 40 credits for staking 1 coin. However, all of the hands that are supposed to pay 8 to 1 (Full House, Flush and Straight) pay only 7 to 1. This automatically makes this variation of All American worse than the previous ones and the expected return only proves it. If you play 40/7, using perfect strategy and you bet 5 coins, the RTP would still be only 96.3%. This is its respective paytable:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40 to 1 |
| Full House | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 7 to 1 |
| Straight | 7 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
Strategy to Use When Playing All American
Although All American is a variation of Jacks or Better, you will notice that Four of a Kind offers a much higher payout on this video poker game. This is why players will have to use a different strategy when playing All American so that they can improve their winning chances and form high-paying hands more frequently.
There are also several points to keep in mind if you wish to enjoy the most fruitful game possible. The first thing to do is picking a game that offers the highest possible payout which will ultimately lead to the best expected payback percentage. In addition to finding a full-pay game, you will also have to make maximum bets in order to lower the house edge. It is important to incorporate both of these factors in your gameplay if you want to maximize your winnings.
If you want to learn the strategy for All American, you can resort to using the following chart:
| Hand | Decision |
|---|---|
| Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush | keep your hand |
| Four cards to a Royal Flush | draw one card |
| Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House | keep your hand |
| Four cards to a Straight Flush | draw one card |
| Two Pair | draw one card |
| High pair (Jacks or higher) | draw three cards |
| Three cards to a Royal Flush | draw two cards |
| Four cards to a Flush | draw one card |
| Low pair | draw three cards |
| Four cards to a Straight (open) | 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 (if there are more than two, hold the lowest two) | draw three cards |
| 10 and J, 10 and Q or 10 and K of the same suit | draw three cards |
| A high-ranked card (J or higher) | draw four cards |
| No winning hands | discard all five cards |
Conclusion
All American is definitely a fun variation of Jacks or Better which can be found at both land-based and online casinos. In fact, it is a very popular game among virtual players and many enjoy the fact that they can sweep a massive reward for forming Four of a Kind.
The rules of the game are similar to the standard ones which is why All American is pretty easy to be played. Many online versions of the game have also incorporated the option which allows winners to make an additional bet and hopefully double their profit.
Although some of the hands of All American pay less than what they typically do when playing Jacks or Better, certain hands will definitely boost the bankroll of lucky players. If you learn the right strategy, find the best-paying variation and you make maximum bets, you have pretty good chances to enjoy a lucrative casino experience with All American.