Aces and Eights Video Poker
By Playa for JoeCasino.com · December 13, 2009
For the unwise and the uninitiated, Video Poker seems like a pretty straightforward game, and if you feed coins into the slots all day long the chances are that you might win a few bucks along the way. They couldn’t be more mistaken.
Video Poker, in all its various formats, where skills and strategies play a major part and those in know can enjoy some of the best odds, is a game that you will find in a casino either online or land-based.
Aces and Eights is one of the most popular games in Video Poker, not just because it is simple and user-friendly, but because it offers a load of excitement. Played with a single deck, there are no jokers or wild cards included. And with bets ranging from five coins valued at 50 cents to five dollars, Aces and Eights provides the opportunity for some fairly generous payouts. Many players start their play session with coins of the lowest denomination and, depending on how they are doing, generally increase or decrease the ante. Indeed a part of the strategy of playing Aces and Eights is to know when to alter their bets according to how the cards are running.
The actual play strategy in Aces and Eights is to push each spin towards hitting four of kind, which is understandably not easy to do. However, if a player succeeds he can really hit some jackpot odds, especially if the hit is four eights or aces.
In Aces and Eights, some of the payouts on traditional high poker hands are less than generous. For example, hitting a running flush pays out only 50-1, whereas in most other versions of Video Poker the minimum payout is 200-1 for the same hand. Not that a player will refuse such a payout now and again, but the real money time is in hitting four of a kind, with the best odds being as follows:
- Royal Flush: 800-1
- Four of a Kind (Aces or Eights): 80-1
- Four of a Kind (Sevens): 50-1
- Four of a Kind (Others): 25-1
Each hand begins with the players being dealt five cards, and they have to decide if their hand has any potential. If there is room for improvement, it is possible to hold up to two cards in the hand and pay for a further spin. Each spin of the wheel should allow for improvement and players have been known to hold cards and make a very large number of spins till they hit the major payouts they have been seeking. Experienced players will not be afraid to invest a large chunk of money to hit the mother lode, calculating all the time the returns in the investment they are making. This also explains why players are very reluctant to leave an Ace and Eights Video Poker machine since they may have been playing feverishly for hours at a time and they jealously guard the machine as if it was their own.
This problem does not occur for players who prefer to wager online. Not only do they enjoy improved odds more than in land casinos, they are playing in the comfort and security of their own home, and take a break whenever they choose.
