Aces and Eights ultimate guide is right here before your eyes. Learn the combinations, probabilities, and return, and test them to see if luck is by your side.

Aces and Eights is a video poker game that has its origins steeped in
history.

Aces And Eights Poker Burn And Turn Back

Aces and Eights is a Jacks or Better variant, and provides payout bonuses for four of a kind Aces, Eights, and Sevens to a smaller degree. Played with a full pay return table, Aces and Eights can provide a payout percentage of up to 99.78% (higher than its Jacks or Better counterpart). Splitting aces and eights is part of blackjack basic strategy.Rules vary across gambling establishments regarding resplitting, doubling, multiple card draws, and the payout for blackjack, and there are conditional strategic responses that depend upon the number of decks used, the frequency of shuffling and dealer's cards.

The notorious outlaw “Wild” Bill Hickok was shot dead while playing poker in
Deadwood, South Dakota. The hand he held at the time of his death was Ac As 8c
8s and an unknown fifth card.

Aces and Eights takes off on this history by awarding special bonus payouts
for 4 aces or eights. You can also look forward to a bonus prize for 4 sevens.

Thanks to its combinations of bonuses and history, Aces and Eights is an
intriguing game.

And if you’re interested in playing it, keep reading as we cover this
machine’s basics, pay tables, payback, strategy, and where to find it.

The Basics of Playing Aces and Eights Video Poker

While Aces and Eights offers several unique bonus payouts, it plays just like
any other video poker game. This is nice for those who want a different video
poker experience without learning lots of new information.

The only thing different from standard video poker includes some of the
payouts and strategy. Other than this, you shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting
to Aces and Eights.

Here’s a look at how to place bets, play hands, and the bonus payouts.

Betting Process

You can wager between 1 and 5 coins per hand. The 5 coin max bet is
recommended because this gives you most value on royal flush payouts.

You can see this by looking at how the royal flush prizes increase below:

  • Royal flush on 1 coin bet =
    250 coins
  • Royal flush on 2 coin bet =
    500
  • Royal flush on 3 coin bet =
    750
  • Royal flush on 4 coin bet =
    1,000
  • Royal flush on 5 coin bet =
    4,000

The royal flush payout increases 4x when moving from the 4 coin to 5 coin
wager. And this is why you need to bet the max to achieve optimal payback.

The royal flush is the only hand that features this disproportionate
increase. Every other payout in Aces and Eights increases proportionately as you
raise your bet.


Most video poker machines in brick and mortar casinos have coin denominations
worth $0.05, $0.25, or $1.00. This means max bets will be either $0.25, $1.25,
or $5.00 per hand.

Aces and Eights is available online too. And most online casinos / web sites
let you change the coin denomination.

The version we’re playing lets you adjust the coin size from $0.05 to $5.00.
This creates a max betting range of $0.25 to $25.00 per hand.

Aces and Eights Bonus Payouts

Getting 4 aces or eights is important in this game due to the large bonus
payouts. You can also earn a bonus hand for 4 sevens.

Any other 4 of a kind offers a standard payout for this hand.

Here’s how much
each bonus is worth based on a 5 coin bet:

  • 4 aces = 400 coins
  • 4 eights = 400 coins
  • 4 sevens = 250

Any other 4 of a kind pays 125 coins on a 5 credit bet. This is the same
amount that you receive in Jacks or Better and many other games, meaning it’s
not a bonus.

Playing Hands

Here are the steps for playing hands in aces and eights:

  1. Select how many coins to bet and the coin
    size (online).
  2. Choose the Deal button to receive your hand.
  3. Decide what cards you want to hold; any non
    held card is discarded.
  4. Select Draw to replace discards with new
    cards.
  5. The game evaluates your hand for any
    potential win.

When a hand is finished, you can either change your coin size / quantity or
choose Deal to immediately start a new hand.

Double or Nothing Option

Some online versions of Aces and Eights video poker have a Double or Nothing
option.

This pops up after any win and allows you to risk your payout for a chance to
multiply it 2x.

Here’s how this feature works:

  1. You choose “Yes” when asked if you
    want to double up.
  2. The software flips over a card.
  3. You choose one of the open card slots
    to flip over your own card.
  4. Your card needs to be a higher value
    than the machine’s card to win.

If your card is higher, you win double the original payout. For example, a 35
coin full house would turn into 70 coins.

You’ll be asked again if you’d like to double up this win.

If your card is lower, then you lose the payout and any subsequent double
ups. You can decline at any time if you want to avoid risking your payout.

Onscreen Display

Ace on the Deal looks like a standard video poker machine. The main
difference is that the pay table is slightly different than other games thanks
to the bonuses for 4 aces, eights, and sevens.

The online version also has the aforementioned pop up display for doubling
wins.

Here’s a list of game and betting options you’ll see on this machine:

  • Bet One – Changes your bet
    by one coin every time it’s selected.
  • Bet Max – Automatically
    wager the 5 coin max.
  • Deal – Receive your initial
    5 card hand.
  • Draw – Replace discards
    with new cards.
  • Coins – Shows how many
    coins you’re betting.
  • Coin Denomination – Adjust
    this to change your coin size.
  • Double or Nothing – Select
    “Yes” or “No” to try and double up a win.

Aces and Eights vs. Aces and Faces

Aces and Eights is similar to Aces and Faces with regard to game play and pay
outs. In fact, both video poker machines offer bonuses for aces and other 4 of a
kinds.

But Aces and Faces has different bonus payouts.

You can see these prizes below along with how much they pay for a 5 coin wager:

  • 4 aces = 400 coins
  • 4 Js Ks = 200

All other 4 of a kinds pay 125 coins on a 5 coin bet, which is standard for
most video poker machines.

As you can see, this game only offers two sets of bonus payouts instead of
three like Aces and Eights. Furthermore, Aces and Faces only has one 400 coin
bonus instead of two.

Pay Back and Pay Tables in Aces and Eights Video Poker

Aces and Eights has a similar pay table structure to Bonus Poker. Their
tables each have 11 entries along with some of the same payouts.

But the key difference is that Aces and Eights has different bonus prizes.
You’ll also notice that this game counts 4 aces and eights in the same entry,
although they’re separate hands.

Let’s look at Aces and Eights’ pay tables below and discuss how these compare
to Bonus Poker.

Aces and Eights Pay Tables

This game’s pay tables mainly differ in terms of their full house and flush
payouts. Anybody who’s played Bonus Poker or Jacks or Better will be familiar
with this.

But Aces and Eights games can also offer different prizes on a straight
flush, 4 aces, 4 eights, and 4 of a kinds. This makes it hard to sort out pay
tables when you’re looking for the top payback.

But at least the first three tables listed below only differ in terms of
their full house and flush payouts:

Aces And Eights Poker Burn And Turn
Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004,000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces or eights80160240320400
4 sevens50100150200250
4 of a kind255075100125
Full house816243240
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

7 / 5 Aces and Eights

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces or eights80160240320400
4 sevens50100150200250
4 of a kind255075100125
Full house714212835
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

6 / 5 Aces and Eights

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces or eights80160240320400
4 sevens50100150200250
4 of a kind255075100125
Full house612182430
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

20 / 7 / 5 Aces and Eights

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces or eights80160240320400
4 sevens50100150200250
4 of a kind20406080100
Full house714212835
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

70 / 70 / 20 / 8 / 5 Aces and Eights

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004,000
Straight flush70140210280350
4 aces or eights70140210280350
4 sevens50100150200250
4 of a kind20406080100
Full house816243240
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

Again, the first three tables are easy to differentiate because the only
change is their flush and full house prizes.

The fourth pay table down only offers 20 coins per credit wagered for a 4 of
a kind, instead of 25 like the three games above it.

The fifth pay table delivers 70 coins per credit wagered for a straight
flush, 70 for 4 aces or eights, and 20 for a 4 of a kind. Receiving 70 coins for
a straight flush is nice, but you also lose value on the aces and eights.

Aces and Eights Pay Back

Here are payback figures for the pay tables listed above:

  • 8 / 5 Aces and Eights = 99.78% payback
  • 70 / 70 / 20 / 8 / 5 Aces and Eights = 98.72%
  • 7 / 5 Aces and Eights = 98.63%
  • 20 / 7 / 5 Aces and Eights = 97.72%
  • 6 / 5 Aces and Eights = 97.49%

8 / 5 Aces and Eights is one of the best video poker games you’ll find thanks
to its 99.78% payback. With the right comp rate, you could be looking at 100%
payback or better.

We covered how the 70 / 70 / 20 / 8 / 5 pay table has a weird setup where it
offers 70 coins for a straight flush and 70 for 4 aces or eights.

Despite paying less for this bonus, 70 / 70 / 20 / 8 / 5 Aces and Eights
gives you a solid chance to win (98.72%). 7 / 5 Aces and Eights also offers good
payback (98.63%).

The 20 / 7 / 5 and 6 / 5 tables both pay less than the average video poker
machine and should be avoided.

Comparison to Bonus Poker

While Aces and Eights is a popular video poker game, Bonus Poker is even more
popular. In fact, this game has spawned many video poker variations over the
years.

Bonus Poker offers bonuses for 4 aces and 4 2s through 4s, along with regular
payouts for other 4 of a kinds.

Players won’t notice much of a difference when moving from Aces and Eights to
Bonus Poker, or vice versa. The table presented below is 8 / 5 Bonus Poker,
which pays back 99.17%:

8 / 5 Bonus Poker

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Natural royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces80160240320400
4 2s to 4s4080120160200
4 5s to Ks255075100125
Full house816243240
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

The main differences between the pay table above and 8 / 5 aces and eights
include the following:

  • 4 2s to 4s pay 40 coins per credit wagered (instead of 50 for 4 sevens).
  • Bonus Poker doesn’t have a bonus payout for 4 eights.
  • It also doesn’t have a bonus prize for 4 sevens.

Other than these differences, you won’t notice a difference between most
Bonus Poker and Aces and Eights pay tables.

Aces and Eights Hand Probabilities

Here are the odds of getting each hand in 8 / 5 aces and eights:

  • Royal flush = 0.0025% probability
  • Straight flush = 0.011%
  • 4 aces or eights = 0.037%
  • 4 sevens = 0.018%
  • 4 of a kind = 0.18%
  • Full house = 1.15%
  • Flush = 1.08%
  • Straight = 1.12%
  • 3 of a kind = 7.45%
  • 2 pair = 12.93%
  • Jacks or better = 21.53%

Your chances of getting 4 aces or eights are 0.037%. This means you’ll land
one of these bonus payouts roughly 1 in 2,500 hands.

Your odds of getting a straight flush – which usually pays less in Aces and
Eights – are even worse at roughly 1 in 10,000 hands.

As with many games, the majority of your payouts will be comprised of high
pairs, 2 pairs, and 3 of a kinds.

Combined, you have a 41.91% chance of landing
one of these hands per round.

Where to Find Aces and Eights Video Poker – Online, Offline, Free, or Real
Money

Aces and eights can be found at both land based and online casinos. Here’s a
look at how you can look for this game in both types of gaming venues.

Aces and Eights at Online Casinos and Websites

Aces And Eights Video Poker

We found Aces and Eights at a variety of internet casinos and websites. This
means you won’t have any trouble playing the game for free online.

All you need to do is google or bing Aces and Eights (a.k.a. Aces & Eights)
and you’ll find plenty of places to enjoy this game.

If you’d like to play Aces and Eights for real money, Realtime Gaming (a.k.a.
RTG) supplies 8 / 5 Aces and Eights to many online casinos.

This is the same 8 / 5 version we covered before that offers 99.78% payback.
And RTG’s Aces and Eights is one of the highest paying video poker games that
you’ll find online.

Aces and Eights at Land Based Casinos

Most video poker machines are easier to find in land based casinos than they
are online. But this isn’t the case with Aces and Eights.

We used the search tool at vpFREE2.com to look for Aces and Eights machines
in different parts of the US and Canada.

Searching Las Vegas, we found that Circus Circus offers a rare Aces and
Eights game with 100.25% payback. We haven’t found what pay table offers
100.25%, but this machine obviously gives you an outstanding chance to win.

Odds are that Vegas has a few other casinos with this machine. Unfortunately,
we can’t pinpoint them through vpFREE2.

Aces and Eights Video Poker Strategy

You can learn aces and eights strategy yhrough yhree ways:

  1. Strategy chart
  2. Hand analyzer
  3. Video Poker trainer

Let’s cover the pros and cons of using each method with Aces and Eights.

Aces and Eights Strategy Chart

The simplest way to improve in Aces and Eights is by using a strategy chart.
These rank hands in terms of importance and you merely need to scan down to find
your best ranking hand.

We found a simplified Aces and Eights strategy chart that’ll get you close to
optimal strategy. And the best part is that you don’t even have to keep track of
many hands when playing.

Here’s a look at the chart:

  1. Royal flush, straight flush, 4 of a
    kind
  2. 4 cards to a royal flush
  3. Full house, flush, straight, 3 of a
    kind
  4. 4 cards to a straight flush
  5. 2 pair
  6. High pair – Jacks or better
  7. 3 cards to a royal flush
  8. 4 cards to a flush
  9. Low pair – 10s or lower
  10. 4 cards to an open ended straight
  11. 2 suited high cards
  12. 3 cards to a straight flush
  13. 2 unsuited high cards
  14. Suited JK, JQ, or J10
  15. High card
  16. Discard everything

Using a Hand Analyzer on Aces and Eights

Another good way to learn Aces and Eights strategy is by using a hand
analyzer.

This is software that lets you choose games, create custom pay tables, and
learn how to play any hand.

Let’s look at an example:

  • Choose Aces and Eights.
  • Customize the pay table to fit the 8 / 5 version.
  • Put together the following hand: Jc 10s Kh 7s Ad
  • Select the Analyze button.
  • The optimal play is to keep Jc Ad Kh 10s while discarding 7s.

What’s good about hand analyzers is that you can use them for free at a
number of sites. A couple of examples include WizardofOdds.com and
PoggStrategies.com.

Aces And Eights Poker

The big advantage to a hand analyzer is that you can customize pay tables and
learn optimal strategy for the exact game you’re playing. Another plus is that
you can look at an individual hand you’re struggling with and learn how to play
it.

The drawback is that it takes time to set up each hand and look over the
results. This makes hand analyzers better for limited use on trouble hands,
rather than for every round you play.

Practicing Aces and Eights With a Video Poker Trainer

Video poker trainers are programs that point out strategy mistakes as you
play games. With practice, you’ll gradually eliminate your mistakes and play
better video poker.

Here’s an example of how a video poker trainer works:

  • You’re dealt: Jd Qd 8c 3h 4c
  • You keep Qd.
  • The trainer alerts you that this is a mistake.
  • The best play is to keep Qd and Jd.

Trainers also point out correct plays, which is described below:

  • You’re dealt: Kd Qh 5c 4c Ac
  • You hold 5c 4c Ac.
  • The trainer states that this is the best play.

You can find free video poker trainers online. And the good news is that some
of these programs cover Aces and Eights across multiple pay tables.

We used a free version at CasinoIntellect that features three different pay
tables.

You can also purchase trainers for between $35 and $55. The point of doing
this is so that you have access to more games and customizable options.

But we don’t recommend that you purchase a trainer unless you need it for
other games. After all, you can practice Aces and Eights for free.

Conclusion

Aces and Eights has several things going for it, including unique bonus
payouts, high payback, and online and brick and mortar availability.

The primary reason to play this game is if you want an interesting pay table
that highly values aces and eights.

The bonus for 4 aces or eights isn’t as big as the bonuses offered in some
games. But these payouts still spice up the action.

Aces and Eights’ payback is definitely another reason to try this machine.

We found a land based version that pays back 100.25%, while the online
version delivers 99.78%. It’s rare for video poker machines to pay this much in
either setting.

This game is really easy to find at internet casinos and websites because
it’s made by the popular RTG. You’ll have more trouble finding Aces and Eights
in land based casinos, but it can be done.

We don’t see any true weaknesses to this game.

That being said, you should
definitely add Aces and Eights to your game rotation due to its high payback and
fun bonus prizes.

The card hand purportedly held by Wild Bill Hickok at the time of his death: black aces and eights

The makeup of poker's dead man's hand has varied through the years. Currently, it is described as a two-pairpoker hand consisting of the black aces and black eights. These, and an unknown hole card, were reportedly held by Old Westfolk hero, lawman, and gunfighterWild Bill Hickok when he was murdered while playing a game. No contemporaneous source records the exact cards he held when killed. Frank Wilstach's 1926 book, Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers, led to the popular modern conception of the poker hand's contents.

Earliest details[edit]

The expression 'dead man's hand' appears to have had some currency in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although no one connected it to Hickok until the 1920s.[1] The earliest detailed reference to it was 1886, where it was described as a 'full house consisting of three jacks and a pair of tens'.[2] Jacks and sevens are called the dead man's hand in the 1903 Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences.[3]Edmond Hoyle refers to it as Jacks and eights in 1907.[4]

Hickok's hand[edit]

What is considered the dead man's hand card combination of today gets its notoriety from a legend that it was the five-card stud hand held by James Butler Hickok (better known as 'Wild Bill' Hickok) when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall on August 2, 1876, in Nuttal & Mann's Saloon at Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Reportedly, Hickok's final hand included the aces and eights of both black suits.[5]

According to a book by Western historian Carl W. Breihan, the cards were retrieved from the floor by a man named Neil Christy, who then passed them on to his son. The son, in turn, told Mr. Breihan of the composition of the hand. 'Here is an exact identity of these cards as told to me by Christy's son: the ace of diamonds with a heel mark on it; the ace of clubs; the two black eights, clubs and spades, and the queen of hearts with a small drop of Hickok's blood on it.'[6]

Hickok biographer Joseph Rosa wrote about the make-up of the hand: 'The accepted version is that the cards were the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, two black eights, and the queen of clubs as the 'kicker'.'[7] However, Rosa said that no contemporaneous source can be found for this exact hand.[8] The solidification in gamers' parlance of the dead man's hand as two pairs, aces and eights, did not come about until after the 1926 publication of Frank Wilstach's book Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers—50 years after Hickok's death.[1]

Legacy[edit]

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Division, the Los Angeles Police Department CRASH squad, and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System all use the dead man's hand in their insignia.[9][10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ab'Was Wild Bill Hickok Holding the Dead Mans Hand When He Was Slain; The Straight Dope article; retrieved March 2013.
  2. ^DiscussionArchived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine; July 3, 1886, article in the Grand Forks Daily Herald; at Linguist List online; retrieved February 2013.
  3. ^Cora Linn Morrison Daniels, et al; editor; Volume 2.
  4. ^Edmond Hoyle; Hoyle's Games; 1907; p. 405
  5. ^Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers; Frank J. Wilstach; 1926.
  6. ^Wild Women of the West; Signet; 1982; p. 77.
  7. ^Wild Bill Hickok: Gunfighter; Joseph G. Rosa; p. 163.
  8. ^Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and his Myth; Joseph Rosa; 1996.
  9. ^'Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department'. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. ^'Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner'. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
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