Royal Aces Bonus

[Alan Mendelson]

Over the years I have had tremendous luck playing Royal Aces Bonus video poker. However, it is a game I do not play often. When I do play, I have a high percentage of walking away with hitting the 4,000 coin jackpot of quad aces which pays the same as a royal.

The strategy for this game is relatively simple but it is not a game for a small bankroll or for the faint of heart.

Basically, the paytable starts with a pair of aces. A pair of Jacks or better is a losing hand. You need a pair of aces or two-pair just to get a push -- a break even hand.

The pay table is top heavy with a royal and quad aces paying 4,000 coins. A straight flush pays 500 coins, making it reasonable to go for hands such as three small straight flush cards with two gaps such as 5s 7s 9s.

On the other hand you would never hold suited cards such as AK, AQ, AJ and would just hold the ace.

Basic strategy says that you hold a pair over a single ace but this is what I would like to discuss.

In the past week I have hit quad aces twice with minimal play. Yes, I was lucky. In one case -- when playing 25-cents -- the quad aces were dealt to me. Early Sunday morning I held a single ace and drew three more.

But a few hands before I was dealt the quad aces playing 25 cents I was dealt this hand: KKAxx with xx being two small cards. Following proper strategy I held the pair of kings and on the draw came three more aces.

In discussing this with my son he said he only holds aces in this game unless dealt three or four to the royal, or three or four to a straight flush... and everything else he throws away. (We didn't discuss being dealt three of a kind, and I doubt he would discard three of a kind. I certainly wouldn't and I've been dealt three of a kind which converted to quads paying 250 coins.)

The value of his argument is that getting quad aces is a lot more common than hitting a royal so why not maximize the chances of getting those aces. Recently he played the game, discarding all cards and then on the draw he was dealt quad aces.

I think I have played this game a total of perhaps 10 sessions and I have hit quad aces in eight of those ten sessions: twice at 25-cents, twice at $2, four times at $1.

Photos below of the two latest winners.

[Alan Mendelson]

As I mentioned in another thread, on my next visit to Rincon I hit quad aces again playing Royal Aces Bonus and this time three aces were dealt to me. The photo is below. I am adding the third quad -aces jackpot here just to keep them in one place.

[Alan Mendelson]

Oops, I did it again. Same lucky machine #3116 at Rincon. But I don't want anyone to think these things come easily. I played this game last weekend and lost about $800, and tonight I was down $590 when I hit the aces. There are two photos of the same quad aces: one shot showing the screen -- note the amount on the meter. I had just lost the first $500 on this machine, and I put in another $100 bill... hitting the aces on the second play. The second photo of the smiling dude is to show that I wasn't taking a photo of someone's else's jackpot (unless you think I asked to pose in front of their winner).

[dannyj]

Nice hits Alan. I've never played royal aces bonus and have not seen it in our local casino here in southern Oregon. We are going to Harrahs Lake Tahoe in about a week, will look for it there. Again, congratulations on your wins.

[quahaug]

I would blow a lot of hands in that game by accidentally holding face cards till I got used to it.

[Alan Mendelson]

I would blow a lot of hands in that game by accidentally holding face cards till I got used to it.

Even with all my experience I have to catch myself when I accidentally hold a face card or something like AQ.

[Count Room]

Your experience with royal aces bonus is just like mine, Alan. Some years ago I only played the game ONCE for about 10 minutes at the 25-cent level and nailed those aces for $1,000. Never went back to it, though.

It's just like craps. Up about $2,000 lifetime but haven't played it for many years.

[Nash]

Alan,

YOU OWN THAT MACHINE!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[Dan Druff]

Alan,

I'm glad you are doing so well and hitting so many jackpots.

However, you should know that 8-5 Royal Aces is a bad game odds-wise, with only a 97.06% return.

This is actually WORSE than 8-5 Jacks or Better, and only slightly better than 6-5 Bonus!

[Alan Mendelson]

you should know that 8-5 Royal Aces is a bad game odds-wise, with only a 97.06% return.

This is actually WORSE than 8-5 Jacks or Better, and only slightly better than 6-5 Bonus!

Yes... it is a bad game. Except when you hit quad aces.

[Rob.Singer]

That is so typical for the majority of confused players to say. Alan wins money because of the game he plays, then some hack tries his best to minimize his wins by portraying him as dumb for playing it because of theory. That smacks of jealousy before anything else. And of course, Alan then has no choice but to give him complimentary lip service in closure.

The guy is truly a joy to behold. Now his episode at Caesars certainly is coming into much better focus.

[Alan Mendelson]

Alan,

YOU OWN THAT MACHINE!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I like that machine not because I think it is something special. I think that like every other video poker machine it is truly random. I don't think I am hitting more winners than anyone else is. But it is the machine I primarily play in the video poker area at the $1 and $2 denominations. I play this particular machine because it has the two games I like best: Aces and Faces and Royal Aces Bonus.

I think there are only three machines at Rincon with Aces and Faces at the $1 and $2 (and lower) levels (one is in non smoking). There are four at the $5 level in the high limit area. There is one at the $1 and higher levels on a Game King in the high limit area. And they have Aces and Faces on the $25 machines (which I have never played).

I know of only three machines (one in non-smoking) with Royal Aces Bonus. There used to be Royal Aces Bonus in the high limit room on some of the $25 machines but the last time I looked the game was not there.

I usually play Royal Aces Bonus if I have a lot of free play available or if I have a profit after playing Aces and Faces.

If I could "reserve" machine 3116 I would. But when it is taken I can play 8/5 Bonus on a few machines at $1 and $2. I don't really plan on playing much $5 Aces and Faces now since my tier score has already topped 200,000 for 2014 and I really don't get enough free play to make it worthwhile to play at the $5 denomination.

[spojoey]

I like that machine not because I think it is something special. I think that like every other video poker machine it is truly random. I don't think I am hitting more winners than anyone else is. But it is the machine I primarily play in the video poker area at the $1 and $2 denominations. I play this particular machine because it has the two games I like best: Aces and Faces and Royal Aces Bonus.

I think there are only three machines at Rincon with Aces and Faces at the $1 and $2 (and lower) levels (one is in non smoking). There are four at the $5 level in the high limit area. There is one at the $1 and higher levels on a Game King in the high limit area. And they have Aces and Faces on the $25 machines (which I have never played).

I know of only three machines (one in non-smoking) with Royal Aces Bonus. There used to be Royal Aces Bonus in the high limit room on some of the $25 machines but the last time I looked the game was not there.

I usually play Royal Aces Bonus if I have a lot of free play available or if I have a profit after playing Aces and Faces.

If I could "reserve" machine 3116 I would. But when it is taken I can play 8/5 Bonus on a few machines at $1 and $2. I don't really plan on playing much $5 Aces and Faces now since my tier score has already topped 200,000 for 2014 and I really don't get enough free play to make it worthwhile to play at the $5 denomination.

Alan , there are 4 aces faces machines. I believe the one you are missing is right behind the bill changer about midway between 3116 and the men's room that is over near the bar

[Alan Mendelson]

Alan , there are 4 aces faces machines. I believe the one you are missing is right behind the bill changer about midway between 3116 and the men's room that is over near the bar

Thanks. I think I know the area you are talking about. I will check it out if I can't get on my two "regular" machines.

[Max A Million]

Oops, I did it again.

Ha! For a minute there I thought you were going to start a song and dance by Britney Spears. Congrats on the win!

[Alan Mendelson]

Ha! For a minute there I thought you were going to start a song and dance by Britney Spears. Congrats on the win!

I was thinking about posting her YouTube video... so I will:

[Alan Mendelson]

It's been a long time since I had quad aces... on any game. But on Saturday morning I got lucky and hit quad Aces on my favorite machine at Rincon playing Royal Aces Bonus. I was able to play at the $1 level because of a big win at craps earlier that morning. But in six previous casino trips -- playing at the 25-cent level mostly -- I just could not connect on Royal Aces Bonus.

While quad aces appear about ten times more often than a royal flush, and on this game quad aces pays the same as a royal, this game can still eat you alive so be very careful playing it. I actually got lucky at it from the start. I put $200 into the machine and on the first play I was dealt quad Queens for $250 and I also drew some flushes and full houses which kept me going for quite a while. But even that money ran out and I had to put in $600 more before hitting the quad aces for $4K. Photo is below. I am going to estimate that this $4,000 payoff came after losing about $1500 playing this game mostly at the 25-cent level with a few short spurts at $1 thrown in. I only play this game when I have some sort of "wins" in my visit. It is not the kind of game I would start playing initially since the likelihood of losing everything is high. In this case I was dealt two aces and drew two more -- the "4" which is a "kicker" in some other games does not have an effect on the payout.