I've played a lot of video poker so far this year, and as of Saturday night I've played at least 123,822 hands of video poker. I'm not making this number up. I got this figure by using my "tier score" on my player's card from the casino company that gets nearly all of my play. But since I have played a little elsewhere, and because I've also played some multi line games at lower denominations, I've probably played more than 123,822 hands this year.
Well, in most of the games I play, the frequency of hitting a royal flush is about 1 in 45,000. Yes, that's an average, and I still haven't hit one. Wow, am I on the wrong side of the averages.
But OK-- I haven't hit a royal yet but on Saturday I hit a payoff that was equal to the payoff on a royal -- and that's 4,000 coins.
The payoff came on quad aces playing the game called "Royal Aces Bonus." In this game, the payoff on 4 aces equals the payoff on a royal flush. But the "math" of the game says that a royal hits about 1 in 45,000 hands while quad aces hits about 1 in 4,000 hands.
What's that? A hand with a payoff that is equal to a royal hits about ten times more often? What a deal!
Well, be ready to lose a lot before you win, and be ready to hold some unusual cards on each dealt hand because this game has an unusual pay table.
For example, if you get a pair of kings you lose -- a single pair of jacks or better is a losing hand. It's not even a break even hand -- it's a losing hand.
The only single pair that pays is a pair of Aces and that only returns your bet. And two pair also returns your bet. You need at least three of a kind to win a little money.
This game has a "top heavy pay table" meaning the big money is on the "big hands" such as a royal, a straight flush and quad aces. And these are the "rare hands."
In order to make a payoff on quad aces equal to a royal, the low end of the pay table is wiped out and that means no payoffs on a single pair of Jacks or Better and getting two pair only is a break even hand.
Curiously, I've played this game only four times in my life, and three of the four times I hit quad aces. And all three times I was lucky and hit the rockets with very little money into the game. Yes. I was very lucky, and I think it makes up for the big run of bad luck I've had not being able to get a royal.
Royal Aces Bonus is at Harrah's Rincon casino in San Diego and it is available in low denominations. But it is not available in denominations above $2/coin.