Aces and Faces is a video poker variant that pays extra for four of a kind made with aces, jacks, queens, or kings. It still uses normal video poker deal-hold-draw mechanics, but the special quad payouts change strategy and volatility. The paytable decides whether the game is attractive or just expensive decoration.
Quick Facts
- Aces and Faces rewards four aces and four face cards more than low quads.
- “Faces” usually means jacks, queens, and kings.
- The game is related to Bonus Poker style logic.
- The full house and flush rows still matter a lot.
- Wizard of Odds lists Aces and Faces paytable and probability tables.
- Strategy is more aggressive around premium high cards and quad potential.
- A strong name does not guarantee a strong return.
Plain Talk
Aces and Faces looks like regular video poker until you read the four-of-a-kind rows.
In basic Jacks or Better, most four-of-a-kind hands pay the same. In Aces and Faces, four aces and four face cards get special treatment. That makes certain high-card and pair situations more valuable than they would be in a simpler game.
The trap is that the extra money has to come from somewhere. Casinos can support premium quad payouts by reducing other pays. If the full house, flush, straight, or lower quad rows are weak, the game may look exciting while quietly costing more.
This page explains the variant. For the foundation, read the video poker guide, video poker paytables, and video poker house edge.
How It Works
Aces and Faces follows standard video poker flow:
- Bet credits.
- Receive five cards.
- Hold selected cards.
- Draw replacements.
- Receive the payout for the final hand.
The special feature is the quad structure.
| Final Hand | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | Still the premium hand, often boosted at max coins |
| Straight flush | Important but paytable-sensitive |
| Four aces | Usually a premium quad |
| Four jacks, queens, or kings | The “faces” part of the game |
| Four 2s through 10s | Usually lower than premium quads |
| Full house / flush | Middle rows that strongly affect RTP |
The player’s job is to stop reading only the top rows. The full paytable is the game.
Aces and Faces tables often show several return versions. That is why comparing with a general video poker summary table is more useful than trusting the game title.
Video Poker Hand Example
You are dealt:
A♠, A♦, Q♣, 7♥, 3♠
In Jacks or Better, a pair of aces is already a strong hold. In Aces and Faces, the pair has extra meaning because four aces can pay more than ordinary quads.
A weak player may hold the queen with the aces because it is a face card. That is usually the kind of mistake that feels logical but blocks draw potential. The correct decision depends on the paytable, but “face card nearby” is not a reason by itself.
The strategic question is whether the extra card improves expected value or merely reduces the number of draw cards. Most of the time, fewer kept cards means more chances to improve.
From the Casino Side:
Aces and Faces is useful for casinos because it sells excitement without needing a progressive jackpot.
The cabinet can advertise premium aces and face-card quads. Players remember those hands. Slot management then balances that excitement with paytable configuration, denomination, expected hold, and location on the floor.
For marketing, the game is still tracked through coin-in, theoretical loss, and average bet. A player may think, “I am chasing aces.” The player-tracking system sees wager volume and a theoretical value based on the programmed paytable.
For slot technicians and regulators, Aces and Faces is still a gaming device. Machine integrity, game software, TITO behavior, and event logs matter. In Nevada, technical standards for gaming devices are published by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, while lab standards such as GLI standards are commonly used as testing references across jurisdictions.
Common Mistakes
- Holding random face cards with a pair just because the game name says “Faces.”
- Ignoring the full house and flush payouts.
- Assuming premium quad payouts mean high RTP.
- Playing Bonus Poker strategy without checking changes.
- Chasing four aces from weak starting hands.
- Playing too high a denomination because the game feels familiar.
- Forgetting that max coins may affect the royal flush payout.
Hard Truth
Aces and Faces pays you more for pretty quads only if you actually hit them. The rest of the paytable collects rent while you wait.
FAQ
What does Aces and Faces mean?
It means four aces and four face cards usually receive special higher payouts than ordinary four-of-a-kind hands.
Are tens face cards?
No. Face cards are jacks, queens, and kings. Aces are named separately.
Is Aces and Faces better than Jacks or Better?
Not automatically. It depends on the full paytable and how accurately you play the strategy.
Does Aces and Faces have more variance?
Usually yes compared with simple Jacks or Better, because more value is tied to premium four-of-a-kind outcomes.
Should beginners play Aces and Faces?
Beginners can learn it, but Jacks or Better is usually a cleaner first game.
Does the strategy change much?
Yes. Premium quad payouts can change the value of some holds, especially involving aces and face cards.
Deeper Insight
Aces and Faces is a good example of why video poker cannot be judged by the name on the screen.
The game sounds generous because it highlights special four-of-a-kind hands. But four-of-a-kind hands are rare compared with pairs, two pair, full houses, flushes, and straights. A small reduction in a common hand can offset a flashy increase in a rare hand.
That does not make the game bad. It means the player must compare the math properly.
Look at these rows first:
| Paytable Area | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Four aces | Main premium attraction |
| Four jacks, queens, kings | Face-card bonus area |
| Other quads | Shows how much the game favors premium ranks |
| Full house | Common enough to influence RTP strongly |
| Flush | Another major middle-row RTP lever |
| Royal flush | Often tied to max-coin value |
Use the house edge calculator and expected loss calculator when comparing Aces and Faces to Bonus Poker or Double Bonus Poker.
Formula / Calculation
RTP = Sum of each hand probability × hand payout
House Edge = 1 - RTP
Expected Loss = Coin-In × House Edge
Coin-In = Bet Per Hand × Hands Played
Premium Quad Value = Probability of premium quads × premium quad payoutFormula Explanation in Plain English
Aces and Faces return is not just about the four-ace payout. It is the weighted value of every possible final hand.
If premium quads pay more but full houses and flushes pay less, the final RTP may still be ordinary or weak. Correct strategy tries to capture the value of the premium hands without making reckless holds. The same starting hand can be right in one paytable and wrong in another.
The listed RTP assumes the player knows those differences. Randomly chasing aces and faces is not strategy.
Related Reading
Use video poker paytables to learn how one row changes the whole game. Compare the math at video poker odds and video poker house edge. For nearby variants, read Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, and Double Double Bonus Poker. Test difficult holds with the video poker analyzer.