All-Star Poker II Video Poker Guide

All-Star Poker II video poker puts everything you love about video poker into a single machine. Many of the top variations on play, including games with special features and pay tables, can all be found within the game. You never have to play it the same twice with all the variety you have at your fingertips.

One of the most beneficial characteristics about video poker is that it can be played in many different ways. Some people want to keep it simple with the basic format, Jacks or Better, one hand at a time. While that style can be fun, playing the same way over and over can get tiring, even if you’re winning.

As a result, many players gravitate to games that let them change things up. First of all, you can indulge in multiple play mode. This allows you to play three, five, or 10 hands of video poker on a single screen.

Then, there are the pay tables. Pay tables have been created to put the emphasis on specific hands that you might not expect. This allows you to try different strategies and gives you more chances to hit it big.

Wild card play is another way you can spice up the action. With these wild cards, which can be turned into any other card in the deck to form the best possible hand, you can make combinations you never thought possible. Deuces Wild and Joker Poker are just two of the ways you can enjoy wild card play.

Finally, there are different twists on video poker which allow you to change up the rhythm of play. These twists might be multipliers or special pay tables that are unlocked when certain hands are made. You usually have to bet more than usual to play these games, but those features can beef up your payback.

With All-Star Poker II video poker, you get all of this in a single machine. When you start, you get to choose which variant and which pay table you want to use. In addition, you get to decide whether you want to play three, five, or 10 hands at once.

The key to playing an All-Star Poker II video poker is making sure you know the right strategy for the style of play you eventually choose. You also have to know if the pay tables are the kind you want over the long haul. That can be tricky, which can make all the choices seem a bit overwhelming.

In the following article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about All-Star Poker II video poker. We’ll show you how to play basic video poker, then delve into all of the variants for this machine. And we’ll talk about the different pay tables and ways you should approach strategy for all of them.

Playing Basic Video Poker

With a machine like All-Star Poker II video poker, you have basically a smorgasbord of video poker in front of you. How you approach it is all up to you. But if you’ve never played video poker at all, you might not even know where to begin.

Luckily, we’re here to help out. And if you’re new to the game, you might not realize what a great option for gambling video poker can be. It’s actually one of the most player-friendly of all casino games.

First of all, it is a one-person game, like slot machines. You get to play in a casino without having to worry about pressure from employees of patrons. And you can move at your own pace without worrying about losing ground.

Video poker ranks as one of the highest-paying, on average, of all casino games. And if you locate video poker on top gambling websites, you can play for real money as you would in the casino. In fact, you might prefer the convenience of that experience.

In any case, All-Star Poker II video poker brings all of that to you in so many different ways. First, though, let’s you through the basics of game play. Then you can learn all the variations available on this machine.

Step 1: Create Your Bankroll

Since All-Star Poker II video poker is a machine found in casinos, you’ll be inserting cash, or a redemption ticket, into the machine to start up your bankroll. If you do play some version of these games online, your bankroll will come from a gambling account that you fund. Your bankroll will show up on the screen as units known as credits, or coins.

Each credit or coin will be worth the same amount as the denomination that you choose to play. For example, imagine that you’re playing a 25-cent machine and have bet five credits. That means you’ll be betting $1.25 (5 times .25).

Step 2: Make Your Bet

In a standard video poker game where you’re playing a single hand at a time, you’ll be betting between one and five credits (in one-credit increments) every hand. Just remember that an All-Star Poker II video poker contains many different variations, some of which have a higher maximum wager involved to invoke a special feature. Also keep in mind that you’ll be playing three, five or ten hands at once, and that you must bet on every hand that you play.

For example, you might play a version of the game where the max bet is six coins per hand and you’re playing three hands of video poker at once. That would mean an 18-coin bet (6 coins times 3 hands) would be the max bet.

If you feel like the max bet is too expensive for you, you can lower the denomination. Or you could play less hands at once, if that’s an option for you. You’ll regret not betting the max if you are going to play All-Star Poker II video poker on a regular basis, because you’ll essentially be hurting your payback.

Step 3: Play Your Hand

There are many different variations of video poker found on an All-Star Poker II video poker machine. And you’ll be playing multiple hands at once. But learning how to play requires you learn the basics of playing one hand at a time, which then informs every other version.

For the most part, video poker simulates the action of the card game known as Five-Card Draw. In both cases, five cards are dealt and the player has to choose which cards to hold and which to discard. Once that decision is made, cards are drawn to replace any discarded cards.

You’re trying to make the best possible poker combination in either case. But in Five-Card Draw, that combination has to be good enough to beat everybody at the table. Or else you can try to bluff your way to winning a hand.

In video poker, all you need to win a hand and get money back from your bet is make one of the winning combinations on the pay table. Each of the pay tables found on All-Star Poker II video poker has its own unique set of winning combinations. But most games without wild cards are based on the following winning hands:

• Pair of jacks or better
• Two pair
• Three of a kind
• Straight (five cards of consecutive rank, like 3-4-5-6-7)
• Flush (five cards of same suit)
• Full house (three of a kind and two pair in the same hand)
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush (straight with five cards of same suit)
• Royal flush (ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit)

It’s important to understand that the hands at the top of the list pay the least, but they’re also the easiest to achieve. As you move down the list, you’ll find that the combinations are more and more difficult to achieve. But they’ll pay more.

The Deal

The deal (the five cards which appear on your screen) in video poker usually comes from a simulated deck of 52 cards (some versions of the game like Joker Poker use 53). These simulated decks are based on the standard ones found in decks all over the world. Software inside the machine ensures random results for every deal and draw you receive while you play.

The Decision

Your deal will be the jumping-off point for your final hand. From there, you get to decide which cards you’ll keep and which you’ll discard. Cards that you hold will be part of your final hand, while cards you discard will be replaced by cards taken from the 47 cards remaining in the deck after the deal.

You should decide in part on the likelihood of making a winning combination, based on what you have and what’s left in the deck. But you also have to think about much potential payback is in whatever decision you make. Take a look at this example deal to illustrate this:

In the hand above, you didn’t receive any winning combinations right off the bat. But you still have the draw to help you out, which means that you can get new cards from the deck to complete a winning combination. But it isn’t an easy choice here.

• Hold the pair of fours, which would give you an opportunity for hands like two pair, three of a kind, a full house, and four of a kind.
• Hold the four diamonds and hope that you get one more on the draw to give you a flush.
• Hold the four, five, and seven of diamonds, which gives you chances at a straight, a flush or, if you get a great draw, a straight flush

Most video poker hands will be more obvious in terms of the choices that you have to make. But even on a hand as complicated as this, you’ll be able to make the decision in a matter of seconds once you’ve been at an All-Star Poker II video poker for a while.

The Draw

Once you’ve made your decisions about what to hold (if anything), press the buttons (or touch the screen) to indicate the cards you want to hold. Any cards that you leave alone will be discarded. Make sure you’ve got the right cards indicated before you activate the draw, since it will be too late to do so after.

The draw will replace the cards you’ve discarded (if any) with others from the deck. Any winnings you’ve managed will be added to your bankroll. You can the rev up and start the next hand if you wish.

Playing All-Star Poker II Video Poker

Now that you have all the information on how to play a hand of basic video poker, we can now look at the different ways to play All-Star Poker II video poker. You’ll be asked when you put money into the machine which game you want to play, which pay table, and how may hands. Take a look at all the variations waiting for you.
Multiple Play

As we’ve mentioned, you can play three, five, or 10 hands of All-Star Poker II video poker at once. You have to bet on each of those hands. Once you do, you’ll see that just one deal appears on the screen.

Keep in mind that the more hands you play, the more you’ll benefit from a great deal. But a bad deal will mean more losses, most likely, than if you’re playing less hands at once.

Deal Draw Video Poker

In most video poker games, you are not judged on the deal. But with Deal Draw video poker, which is found on All-Star Poker II video poker, you can win on both the deal and the draw. You have to bet on both elements to win from both, which would mean the max bet for this game would be ten coins per hand.

The Deal Draw pay table in this game features much higher payback for similar hands on the draw version. That’s because you have no control over what you get on the deal and can’t improve it. This game features massive paybacks on the deal for some of the rarer winning combinations.

Double Super Times Pay Poker

Random multipliers which will occasionally show up during game play set Double Super Times Pay Poker apart from other games. It requires a seven-coin wager for the max bet. If you make this bet, multipliers can show up both after the deal and the draw, and if they do, they’re added together for a bigger boost.

Multipliers give your payback a boost. For example, a 4x multiplier attached to a 10-coin bet means a 40-coin payback (4 times 10). If you can match the multipliers up to a big winning hand, your payback could be tremendous.

Extra Draw Frenzy

This version of video poker found on an All-Star Poker II video poker requires a six-coin wager to enact the special feature. That feature comes into play whenever you are dealt three of a kind. When that happens, you’ll have access to the amount of draws you bet, plus anywhere from three to seven extra draws.

How many extra draws will appear is random. But when you think about what you could do with a maximum 17 draws (possibly seven hands added to 10-play video poker), it’s mind-boggling—especially because you know you already have a winning combination with the three of a kind.

Spin Poker

Spin Poker is unique because it includes elements of slot machine play within the video poker framework. It sets up as a triple play video poker game, with three draws coming from one deal. But unlike regular Triple Play, the three draws in Spin Poker on All-Star Poker II video poker comes from the same deck.

In addition, you can win with combinations that appear on the screen in different patterns besides the three horizontal rows. This is the same kind of thing that happens in multiline slots play. With Spin Poker, you can win up to nine times on a single deal.

Super Times Pay Poker

This game is essentially the same as Double Super Times Pay, also found on All-Star Poker II video poker, but you only have a six-coin max bet on the hand, instead of seven. And the multipliers can only show up once during a hand.

Triple Spin Poker

This game is a beefed-up version of the Spin Poker that we described above. The difference is that you be playing three games on the screen at once, each with nine paylines. As a result, you have the possibility of 27 different winning lines all on one screen.

Ultimate X Poker

The exciting thing about Ultimate X Poker is that you get to carry multipliers over from hand to hand. In other words, not only do you get the benefit of a winning hand, but it also activates a multiplier in the next round. Multipliers will be awarded according to the lines where they were achieved.

Certain winning combinations will earn you more multipliers than others, with the full house and flush hands being most beneficial. The cost of enacting this special feature is double your normal max bet, or ten coins per hand. But that big bet can be worth it, considering all the multipliers that will be flying around the screen boosting your winnings.

Pay Tables Found on All-Star Poker II Video Poker

Within each of the above families of games, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of pay tables. Not all of the pay tables listed below will be available for every different variation. But you should have no trouble finding pay tables that suit the style of game that you want to play.

Included among those styles are wild card games like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. With wild cards, you can more easily make rare winning combinations. You can even make hands, like five of a kind, that aren’t available in normal video poker.

You should try to choose your pay table based on what you’re hoping to achieve while playing. If you’re hoping to play for a long time with a small bankroll to start, Jacks or Better is the best selection. Jacks or Better features a pay table that is conducive to steadier play.

You can even occasionally find specialty pay tables, such as White Hot Aces, on All-Star Poker II video poker games. These games let you look at the game a little bit differently than the norm, which brings opportunities for different strategy. They’re a good challenge for both video poker newcomers and veterans alike.

The most important thing to remember is that you should always be looking for the highest possible payback for any of the hands listed. We’ve listed pay tables below that are excellent in that regard. If you find lower ones on an All-Star Poker II video poker, just be aware that they will bring down your expected payback and raise the house edge.

Jacks or Better Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	2	4	6	8	10
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Bonus Poker Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	40	80	120	160	200
Four of a kind (any other)	20	40	60	80	100
Full house	8	16	24	32	40
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	2	4	6	8	10
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Bonus Poker Deluxe Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind	80	160	240	320	400
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Double Bonus Poker Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	2,000	4,000	6,000	8,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four aces without any 2,3,4	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four 2s, 3s, 4s without any A,2,3,4	160	320	480	640	800
Four aces	160	320	480	640	800
Four 2s, 3s, 4s	80	120	240	320	400
Four 5s through Ks	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Pair of jacks +	1	2	3	4	5

Triple Double Bonus Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	200	400	600	800	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind – aces 2, 3, 4 kicker	800	1,600	2,400	3,200	4,000
Four of a kind – 2s, 3s, or 4s A, 2, 3, or 4 kicker	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four of a kind – aces 5s – Ks kicker	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind – 2s, 3s, or 4s 5s – Ks kicker	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind – any other	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	2	4	6	8	10
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Pair of jacks +	1	2	3	4	5

Super Double Bonus Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (Jack through Kings)	120	240	360	480	400
Four of a kind (Two through Four)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (Five through Ten)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Super Double Double Bonus Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four aces w/ any 2,3,4	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four aces w/ any J, Q, K	320	640	960	1,280	1,600
Four 2s, 3s, 4s w/ any A,2,3,4	160	320	480	640	800
Four jacks through kings w/ any J,Q,K,A	160	320	480	640	800
Four aces	160	320	480	640	800
Four 2s, 3s, 4s	80	160	240	320	400
Four 5s through Ks	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	8	16	24	32	40
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Pair of jacks +	1	2	3	4	5

White Hot Aces Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	200	400	600	800	4,000
Straight flush	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (aces)	240	480	720	960	1,200
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	120	240	360	480	600
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Pair of jacks +	1	2	3	4	5

Super Aces Bonus Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	60	120	180	240	300
Four of a kind (aces)	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	7	14	21	28	35
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Deuces Wild Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Four deuces	200	400	600	800	1,000
Wild royal flush	25	50	75	100	125
Five of a kind	16	32	48	64	80
Straight flush	10	20	30	40	50
Four of a kind	4	8	12	16	20
Full house	4	8	12	16	20
Flush	3	6	9	12	15
Straight	2	4	6	8	10
Three of a kind	1	2	3	4	5

Deuces Wild Bonus Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Four deuces with an ace	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four deuces	200	400	600	800	1,000
Wild royal flush	25	50	75	100	125
Five aces	80	160	240	320	400
Five 3s, 4s or 5s	40	80	120	160	200
Five 6s through Ks	20	40	60	80	100
Straight flush	15	30	45	60	75
Four of a kind	4	8	12	16	20
Full house	3	6	9	12	15
Flush	3	6	9	12	15
Straight	1	2	3	4	5
Three of a kind	1	2	3	4	5

Double Bonus Deuces Wild Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Four deuces with ace	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four deuces	200	400	600	800	1,000
Wild royal flush	25	50	75	100	125
Five aces	160	320	480	640	800
Five 3s 5s	50	100	150	200	250
Five 6s Ks	20	40	60	80	100
Straight flush	12	24	36	48	60
Four of a kind	4	8	12	16	20
Full house	3	6	9	12	15
Flush	2	4	6	8	10
Straight	1	2	3	4	5
Three of a kind	1	2	3	4	5

Joker Poker Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Five of a kind	100	200	300	400	500
Wild royal flush	50	100	150	200	250
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind	20	40	60	80	100
Full house	10	20	30	40	50
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	5	10	15	200	25
Three of a kind	2	4	6	8	10
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5

Strategy for All-Star Poker II Video Poker

Playing with excellent strategy will give you a better shot at long-term winnings than someone who just plays on hunches and whims. You get to exercise your strategy whenever you choose which cards to hold and which to discard from a deal. The goal is to maximize the value of that deal based on probabilities and pay back.

That is nearly impossible to do on the fly playing All-Star Poker II video poker, simply because the math is too complex. Many holds and discards will be obvious, but others might be splitting hairs. Choosing the wrong plays will hurt your chances of winning over time.

In the case of All-Star Poker II video poker, you have to make sure that you base your strategy on the style of play and the pay table. You might make different choices in a multiplier game like Ultimate X than you would in something like Extra Draw Frenzy. By the same token, there are many deals which you would play differently in Jacks or Better than in something like Triple Double Bonus.

Get some help. Use one of the two resources and you’ll be able to streamline your strategy for All-Star Poker II video poker.

Strategy Charts

You should be able to find strategy charts for all the pay tables listed above. If you choose, you can adjust slightly to base your selections on games with multipliers. For example, it might be wiser to play conservatively on certain deals where you know a multiplier is in place.

Strategy charts rank card combinations based on their potential payback. Once you memorize the chart, you’ll be able to tell immediately when looking at your deal you should hold and which you should discard. And that should clear the path for perfect play.

Video Poker Training Software

In the case of All-Star Poker II video poker, training software might give you more thorough instruction than strategy charts. You should be able to input the different pay tables and special features right into the software. That will ensure that you get the proper instruction for any style.

The only concern with training software is that it might take you a bit more time to lean. You have to practice and practice, using the software’s instructions for each potential deal. After a while, you should have all the right plays in your mental grasp.

All-Star Poker II Video Poker Pros and Cons

Conclusion on All-Star Poker II Video Poker

All-Star Poker II video poker is a one-stop shop for just about every style of video poker you can imagine. Experienced players will be thrilled to find the game that fit’s their preferred risk and reward levels. Meanwhile, new video poker players, if they learn how to navigate the different games, should be able to find plenty of thrills and payback along the way.