All American Poker is one of the most unusual video poker games you'll encounter. The Full House, Flush, and Straight all pay the same amount — 8-for-1 at full pay — and the Straight Flush pays a massive 200-for-1. This restructured pay table creates a game where strategy is radically different from Jacks or Better.
Full Pay All American returns 100.72%, making it one of the few positive-expectation video poker games. But playing it with JoB strategy will cost you about 1.5% in return.
Pay Table Structure
Here's what makes All American unique compared to JoB:
| Hand | All American (Full Pay) | Jacks or Better (9/6) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 200 | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 40 | 25 |
| Full House | 8 | 9 |
| Flush | 8 | 6 |
| Straight | 8 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 |
Three things jump out:
- Straight Flush pays 4x what it does in JoB (200 vs 50)
- Straights pay double (8 vs 4)
- Two Pair drops to 1-for-1 — same tradeoff as Double Bonus
The equal payout for Full House, Flush, and Straight is what gives the game its character. In JoB, a Flush draw is always better than a Straight draw because Flushes pay more. In All American, they pay the same, so the number of outs is what matters.
Strategy: What Changes from JoB
The strategy differences are not subtle. All American requires a complete mental reset:
Straight Draws Are Much More Valuable
In JoB, you rarely break a low pair for a four-card Straight. In All American, an open-ended Straight draw (8 outs × $8 payout) often beats holding a low pair. Example:
Dealt: 5♠ 6♥ 7♣ 8♦ 3♠
- JoB play: hold nothing, draw 5
- All American play: hold 5-6-7-8, draw 1 (8 outs to a Straight paying 8-for-1)
Flush Draws Don't Dominate Straight Draws
In JoB, four to a Flush beats four to an open-ended Straight because Flushes pay 6 vs Straights at 4. In All American, both pay 8, so an open-ended Straight (8 outs) is comparable to a Flush draw (9 outs). The number of outs matters more than the type of draw.
Straight Flush Draws Are Extremely Valuable
At 200-for-1, even a three-card Straight Flush can be worth holding. Example:
Dealt: 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ K♣ 2♦
- JoB play: hold nothing (or the King)
- All American play: hold 7♥-8♥-9♥ (drawing to a 200-for-1 Straight Flush, with Straight and Flush fallbacks both paying 8)
Two Pair: Hold It, But Know It Hurts
Two Pair only pays 1-for-1, same as a pair of Jacks. You still hold Two Pair (the chance of improving to a Full House is worth it), but this is the main source of the game's volatility. You'll win a lot of hands that don't feel like wins.
Simplified Strategy Priority
- Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind
- Four to a Royal Flush
- Full House, Flush, Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Four to a Straight Flush
- Two Pair
- Four to a Flush
- Four to an open-ended Straight
- High Pair (Jacks or Better)
- Three to a Royal Flush
- Three to a Straight Flush
- Low Pair
- Four to an inside Straight
- Two suited high cards
Notice that four to an open-ended Straight ranks above a High Pair — the opposite of JoB. And four to a Flush only barely edges out four to a Straight.
Pay Table Variants
| Hand | Full Pay 8/8/8 | 8/8/6 | 6/6/6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full House | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Flush | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Straight | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| RTP | 100.72% | 99.60% | 96.55% |
The 8/8/6 version (Straight reduced to 6) is the most common playable variant at 99.60%. The 6/6/6 drops to 96.55% and should be avoided.
Bottom Line
All American is a genuinely different video poker experience. The equal payouts for Full House, Flush, and Straight create strategy decisions that feel wrong if you're used to JoB — breaking pairs for Straight draws, treating Flush and Straight draws equally, holding three-card Straight Flush draws. Learn the strategy separately. If you use JoB instincts, you'll erase the mathematical edge.