Complete strategy for Aces and Faces — a popular online casino variant with bonus payouts for four Aces and four face cards (J, Q, K). Lower variance than Double Bonus while still delivering exciting bonus quad events. Excellent choice for multi-hand play.
Aces and Faces expands the quad bonus beyond just Aces — four Jacks, Queens, or Kings also pay at an enhanced rate. This means bonus quad opportunities come from 16 specific ranks (A, J, Q, K) rather than just 4. The result: bonus events are more frequent than Double Bonus, the game still has a meaningful 99.26% return, and variance stays considerably lower than DB or DDB. It's among the most common high-return games at online casinos.
Two Pair still pays 2x — unlike Double Bonus variants. This is the key factor keeping Aces and Faces variance manageable. The bonus for four Jacks, Queens, or Kings (40x vs standard 25x) adds consistent bonus events since face cards appear in more hands.
| Rank | Hold This Hand | Approx. EV | Notes & Multi-Hand Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush (pat) | 800.00 | Hold all 5. 100H: Hits multiple times per session |
| 2 | Straight Flush (pat) | 50.00 | Hold all 5. Do not break for royal unless 4 to a natural royal. |
| 3 | Four Aces | 80.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. Top bonus payout at 80x. Multi-H: Very frequent at 50+ hands — hits multiple times per session |
| 4 | 4 to a Royal Flush | ~18.70 | Break a straight, flush, or full house. Do not break a pat straight flush. |
| 5 | Four Jacks, Queens, or Kings | 40.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. 40x bonus for face card quads — these come up more often than Aces due to more qualifying ranks. Multi-H: Face card quads are the most frequent bonus event |
| 6 | Full House (pat) | 8.00 | Hold all 5. Never break a full house. |
| 7 | Four 2s–10s | 25.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. Standard quad payout, same as JoB. |
| 8 | Flush (pat) | 5.00 | Hold all 5 unless 4 to a royal present. |
| 9 | Three of a Kind | 4.26 | Hold 3, draw 2. For Aces or face cards (J/Q/K): higher EV due to bonus quad payouts — always prioritize these sets. Multi-H: Three Aces or three face cards across 50+ hands is a strong opportunity |
| 10 | Straight (pat) | 4.00 | Hold all 5 unless 4 to a royal is present. |
| 11 | Two Pair | 2.60 | Hold both pairs, draw 1. Two pair pays 2x here — a key advantage over Double Bonus variants. This is the primary reason A&F has lower variance. Multi-H: Consistent small returns from two pair keep sessions stable |
| 12 | Three Aces (draw) | ~5.40 | Hold just the 3 Aces, draw 2. The 80x quad Aces bonus makes this worth breaking a made two pair or straight in some situations. |
| 13 | Three Face Cards (J/Q/K) for Quads | ~3.60 | Hold just the 3 face cards, draw 2. The 40x face card quad bonus is worth chasing with a three-of-a-kind draw. Multi-H: Face card sets come up frequently — always chase the 40x |
| 14 | High Pair (Jacks–Aces) | 1.54 | Hold the pair, draw 3. All high pairs (J/Q/K/A) have elevated EV due to face card and Ace quad bonuses. Never discard a high pair for a drawing hand. |
| 15 | 4 to a Straight Flush | 2.18–3.40 | Hold 4 suited connectors. Break a low pair for this. |
| 16 | Low Pair (2s–10s) | 0.82 | Hold the pair, draw 3. Lower bonus potential than face card pairs but still worth holding. Multi-H: Consistent output at 50+ hands |
| 17 | 4 to a Flush | 1.15 | Hold 4 suited cards, draw 1. Beats low pair when no high card in the flush draw. |
| 18 | Open-Ended Straight Draw | 0.87 | Hold 4 consecutive cards, draw 1. |
| 19 | 3 to a Royal Flush | 0.54–1.41 | Hold 3 suited high cards. Especially strong with A, K, Q, or J combinations — all have bonus quad upside too. |
| 20 | 2 High Cards (J–A, unsuited) | 0.49 | Hold 2 high cards, draw 3. All high cards (J, Q, K, A) contribute to both pair and quad bonus potential. |
| 21 | 4 to an Inside Straight (3+ high cards) | 0.74 | Inside straight with 3+ high cards. High card coverage adds value here. |
| 22 | 1 High Card (J, Q, K, or A) | 0.47 | Hold single high card, draw 4. All 4 high card ranks (J/Q/K/A) have quad bonus potential. |
| 23 | 3 to a Straight Flush (open-ended) | 0.63 | 3 suited consecutive cards. Beats a single high card in many configurations. |
| 24 | Suited High Card Pairs (J-Q, J-K, Q-K, A-high) | 0.49–0.54 | Two suited high cards — combines flush draw, pair draw, and quad bonus potential. All four high card ranks qualify here. |
| 25 | 3 to a Flush (2+ high cards) | 0.50 | Hold 3 suited cards with 2+ high cards (J, Q, K, A). |
| — | Discard All 5 | 0.36 | When nothing qualifies above. Less common in A&F because two pair still pays 2x. |
Since both Aces AND all three face card ranks (J, Q, K) qualify for bonus payouts, bonus quad events occur significantly more often than in Double Bonus (Aces only) or Bonus Poker (Aces only). In 100-hand play, every time you hold three face cards or three Aces, you're drawing for a bonus payout. These events happen several times per hour at 50+ hands, making sessions consistently exciting without extreme variance spikes.
The combination of 2x two-pair payouts and frequent (but moderate-sized) bonus quads makes Aces and Faces one of the most enjoyable multi-hand games for players who don't want extreme volatility. Sessions feel productive even without hitting a jackpot — two pair returns steady cash, and face card quad bonuses (40x) come frequently enough to keep things interesting.
| Hands | Cost/Deal | Std Dev/Deal | Recommended Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.25 | ~$1.15 | $120 |
| 3 | $0.75 | ~$1.99 | $280 |
| 5 | $1.25 | ~$2.57 | $420 |
| 10 | $2.50 | ~$3.63 | $750 |
| 25 | $6.25 | ~$5.74 | $1,700 |
| 50 | $12.50 | ~$8.12 | $3,000 |
| 100 | $25.00 | ~$11.48 | $5,500 |
Among the lowest bankroll requirements of any bonus quad game. Use our variance calculator for custom scenarios.
A pair of Jacks, Queens, or Kings has elevated EV due to the 40x face card quad bonus. Be more aggressive holding and drawing from three-of-a-kind face card hands. Don't break them for marginal straight flush draws the way you might in JoB.
In standard JoB, all three-of-a-kind hands are treated roughly equally. In A&F, three Aces or three face cards have significantly higher EV — you'll break hands in A&F that you'd hold in JoB when those bonus set-up hands are available.
The face card bonus covers J, Q, and K — 12 cards in the deck. Bonus-eligible quads are much more common than in any other quad-bonus game. Players who don't account for this will undervalue three-of-a-kind hands in face cards.
Some casinos offer reduced paytables for Aces and Faces. The 99.26% version requires Full House = 8, Flush = 5, Four Aces = 80, Four Faces = 40. Verify all four values before playing. Common reduced versions pay 7/5 which drops RTP significantly.
Aces and Faces delivers the bonus quad experience with less variance than the Double Bonus family. By including face cards in the bonus structure, bonus events are frequent enough to maintain excitement throughout long sessions. The retained 2x two-pair payout prevents the deep troughs common in DB/DDB. For multi-hand players seeking a balanced game — good return, regular bonuses, manageable variance — Aces and Faces is one of the best choices available, especially at online casinos where it's widely available.
Similar variance to A&F but with Ace-focused bonuses only. Fewer bonus quad events but simpler strategy decisions.
View Strategy →The baseline — no quad bonuses but the simplest strategy. Learn JoB first to see exactly what A&F adds.
View Strategy →Higher variance positive-EV alternative. Bigger Ace bonuses but reduces two-pair payout — much larger swings.
View Strategy →Try our Multi-Hand Variance Calculator to see how Aces and Faces plays at different hand counts and compare its variance to Bonus Poker and Double Bonus.