American Poker 2

American Poker 2 is one of the lesser-known video poker titles out there. Designed by Novomatic, the game has a lot of similarities to Jacks or Better.

Despite not having as much popularity as games like Deuces Wild or Five Card Draw, you’ll find that there’s plenty of gameplay to enjoy whenever you play American Poker 2.

But, is this video poker title worth your time? After all, casinos offer plenty of options in each category and video poker is no exception. 

To answer your question, we’re going to take an in-depth look at everything that American Poker 2 offers. We’ll look at the rules, the payouts, and even some strategies you can use to win more money.

Then, hopefully by the end of this review, you’ll know whether or not American Poker 2 is for you. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

What is American Poker

American Poker is a misleading name, because this game was founded in Germany, not America. American Poker is a video poker machine produced by Novomatic and uses the specific American theme because it appeals to German casino enthusiasts. 

The title is a variant of classic poker except that American Poker has a few extra rules to help you win money. Unlike traditional poker, American Poker doesn’t require you to play against other players. In American Poker, you play against the house and you have more flexibility with the hands you’re given.

American Poker itself also comes in different variations. However, there are some aspects that always stay the same. For example, American Poker will always have a mini bonus and you can double down or spit hands on your bets. 

In terms of cost, American Poker is a little more expensive than most video poker games. However, this is a tradeoff since American Poker tends to have higher payouts.

American Poker Game Rules

As we mentioned before, there are several variations of American Poker. However, all of them follow the same basic premise. 

In order to play, you’ll need to place a bet. Typically, betting ranges can be anywhere from as small as $0.04-$10 to as large as $0.10-$100. After you’ve placed your bet, five cards are then handed to you in a random order. 

Based on the cards given, you can then make a choice. You can either choose to take the win based on the cards given or hold specific cards and hope for a better combination while placing an extra wager.

If you do not hit anything based on the first draw, then there’s a good chance you won’t hit any cards on the second draw.

There’s also a mini-bonus incorporated within the game. Everytime you hit a Jacks or Better in the second draw, you add to the total. Once a specific number of Jacks or Better have been hit, the displayed mini-bonus is paid out to you. American Poker also features a Joker. The Joker acts essentially like a wild, substituting for any cards that make a winning combination. As such, it can be quite easy to hit Three of a Kind whenever you play this video poker game. (1)

American Poker also features a double-your-winnings feature. This is something you won’t see in every variation. Once you’ve won a hand, you’re then given the option to guess the color of a facedown card. 

If you guess the facedown card correctly, then your winnings are doubled and you can guess another facedown card. At any point, if you incorrectly guess the color, you lose your winnings and go to the next hand. 

American Poker 2 Winning Combinations and Payouts

American Poker 2 has ten different winning combinations that you can hit. The lowest-paying winning combination is two-pair, which pays out 3X your total bet. On the other hand, the highest-paying winning combination is five of a kind, which pays out 600X your total bet. 

For more information on the different winning combinations and their respective payouts, be sure to take a look at our paytable below:

American Poker 2 does not include pairs like regular poker. The reason being is that it’s extremely easy to hit a pair on a hand. When we played, we were consistently hitting pairs. If there was a payout for this combination, then there’d be a good chance that the game would cause the casino to bleed money.

American Poker 2 Strategy

One issue with American Poker is that it’s not widely played. As such, it can be hard to find a definite American Poker 2 strategy that will consistently bring in money. Luckily, Gamblib has a few strategies you can implement whenever you play American Poker 2.

Play for Two Pairs and Three of a Kinds

Two pairs and three of a kind hands are the most common winning combinations that you’ll see. We recommend mainly playing for these two hands if you get at least a pair on the first draw. Reaching for flushes, straights, and full houses can be tempting since their payouts are higher. However, they’re harder to hit and you’ll just be bleeding money if you don’t have the right setup.

When to Play for a Flush

You should only play for a flush whenever you have four cards of the same suit or three cards of the same suit and a joker. Jokers will help you substitute for one winning card, so the odds of hitting the flush will stay the same.

When to Play for a Straight

Playing a straight is pretty similar to playing a flush. You play a straight when you have at least four cards that make a straight in either direction. For example, if you’re dealt a 4, 5, 6, 7, and King, you’ll want to hold the 4, 5, 6, and 7. The reason being is that you have eight outs. You have four different 3’s that you can hit and you have four different 8’s. It’s important to note that you should only play for a straight whenever the four cards are in successive order. If you’re hoping for a singular number, then chances are you’re not going to get it. Play the numbers game.

Stack up the Mini Bonus

If your first draw doesn’t yield any significant combinations but still draws you a Jack, hold the Jack. You want to hit as many Jacks as possible since this stacks up the mini bonus. Once the mini bonus has reached a certain number, you’ll be paid out for every Jacks combination previously hit. This also applies for the Queen, King, and Ace card. All of these help contribute to the mini bonus fund so if you draw dead but have any card that is a Jack or higher, hold it and hope you trigger the mini bonus.

American Poker 2 On Mobile Devices

Despite not being a popular game, American Poker 2 tends to be an option you can play at most online casinos. If you want to play American Poker 2 on a mobile device, this is also pretty easy.

All you need to do is look up which online casinos are compatible with your mobile device. Once you’ve found a mobile online casino, simply boot up your favorite browser on your phone, login to the site, and you can start playing American Poker 2 right away.

Some online casinos might offer an app. However, this can be a little more complicated. For one, restrictions and regulations are constantly changing and vary based on the country from which the online casino is licensed. (2)

Secondly, some countries are allowed to have real money casino apps while others aren’t. For example, Google Play only just began to allow real money casino apps on their store.

Finally, most online casinos tend to just stick to mobile browsers because HTML5 technology is easier to use for maintaining and updating their games. 

As such, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to find an online casino that offers a full casino on an app store. It’s worth noting, though, that some casinos will put a portion of their site on an app, such as their poker room or slots room.

Nevertheless, because of how popular mobile casino gaming is, just about every top online casino has made sure their games are mobile-compatible.

Therefore, whether you’re at the beach or at home, you can play American Poker 2 as long as you have a phone and some type of internet connection.

Other American Poker Variants

American Poker isn’t limited to the original game and American Poker 2. You can find all kinds of video poker games online at your favorite casino site. Here are some of our top picks:

Jacks or Better

We like Jacks or Better just because of how much is incorporated between American Poker and Jacks or Better. American Poker 2’s entire mini bonus is based off of the Jacks or Better game and everything you need to know about this poker game is in the title. Essentially, you’re playing against the house and all you need to do is land a pair of Jacks or better to win. It’s that simple.

All American Poker

All American Poker has the exact same mechanics as American Poker 2: you’re dealt 5 cards and you get a second dealing option to get another few cards. The only difference is that, in All American Poker, you don’t get to double your winnings if you hit a winning hand. Furthermore, your betting range is only between one and five coins. Nevertheless, All American Poker is still a great time if you decide to play.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is also another very popular video poker game with similarities to both American Poker 2 and Jacks or Better. The only difference is that, in Deuces Wild, the 2’s act as wild cards that can substitute to make winning combinations. However, with the addition of four different wilds, American Poker 2 has dynamic payouts and the lowest-paying hand is a three-of-a-kind combination.

Tens or Better

This video poker variation is extremely similar to Jacks or Better, with the only difference being that you need a pair of tens or better to win.

Overall Rating

Here at Gamblib, we like to compile our overall rating of a game based on four areas: user experience, game features, payouts, and sounds & visuals.

We applied these ratings to American Poker 2. That way, we can come up with a definitive ranking to help you determine whether or not you want to put your money here.

The user experience of American Poker 2 is pretty great. The game has a simple setup, with the potential winnings for each hand displayed at the top of the screen. At the bottom are buttons you can use to adjust betting amounts. 

Furthermore, whenever we played, we experienced no lag or technical difficulties. Therefore, it’s easy to say that American Poker 2 has a great user experience.

It’s hard to rate a video poker game’s features, especially since they run by rules that determine the game. All in all, though, American Poker 2 is full of great gameplay that will keep you entertained for a long time.

The game itself is grounded. You only draw cards twice each round and you make bets based on your budget and how you’re doing. The double-your-win feature also adds an edge to the game since it switches up the gameplay.

Despite being so simple, we were able to stay engaged for hours with American Poker 2’s simple rules, an indicator that this game has great features.

The payouts in American Poker 2 are alright. They aren’t cheap, but they don’t pay you insanely large amounts of money. The most common hands have small multipliers, so there’s a good chance you’ll lose money.

As such, most of the money you’ll make will come from hitting one or two big hands like a four of a kind or a straight flush. This isn’t something we’re a fan of, but nevertheless, it seemed to work out when we played.

The symbols are all designed with realism in mind, although the colour palette does help it The sounds and visuals were impressive for what we were shown. The game itself had a retro look that reminded us of the 1980s. And while there wasn’t any background noise, the sounds that did come with the game were lively and made us want to keep playing.

American Poker 2 isn’t the most popular video poker game you’ll see, but it’s definitely a video poker game that you want to check out. The game’s gameplay is simple, but has a flair that makes you want to keep playing.

While the payouts aren’t the best, American Poker 2 is a refreshing title that you’ll love to play when you want a break from the standard video poker games.

American Poker 2 FAQs

Can You Play Poker for Money in the USA?

Yes, you can play poker for money in the USA. However, you must be in Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Michigan and the casino you’re playing at must be licensed within that state.

How do you play American Poker 2?

You play American Poker 2 by starting with five cards. You then can hold cards and disregard the others to get new cards. After a maximum of two rounds, any hands made will award you a payout.

Can You Play American Poker 2 With Bitcoin?

Yes, you can play American Poker 2 with Bitcoin as long as the casino you’re playing at accepts Bitcoin.

Is American Poker 2 Skill or Luck?

There is some luck to American Poker, but there’s a lot of skill involved as well. You’ll need to know what cards to draw extra on and know how much to bet based on your current budget and hand.