Deuces Wild Strategy
Ask any experienced video poker about Deuces Wild and you’ll likely see their eyes light up. That twinkle is tied to Deuces Wild’s status as one of the best bets a casino gambler will ever find, provided the pay table is configured correctly.
Have a bankroll handy. I don't know the strategy and use the basic deuces wild strategy. However, there must be variations that I think would be worthwhile. These are just intuitive and have no idea how much they 'cost me'. (1) 4 to a flush vs 4 to a straight - keep 4 to a flush as the multiplier for the flush is 5x vs 3x for a straight. All that’s really important is that we’ve released a new addition to our Bob Dancer/Liam W. Daily video poker strategy-card series. The NSU deuces are distinguished by the “16/10” in the schedule, which is a payout of 16 (with one coin in) for 5-of-a-kind and 10 for a straight flush. Alternate Deuces Wild Pay Tables. One thing to keep in mind is that this strategy was created for use in full pay Deuces Wild games. Since most video poker casinos offer less than full pay games, you may have to modify this strategy.
- Deuces Wild Expert Strategy Royal flush 4000 Four deuces 1000 Wild royal flush 125 Five of a kind 75 Straight flush 45 Four of a kind 25 Full house 15 Flush 10 Straight 10 Three of a kind 5 1. 3wRF wild wild wild A♠J♠ 2. 3w5K, A-T wild wild wild K♠K♥ 3. 3w wild wild wild XX 6♥6♣ 4. 2wRF wild wild A♠Q♠J♠ 5.
- Dueces Wild Poker. Genre: Card & Casino. It's a combination of a bit of luck and strategy. You've got to know which cards to hold and then hope that the cards being dealt are the ones you need to win big.
I’ll get into the nitty gritty of pay table comparison down below, but for now, just know that a full pay Deuces Wild machine offers basic strategy players a 100.76% payback percentage. No need to adjust your screen either. Skilled players can really reap a long-term advantage over the house playing Deuces Wild.
Like I said, the details behind that advantage will be discussed later in the page.
When you’ve gotten your feet wet and want to learn how to play Deuces Wild perfectly, this page is the ticket. Whether you prefer to play on machines in your local land-based gambling hall, or on the computer or smartphone through the top-rated online casinos knowing a few simple tricks of the trade separates the best from the rest.
On that note, the list below highlights five crucial rules and strategies for Deuces Wild video poker that most players just don’t know much about.
1 – Mastering Deuces Wild Basic Strategy Really Is Easier Than You’d Imagine
You can call it the Rosetta Stone, Holy Grail, or Bible of online video poker, but basic strategy really is an all-important talisman used to understand the game’s fundamental mysteries.
Every variant out there, from Jacks or Better to Double Double Bonus Poker, has been broken down by statistical analysis to arrive at the game’s basic strategy. The basic strategy chart provides a key to making the most mathematically profitable discard/draw decision given every possible five-card starting hand.
Let’s say you’ve been dealt something like the 2d-2h-Ad-Ah-Kh, giving you two main hands or draws to work with.
You could hold the deuces with the two aces to make a pat four of a kind, which is good for a guaranteed five-coin payout and a one-card draw at five of a kind and 15 coins.
Or you could hold the deuces with the Ah and Kh to give yourself a four-card royal flush draw. In this case, you aren’t guaranteed to win anything, but if you land another deuce, or the Qh, Jh, or 10h, you’ll complete a wild royal flush to scoop 25 coins.
Deciding between close calls like this is what strategic thinking in video poker is all about. And as you can see by using the Deuces Wild basic strategy chart below, holding onto the four of a kind is ranked just ahead of a four-card royal draw (when you have two deuces):
Three Deuces
| STRENGTH | STARTING HAND(S)/DRAW(s) | OPTIMAL PLAY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | Hold pat hand |
| 2 | Straight flush | Hold pat hand |
| 3 | Four-card royal flush draw | Draw one |
| 4 | Four-card straight flush draw | Draw one |
| 5 | Three of a kind, straight, or flush | Hold pat hand |
| 6 | Three deuces only | Draw two |
Two Deuces
| STRENGTH | STARTING HAND(S)/DRAW(S) | OPTIMAL PLAY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat four of a kind or better | Hold pat hand |
| 2 | Four-card royal flush draw | Draw one |
| 3 | Four-card straight flush draw | Draw one |
| 4 | Three of a kind, straight, or flush | Hold pat hand |
| 5 | Two deuces only | Draw three |
One Deuce
| STRENGTH | STARTING HANDS(S)/DRAW(S) | OPTIMAL PLAY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Any pat four of a kind or better | Hold pat hand |
| 2 | Four-card royal flush draw | Draw one |
| 3 | Full house | Hold pat hand |
| 4 | Four cards to straight flush | Draw one |
| 5 | Three of a kind, straight, or flush | Hold pat hand |
| 6 | Four-card straight flush draw | Draw one |
| 7 | Three-card straight royal flush draw | Draw two |
| 8 | Three-card straight flush draw | Draw two |
| 9 | One deuce only | Draw four |
Double Bonus Deuces Wild Strategy
No Deuces
| STRENGTH | STARTING HAND(S)/DRAW(S) | OPTIMAL PLAY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | Hold pat hand |
| 2 | Four-card royal flush draw | Draw one |
| 3 | Three of a kind through straight flush | Hold pat hand |
| 4 | Four-card straight flush draw | Draw one |
| 5 | Three-card royal flush draw | Draw two |
| 6 | One pair | Draw three |
| 7 | Four-card flush draw | Draw one |
| 8 | Four-card open-ended straight draw | Draw one |
| 9 | Three-card straight flush draw | Draw two |
| 10 | Four-card inside straight draw | Draw one |
| 11 | Two cards to a royal flush; Q-J high | Draw three |
To use this chart effectively, simply assess your “deuce count” and use that particular subsection. Then, scan your five-card starting to see which hand(s) and draw(s) you currently hold. Finally, choose the option which ranks highest on the list to ensure you’re always playing perfectly.
2 – The Full Pay Machines Create an Edge for the Player
Most video poker players know that using basic strategy correctly in Deuces Wild can create a rare player edge.
But what they don’t know is that this player advantage of 0.76% over the house can only be attained using a specific pay table setup. When you play Jacks or Better, the “full pay” table uses a 9/6 alignment for full houses and flushes, respectively.
And in Deuces Wild, you’re looking for the following 15/9/5/3 setup to score full pay odds:
Deuces Wild Full Pay Table (by Coins Wagered)
| FULL PAY 15/9/5/3 | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 300 | 600 | 900 | 1,200 | 4,000 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Straight flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Four of a kind | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Full House | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Flush | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Payback Percentage | 99.67% | 99.67% | 99.67% | 99.67% | 100.76% |
Be sure to bet the maximum of five coins per hand though, as wagers of one to four coins don’t count for the jackpot payout of 4,000 coins on a natural Royal Flush. Thus, betting anything less than the max reduces your payback rate to 99.67%, sending an edge of 0.33% back to the house.
3 – Adjustments to Full Pay Table Turn Deuces Wild Gold Mine Into a Landmine
At this point, you’re probably wondering why skilled players haven’t skinned casinos for all they’re worth, grinding full play Deuces Wild while applying basic strategy.
That’s a great question too, and the answer lies in the casinos’ ability to adjust any machine’s pay table as they see fit. Just like Jacks or Better enthusiasts know to avoid inferior 9/5 or 8/6 pay tables, diehard Deuces Wild fans have learned to avoid the pay tables below like the plague:
Deuces Wild Inferior Pay Table Adjustments
| PAY TABLE | 15/11/4/4 | 16/9/4/4 | 20/12 | 15/9/4/4 | 20/15/9/4/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Wild royal flush | 25 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 20 |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Straight flush | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Four of a kind | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Full house | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Flush | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Straight | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Payback Percentage | 99.96% | 99.67% | 98.94% | 98.92% | 97.97% |
Video Poker Deuces Wild Trainer
As you can see, anything less than the 15/9/5/3 full pay alignment creates a big hit to your payback percentage.
How big of a hit all depends on the pay table’s exact configuration, so steer clear of the substandard setups shown here:
Deuces Wild Pay Table Comparison
| TABLE | PAYBACK |
|---|---|
| 25/15/11/4/4/3 | 99.96% |
| 25/16/10/4/4/3 | 99.73% |
| 25/15/9/4/4/3 | 98.91% |
| 20/12/10/4/4/3 | 97.58% |
| 20/12/9/4/4/3 | 97.06% |
| 25/16/13/4/3/2 | 96.77% |
| 20/10/8/4/4/3 | 95.96% |
| 25/15/10/4/3/2 | 94.82% |
Casinos nowadays spread Deuces Wild only rarely, and for higher stakes. But you can still find machines out there when you know where to look.
And thanks to the fine folks at vpFREE2, you’ll know exactly where to look after consulting their searchable video poker machine placement database.
4 – Not So Ugly Ducks Is a Great Game If Full Pay Machines Aren’t Available
While the full pay 15/9/5/3 machines are increasingly rare, you’ll still find plenty of Deuces Wild games using modified 16/10/4/4 setup.
Affectionately known as “Not So Ugly Ducks” (NSUD) within video poker circles, this form of Deuces Wild still offers players a 99.73% payback rate. That’s no player edge, I’ll be the first to admit that, but when you don’t have access to full pay games, playing Not So Ugly Ducks according to basic strategy only gives the casino a slight 0.27% edge.
That’s twice as good as the best basic strategy blackjack experts have it, so when in doubt, look for Not So Ugly Ducks to get your Deuces Wild fix.
5 – Online Casinos Offer Significant Six-Figure Scores on the Progressive Jackpot
While players on other software platforms are chasing 4,000-coin jackpots for landing the elusive royal flush, fans of Microgaming online casinos can win truly life-changing money.
You’ll need to hit a natural royal flush in all diamonds, which is obviously a huge long shot, but when the cards cooperate, you can pay off your mortgage, travel the world, or enjoy the six-figure windfall however you see fit.
Conclusion
Deuces Wild video poker has blossomed from obscure offshoot to bona fide classic in just a few decades. The reasons why are easy to see too, what with highly strategic side challenging players on every hand, and that sweet player edge on full pay machines.
This game was specifically designed to reward skillful play, so know that you’ve learned about the five rules and strategies presented here, get out there and even the score against casinos everywhere.