John Ford | January 13, 2021 | Updated on: January 29th, 2021
Deuces Wild is a well-known variation of video poker you can play at online casinos. The game uses all standard video poker rules but features a wild card that can complete winning combinations. Unsurprisingly, the wild card is the number two card (or the deuce.)
It is easier to win in Deuces Wild than in video poker games derived from Jacks or Better. As a result, the pay table is less impressive than some other variations, but it is still a fun game. If you are keen on learning how to play, keep reading.
As mentioned above, Deuces Wild uses standard video poker rules but features one major deviation – the deuce wild card. The wild card can be used to complete winning combinations, which means getting big wins is easier.
If you are generally unsure of how video poker works, here is a walkthrough of a Deuces Wild game:
Place a bet. Ensure that this bet is no larger than 10% of your total bankroll.
Hit the “Deal” button to get five cards.
Pick which cards you would like to keep and which you would like to discard.
Hit the “Deal” or “Draw” button to get replacement cards for those you discarded.
If you have managed to make a valid poker hand combination, you will receive a payout.
It is important to look at the pay table of a video poker game before you play it. You will find that not all standard poker hand combinations are valid, and sometimes, new combinations are added to the fray, which we cover in the next section.
How Winning Hands Work
All video poker games use standard poker hand combinations. The better your hand combination, the greater your payout. Variants change the rules regarding what is valid slightly.
In Deuces Wild, you will notice that the lowest-paying combination is a Three-of-a-Kind. This means that you will not earn anything for getting a pair or two pairs.
There are also two new combinations. The first is the Four Deuces hand. In most games, this is the second-highest-paying hand with the payout being 200x your bet. The second new hand is the Five-of-a-Kind, which is a Four-of-a-Kind and a deuce. It also pays well at 15x your bet.
Here is a list of all the hands available in Deuces Wild:
Paid Hand
Example
Natural Royal Flush
King, Queen, Ace, Jack, and 10. All the same suit.
Four Deuces
Four number two cards.
Wild Royal Flush
This is a royal flush that contains two or more deuces.
Five-of-a-Kind
Four cards with the same value and a deuce.
Straight Flush
Five cards in the same suit with consecutive numbers.
Four-of-a-Kind
Four cards with the same face value.
Full House
Three cards with the same face value and a pair.
Flush
Five cards belonging to the same suit.
Straight
Five cards with numbers in consecutive order but belonging to different suits.
Three-of-a-Kind
Three cards with the same face value.
Deuces Wild Basic Strategy
Deuces Wild has a basic strategy you can use to win. It entails making certain decisions on certain hands. Here is a quick breakdown:
Four cards before a Royal Flush – Hold 4 cards and draw 1.
When you have Four-of-a-Kind – Hold 4 cards and draw 1.
When you have Three-of-a -Kind – Hold 3 and draw 2.
Four cards to a Straight Flush – Keep 4 cards and draw 1.
Three cards to a Royal Flush – Hold 4 and draw 1.
When you have a Pair – Hold 2 and draw 3 cards.
Four cards to a Flush – Keep four cards and draw 1.
Four cards to a Straight – Keep 4 and draw 1.
Three cards to a Straight Flush – Keep three cards, draw 2 cards.
Two cards to a Royal Flush – keep 2 cards and draw 3 new cards.
If you have none of the above, keep none and draw 5 new cards.