Deuces Wild Video Poker
The following strategy is based on the "full pay" deuces wild pay table
below.
| Full Pay Deuces Wild |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Probability |
Return |
| Royal flush (natural) |
800 |
0.00002208 |
0.01766709 |
| Four deuces |
200 |
0.00020342 |
0.04068426 |
| Royal flush (wild) |
25 |
0.00179518 |
0.04487958 |
| Five of a kind |
15 |
0.00320057 |
0.04800855 |
| Straight flush |
9 |
0.00413697 |
0.03723269 |
| Four of a kind |
5 |
0.06492502 |
0.32462510 |
| Full house |
3 |
0.02122914 |
0.06368741 |
| Flush |
2 |
0.01658389 |
0.03316779 |
| Straight |
2 |
0.05659214 |
0.11318429 |
| Three of a kind |
1 |
0.28451355 |
0.28451355 |
| Non-winner |
0 |
0.54679803 |
0.00000000 |
| Total |
|
1.00000000 |
1.00765031 |
Basic:
Following is a strategy for the payoff table above. To determine the best
play look under the list given the number of deuces hold (you never discard
a deuce). Then look for the highest playable hand on the list. For example
if you have both a pair and four to a flush you would keep the pair because
it is higher on the list. The numbers on the right represent the expected
return, which can vary depending on the discards. The player should evaluate
straight flush draws carefully. Usually the number of ranks the straight
flush spans determines the spread. However if the straight flush is on
the low end this can reduce the number of ways to complete it. For example
suited 3-4-5
4 Deuces
- 4 deuces (200.0000)
Terms:
Outside straight: An open ended straight that can be completed
at either end, such as (7,8,9,10). A wild card shall not be used to complete
an outside straight. For example 2,5,7,8 is not 4 to an outside straight
because of the missing 6. However 2,5,6,7 is 4 to an outside straight.
Inside straight: A straight with a missing inside card, such as (6,7,9,10).
Penalty card: A penalty card is a potentially useful discarded card.
For example if the player had 3 to a royal and 4 to a flush the correct
play is to keep three to the royal, discarding the fourth suited card. The
discarded suited card would be called a flush penalty card because it could
have been used to complete a flush. By discarding it the players odds of
forming a flush are "penalized." Sometimes penalty cards can affect borderline
plays. For example if the player had a suited 10 and king, with no other
cards of that suit, nor a 9, jack, queen, or ace, then the player should
keep the two to a royal flush. However this is only marginally better than
discarding everything. If the player had just one suited card, or any card
that could be used to complete a straight, then the odds of forming a flush
or straight would be depressed, lowering the overall expected return below
that of discarding everything. So in that situation the player should be
mindful of the effect of penalty cards.
3 Deuces
- Wild royal flush (25.0000)
- 3 deuces only, non-pair discarded (15.059204)
- 3 deuces only, pair 9 or less discarded (15.057354)
- 5 of a kind (15.0000)
- 3 deuces only, pair 10 or greater discarded (14.938946)
- 4 to a royal flush (11.829787)
- Straight flush or less
2 Deuces
- Wild royal flush (25.0000)
- 5 of a kind (15.0000)
- Straight flush (9.0000)
- Four of a kind (5.8510637)
- 4 to a royal flush (4.617021)
- 2 consecutive suited cards, 6-7 or higher,
+ deuces (3.3404255)
- 2 deuces only (3.2730188)
- 2 consecutive suited cards, 5-6 of lower,
+ deuces (3.1276596)
- Full house or less
1 Deuce
- Wild royal flush (25.0000)
- 5 of a kind (15.0000)
- Straight flush (9.0000)
- Four of a kind (5.8510637)
- 4 to a royal flush (3.4042554)
- Full house (3.0000)
- 3 consecutive suited cards 5-6-7 or greater (2.21277)
- 3 of a kind (2.01758)
- Straight (2.0000)
- Flush (2.0000)
- All other 4 to a straight flush (1.70213 to 1.97872)
- 3 to a royal flush, highest card king or less (1.1424607)
- 2 consecutive suited cards, 6-7 or higher, + deuce (1.0952822)
- 3 to a royal flush, ace highest card, no penalty cards (1.0462534)
- Deuce only (1.0328652)
- 3 to a royal flush, ace highest card, 1+ penalty card3
(1.0286771)
- 2 consecutive suited cards, 5-6 or lower, + deuce (1.0166513)
- 4 to an outside straight (1.0000)
Note:
3: There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to keep the deuce
only rather than keep two to a royal, ace high, plus deuce, with no penalty
cards.
0 Deuces
- Natural royal flush (800.0000)
- 4 to a royal flush (19.574469)
- Straight flush (9.0000)
- Four of a kind (5.8510637)
- Full house (3.0000)
- Three of a kind (2.0175762)
- Straight/Flush (2.0000)
- 4 to an outside straight flush (1.65958)
- Suited 10-J-Q (1.3987)
- 4 to an inside straight flush (1.3829787)
- 3 to a royal flush, except 10-J-Q (1.2719704)
- Pair (0.560222)
- Two pair (0.5106383)
- 4 to a flush (0.5106383)
- 4 to an outside straight (0.5106383)
- 3 to a straight flush, spread 3-4, suited 345 (0.5051-0.3959)
- 2 to a royal flush, jack highest1 (0.38815913)
- 3 to a straight flush, spread 5 and suited 346,356 2,3
(0.35522664)
- 4 to an inside straight (0.34042552)
- 2 to a royal flush, queen highest4 (0.33851373)
- 2 to a royal flush, king highest, no penalty cards5 (0.3278446)
- Garbage, everything discarded (0.32552597)
- 2 to a royal flush, king highest, 1 penalty card6 (0.3185939)
- 2 to a royal flush, ace highest (0.29768732)
- 3 to a straight flush, A low (0.2729)
Notes:
- Suited 7-10-J beats suited 10-J if either (1) king and ace discards,
or (2) queen discard without 8
- Play 4 to an inside straight over 3 to a straight flush, spread 5,
if there is a straight penalty card to the straight flush.
- Play 2 to a royal, queen high, over 3 to a straight flush, spread
5, when 6 or 7 high.
- Play 2 to a royal, queen high, over 4 to an inside straight if there
are no flush penalty cards and a fully open straight possibility. A
fully open straight possibility means that there exists some possible
straight with no penalty cards discarded. For example with suited 10-Q
and unsuited 5-K-A the player has a full chance at a Q-J-10-9-8 straight.
However with suited 10-Q and unsuited K-9-5 the player should go for
the inside straight because the K and 9 block any fully open straight
possibility.
- There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to discard everything
rather than keep two to a royal, king high, with no penalty cards.
- There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to keep the two
to a royal, king high, despite a 9 or ace straight penalty card.
Source of the information on this page - http://www.wizardofodds.com
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