Deuces Wild (DW) Video Poker
Rules and Pay Table
As the name implies, Deuces Wild (DW) is a video poker variation in which all 2’s are played as wild cards. The wild cards can used as any card in the deck, for instance if you have a 4,5,7,8,2, the 2 can be used as a 6 to complete the straight. A full pay DW game actually has a player advantage of 0.71%. However, the variance in DW is far greater than most other VP variations, making it less attractive to most players than other variations when available. The DW pay table below is for a full pay game. Check out the Wizard of Odds website for the house advantage on DW games with alternate pay tables.
Strategy
After being dealt your opening 5 cards, find all the listed ways you can play your hand. Select the way that is listed highest, assuming more than one option is available. Use the list that corresponds to the number of 2’s you are dealt in your first 5 cards.
0 deuces
- 4,5 to a royal flush
- Any pat paying hand
- 4 to a straight flush
- 3 to a royal flush
- Pair
- 4 to a flush
- 4 to an outside straight
- 3 to a straight flush
- 4 to an inside straight, except missing deuce
- 2 to a royal flush, J,Q high
1 deuce
- Any pat four of a kind or higher
- 4 to a royal flush
- Full house
- 4 to a straight flush with 3 consecutive singletons, 5-7 or higher
- 3 of a kind, straight, or flush
- All other 4 to a straight flush
- 3 to a royal flush
- 3 to a straight flush with 2 consecutive singletons, 6-7 or higher
- deuce only
2 deuces
- Any pat four of a kind or higher
- 4 to a royal flush
- 4 to a straight flush with 2 consecutive singletons, 6-7 or higher
- 2 deuces only
3 deuces
- Pat royal flush
- 3 deuces only
4 deuces
- 4 deuces
An outside straight is an open ended straight the can be completed with 2 cards. For example 5,6,7,8 where a 4 or 9 will complete the straight.
An inside straight is a straight draw missing an inside card. For example 4,5,7,8 where a 6 is needed to complete the straight. Please also keep in mind that A,2,3,4 and J,Q,K,A are also considered inside straight draws since straights cannot rollover either high or low.
Any hand that does not appear on the above lists should never be played. Most notably a two pair, because keeping a single pair has a higher expected value in a DW game.