Video Poker: Deuces Wild Versions

by John Grochowski

Not all Deuces Wild games are created equal. Whether you're playing online or offline, you'll find some pay table quirks, and each brings its own strategy problems.

Let's try some sample hands on three versions of Deuces Wild. When you see the game, the graphics will just say Deuces Wild.
Here, for easy identification, I'll use the nicknames bestowed by the late video poker guru Lenny Frome: full-pay Deuces Wild, Illinois Deuces and Colorado Deuces.

Pay tables are as follows:

FULL-PAY, returns 100.8 percent with expert play: Natural royal flush 250-for-1 (jumps to 4,000 with five coins wagered); four 2s 200-for-1; royal flush with wild cards 25-for-1; five of a kind 15-for-1, straight flush 9-for-1; four of a kind 5-for-1; full house 3-for-1; flush 2-for-1; straight 2-for-1; three of a kind 1-for-1.

ILLINOIS DEUCES, returns 98.9 percent with expert play: The full-pay pay table is as follows: Natural royal flush 250-for-1 (jumps to 4,000 with five coins wagered); four 2s 200-for-1; royal flush with wild cards 25-for-1; five of a kind 15-for-1, straight flush 9-for-1; four of a kind 4-for-1; full house 4-for-1; flush 3-for-1; straight 2-for-1; three of a kind 1-for-1.

COLORADO DEUCES, returns 96.3 percent with expert play: Natural royal flush 250-for-1 (jumps to 4,000 with five coins wagered); four 2s 200-for-1; royal flush with wild cards 25-for-1; five of a kind 16-for-1, straight flush 13-for-1; four of a kind 4-for-1 full house 3-for-1; flush 2-for-1; straight 2-for-1; three of a kind 1-for-1.

See if you can figure out the best play for each of these versions on these sample hands:

1. 8 of hearts, 8 of spades, 5 of hearts, Jack of hearts, Ace of hearts.

A. Hold the 8s.
B. Hold Ace-Jack.
C. Hold all four hearts.

2. 9 of clubs, 9 of spades, Jack of hearts, Jack of diamonds, Queen of clubs.

A. Hold the Jacks.
B. Hold the 9s.
C. Hold the Jacks and 9s.

3. 5 of spades, 6 of spades, 7 of spades, 8 of spades, 10 of spades.

A. Hold the flush.
B. Hold 5-6-7-8.

4. 2 of spades, 5 of clubs, 6 of clubs, 9 of hearts, Jack of spades.

A. Hold the 2.
B. Hold 2-5-6.

5. 2 of clubs, 2 of diamonds, 3 of hearts, 4 of hearts, 8 of spades.

A. Hold the 2s.
B. Hold 2-2-3-4.

ANSWERS:

1. 8 of hearts, 8 of spades, 5 of hearts, Jack of hearts, Ace of hearts.
FULL-PAY and COLORADO DEUCES: A. Hold the 8s.
ILLINOIS DEUCES: C. Hold all four hearts.

Low pairs are a pretty fair building block in Deuces Wild. With a pair of 8s to start, either of the remaining 8s or any of the 2s will give us three of a kind, it's not a far stretch to four of a kind and occasionally lightning will strike and we'll wind up with five of a kind. In full-pay and Colorado Deuces, all that outweighs a once-card draw to a flush, which pays only 2-for-1 in those games. But in Illinois Deuces, where we get 3-for-1 on flushes, we have to reverse our strategy, and hold the hearts.

2. 9 of clubs, 9 of spades, Jack of hearts, Jack of diamonds, Queen of clubs.
FULL-PAY and COLORADO: A or B. Hold either pair.
ILLINOIS: C. Hold the Jacks and 9s.

When full houses pay only 3-for-1, they're almost an afterthought. We don't draw for them; they happen by accident. We're better off holding one pair, giving us a good shot a three of a kind and some chance at four of a kind. But in Illinois Deuces, the value of two-pair hands is heightened because full houses pay the same 4-for-1 as fours of a kind. That's a pretty radical change, one that justifies holding both pairs.

3. 5 of spades, 6 of spades, 7 of spades, 8 of spades, 10 of spades.
FULL PAY AND ILLINOIS: A. Hold the flush.
COLORADO: B. Hold 5-6-7-8.

Just as No. 2 plays to the strength of Illinois Deuces, this hand plays to the strength of the Colorado game. Straight flushes pay 13-for-1 instead of the 9-for-1 in the other two games, so we draw for more straight flushes.

4. 2 of spades, 5 of clubs, 6 of clubs, 9 of hearts, Jack of spades.
FULL-PAY: A. Hold the 2.
ILLINOIS and COLORADO: B. Hold 2-5-6.

The enhanced flush payoff on Illinois Deuces and the big straight flush payoff on the Colorado game make the wild card plus the two clubs a good play. It would be a good play on the full-pay game, too, if the cards were one notch higher --- we have fewer ways to make a straight flush if the top card is 6 or lower than if it's 7 or higher.

5. 2 of clubs, 2 of diamonds, 3 of hearts, 4 of hearts, 8 of spades.
FULL-PAY and ILLINOIS: A. Hold the 2s.
COLORADO: B. Hold 2-2-3-4.

Only 2s, 5s, 6s or 7s will complete the straight flush, and two of the 2s already are being used. Only in Colorado Deuces, with that big 13-for-1 on straight flushes, is it better to go for the straight flush than to hold just the 2s.

John Grochowski's website is: www.casinoanswerman.com