When Deuces Go Wild
By Elliot Frome

I'll be the first to admit it. After years of playing Jacks or Better, the first time I sat down at a Deuces Wild machine, I was completely intimidated. It didn't happen as I sat down, it happened after playing a few dozen hands. It doesn't take very long to realize that just about everything you learned about Jacks or Better doesn't apply to Deuces Wild. You still use a strategy table and you want to maximize your Expected Value (EV), but that's where the similarities end.

Full-pay Deuces Wild is acknowledged as one of the most profitable games you'll find anywhere. It should be noted that 'profitable' IS the correct term. The payback for Full-Pay Deuces Wild is 100.6%. That's right, OVER 100%. There are a LOT of variations of paytables for Deuces Wild, so you have to make sure it's a Full-Pay machine to get this 100.6% payback. The following table shows the Full-pay Paytable for Deuces Wild:

Full-Pay Schedule for Deuces Wild
3-of-a-Kind1
Straight OR Flush2
Full House3
4-of-a-Kind5
Straight Flush9
5-of-a-Kind15
Royal Flush (deuces)25
Four Deuces200
Royal Flush (natural)800*
* max. 5 coin bet required

It should be noted that unlike Jacks or Better, where a one coin reduction in Straights or Flushes will cost you about 1% in payback, a one coin reduction in the 4-of-a-Kind payout in Deuces Wild will cost you 6.6%, reducing the game to well below 95%. Adding 1 coin to the Straight Flush payout only gives you a .4% advantage, so avoid 10/4 and play 9/5 ONLY.

So, what makes Deuces Wild so different from Jacks or Better? As discussed in a previous column, there are three key components to Expert Play. The first is knowing what machines to play, and where Deuces Wild is concerned that was discussed above. The second is playing the proper strategy and the last is knowing what to expect, which is where the biggest changes take place with this game.

Let's discuss the strategy. At first glance, the strategy table looks as complex as a Jacks or Better strategy table in terms of its length. When you take a closer look, you realize that it's broken down into 5 categories based on the number of Deuces you're dealt. When you subtract all the hands that you keep all 5 and the hands that consist of all Deuces, you begin to realize that the strategy table isn't so big after all. It does, however, differ greatly from a Jacks or Better game. Dropping 1 Pair in ALL Two-Pair hands is a key component of Deuces Wild. In essence, the strategy can be condensed into the following:

Condensed Strategy:

  • 4 Deuces - STAND

  • 3 Deuces - Draw to deuces if below Five of a Kind

  • 2 Deuces - Draw to deuces if below a 4-card Royal

  • 1 Deuce - Draw to deuce if below 3-Card Straight Flush (7 or up!)

  • 0 Deuces - Dump all 5 if below 3-card Double Inside Straight Flush; Drop 1 pair in ALL Two Pair Hands

    The really tough part about Deuces Wild is understanding what to expect when you play. The flow of play is vastly different compared to Jacks or Better. After you play a few dozen hands, you begin to wonder if you're playing correctly. You seem to play a lot of hands as a RAZGU (discard all 5), a pair or holding ONE Deuce. The good news is that this means the machine is behaving exactly as it should. One of the biggest adjustments you need to make when playing Deuces Wild is to realize that you will have a LOT of Razgus relative to Jacks or Better. In Jacks or Better, a Razgu will occur about once every 30 hands. In Deuces Wild, they will show up a little less often than once every FIVE hands! You'll play a single deuce about once every 7-8 hands. Two-thirds of your hands will not contain a deuce on the initial draw. 30% of your hands will contain 1 Deuce on the initial draw.

    These patterns may seem unimportant, but as you sit and play Deuces Wild, especially if you've been a Jacks or Better player for a while, they will become very meaningful. Deuces Wild can be filled with a lot of hands in a row where you discard all five cards.

    The last part of 'what to expect' that is important to know is the frequency of paying hands relative to Jacks or Better. I know when I've sat down to play Deuces Wild, I was a bit uncertain how often to 'expect' a 4-of-a-Kind or a 5-of-a-Kind. Here are some tables to guide you. Obviously, they assume expert play and they reflect average occurrences.

    HandDeuces WildJacks or Better
    5-of-a-KindOnce every 310 HandsN/A
    4-of-a-KindOnce every 15 HandsOnce Every 423 Hands
    3-of-a-KindOnce every 3.3 HandsOnce Every 13 Hands
    Non Winners55% of the time54% of the time


    As you can see from this table, the total number of winning hands is about the same, but the distribution of hands is vastly different. This gives Deuces Wild a totally different feel. With proper strategy, Deuces Wild can be a very profitable game, but it takes some time getting used to the different pattern of hands that make up this game.