Deuces Wild
The following
strategy is my "simple strategy" for deuces wild video poker. Using
the strategy on a full
pay machine will result in an expected return of 100.71%.
Compared to the optimal strategy return of 100.76%, mistakes in the
simple strategy will cost 0.05%, or one total bet every 1869 hands.
To use the strategy look up all viable ways to play an initial
hand on the following list and elect that which is highest on the
list.
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
- 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
Terms:
Outside straight: An open ended straight that can be
completed at either end, such as the cards 7,8,9,10.
Inside straight: A straight with a missing inside card,
such as the cards 6,7,9,10. In addition A,2,3,4 and J,Q,K,A also
count as inside straights because they are at an extreme end.
Any hand that does not appear on the above lists should never be
played. Most notably a two pair, keeping a single pair has a higher
expected value.
Example: Suppose you have the following hand.
The top two plays are (1) keep the pat flush, and (2) keep the 4
to a straight flush. The 4 to a straight flush consists of 3
consecutive singletons with a range of 5-7 or greater. This appears
higher on the list than a pat flush, and is thus the better play.
Comparison to Optimal Strategy
The following table
compares the probability and return of each hand under both the
simple strategy and the optimal strategy.
| Simple Strategy to Optimal Strategy
Comparison |
| Hand |
Pays |
Probability |
Return |
| Simple |
Optimal |
Simple |
Optimal |
| Natural royal flush |
800 |
0.000022 |
0.000022 |
0.017396 |
0.017667 |
| 4 deuces |
200 |
0.000206 |
0.000204 |
0.041257 |
0.040741 |
| Wild royal flush |
25 |
0.001785 |
0.001796 |
0.044631 |
0.044896 |
| 5 of a kind |
15 |
0.003164 |
0.003202 |
0.047466 |
0.048024 |
| Straight flush |
9 |
0.004206 |
0.00412 |
0.037854 |
0.037079 |
| 4 of a kind |
5 |
0.06523 |
0.064938 |
0.326151 |
0.324691 |
| Full house |
3 |
0.021303 |
0.021229 |
0.063909 |
0.063687 |
| Flush |
2 |
0.016977 |
0.016581 |
0.033955 |
0.033161 |
| Straight |
2 |
0.053711 |
0.056564 |
0.107422 |
0.113129 |
| 3 of a kind |
1 |
0.287044 |
0.284544 |
0.287044 |
0.284544 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.546351 |
0.5468 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
|
1 |
1 |
1.007085 |
1.00762 |
The next table is a frequency distribution of the error, or
difference in expected return, between the simple strategy and the
optimal strategy.
| Error Frequency |
| Error |
Number |
Probability |
| 0 |
2520216 |
0.969702 |
| .01%-0.99% |
16488 |
0.006344 |
| 1.00%-1.99% |
37848 |
0.014563 |
| 2.00%-2.99% |
18336 |
0.007055 |
| 3.00%-3.99% |
1548 |
0.000596 |
| 4.00%-4.99% |
492 |
0.000189 |
| 5.00%-5.99% |
2700 |
0.001039 |
| 6.00%-6.99% |
864 |
0.000332 |
| 7.00%-7.99% |
180 |
0.000069 |
| 8.00%-8.99% |
252 |
0.000097 |
| 9.00%-9.99% |
0 |
0 |
| 10.00%-10.99% |
36 |
0.000014 |
| Total |
2598960 |
1 |
Other Video Poker Games and Information
Deuces wild
optimal
strategy.
Jacks or better simple
strategy.
Jacks or better intermediate
strategy.
Jacks or better optimal
strategy.
Jacks or better quiz.
Go
to the video poker main
page.
Go to optimal strategy for deuces
wild.
Go to expected
return tables for other forms of video poker.
Jacks or better
practice
quiz.
