Deuces Wild is one of the most popular video poker games. It is available at nearly all live and online casinos. The usual paytables return 97-99%. Full pay Deuces Wild video poker may be found at two Las Vegas casinos.
US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Deuces Wild strategy is among the most difficult to learn
The strategy for Deuces Wild is one of the most difficult to learn. There are several reasons for this. First, the proper play can change substantially between pay tables. A full house paying 3 instead of four coins will make a player choose their favorite pair, as opposed to holding two pair. Four of a kind paying 5 coins instead of four can do the same. Lower pay tables that only give 20 coins on a deuces royal flush, as opposed to 25 coins, is another example of this.
Using the strategy for one pay table on a different one can hurt the player’s return substantially. In some cases, it can wipe out the entire increase in payouts when moving up to a better pay table.
Another reason the strategy is difficult to learn is that there are different playing depending on the number of deuces dealt in the original hand. Players will need to master the strategy when getting dealt zero, one, two, or three deuces. The play when getting dealt four deuces, the second-best possible hand in Deuces Wild, should be obvious.
Best Deuces Wild pay tables
Below are the most common video poker pay tables. The numbers are the amount per coin paid for each hand. It assumes the player is betting the maximum number of coins, which triggers the larger natural royal flush payout. This is usually five coins, but it can be 10, 20, or even 100 coins. Always check the pay table display to ensure that five coins receive the 800/1 royal flush, which will say 4000 coins when five are wagered.
The lowest paying hand for all Deuces Wild is always three of a kind. The main changes are in the full house, four of a kind, and deuces royal flush.
The percentages in parentheses are the return with perfect play and a natural royal flush paying 800 coins. It drops by about 1.5% when not playing five coins. This also alters some of the strategy.
Full pay Deuces Wild pay table (100.76%)
Full pay Deuces Wild was once the best video poker game dealt in the United States. In 2023, the last full-pay Deuces Wild machines disappeared from Sam’s Town. Today, the best Deuces Wild game is the pay table below this one. That game is called Not So Ugly Ducks or Not So Ugly Deuces.
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 15
- Straight flush: 9
- Four of a kind: 5
- Full house: 3
- Flush: 3
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
Not So Ugly Ducks (99.73%)
Not So Ugly Ducks, also called Not So Ugly Deuces, is far more common than full-pay Deuces Wild. It is found in locals casinos all over Nevada, as well as in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Some casino sites also have this game.
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 16
- Straight flush: 10
- Four of a kind: 4
- Full house: 4
- Flush: 3
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
Illinois Deuces (98.91%)
This version of Deuces Wild is far more common than the two listed above. It can be found on bar tops at many locals casinos in Las Vegas, as well as on machines in regional and locals markets that focus on value. This is a common Deuces Wild pay table at online casinos.
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 15
- Straight flush: 9
- Four of a kind: 4
- Full house: 4
- Flush: 3
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
12/10 Deuces Wild (97.58%)
This is where Deuces Wild payouts start to drop substantially. Note the downgrades on a deuces royal flush and five of a kind.
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 20
- Five of a kind: 12
- Straight flush: 10
- Four of a kind: 4
- Full house: 4
- Flush: 3
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
16/13 Deuces Wild (96.77%)
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 16
- Straight flush: 13
- Four of a kind: 4
- Full house: 3
- Flush: 2
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
12/9 Deuces Wild (96%)
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 12
- Straight flush: 9
- Four of a kind: 4
- Full house: 4
- Flush: 3
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
Deuces Wild video poker strategy
The strategy below is for the Not-So-Ugly-Ducks paytable. It shows what to hold, separated by the number of deuces dealt in the original hand.
Always hold four deuces when dealt. If you are dealt three deuces, hold only the three deuces and discard the other two cards, unless you have a wild royal flush or five of a kind.
What to hold when dealt two deuces
Hold only the two deuces unless you have one of these hands to go with it:
- Stand pat on four of a kind, straight flush, five of a kind, or royal flush.
- Four to a wild royal flush
- Four to a straight flush with one or two gaps that do not need a deuces
When dealt one deuce:
- Stand pat on a straight flush or royal flush
- Four to a royal flush
- Flush, full house, and four of a kind
- Four to a straight flush with no or one gap, except five-high
- Straight
- Four to a straight flush with two gaps, except five-high
- Three of a kind
- Any straight flush draw five or six-high
- Suited ten, jack, queen or jack, queen, king
- Three to a straight flush seven to ten-high, no gaps
- Three to a royal flush with an ace
- Three to a straight flush seven to ten-high, one gap
- Four to a straight with three connecting cards at least seven-high
If none of the above applies, hold only the deuces.
When dealt no deuces:
- Stand pat on a royal flush
- Four to a royal flush
- Stand pat on a straight, flush, full house, and straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Four to a straight flush
- Three to a royal flush
- Four to a flush
- Two pair
- Three to a straight flush, no gaps, at least seven-high
- Pair
- Four connected cards at least seven-high up to king-high
- Three to any straight flush of at least seven-high
- Suited jack and queen
- Three to all other straight flushes
- Four to a straight, one gap, at least six-high
- Two suited cards ten through king
If none of the above applies, discard all. Note that there are many exceptions to this strategy.
Using a players card to increase Deuces Wild return
Deuces Wild players should consider using a casino card in their machine. This adds to the return in multiple ways. Slot points are usually awarded immediately. An exception is on games like full pay Deuces Wild, where slot points may not be awarded. This can add up to 0.3% to your return.
A casino players card will also help you move up in tiers when playing Deuces Wild. This can open up more perks, like line passes, free parking, and comps.
Using a players card can also generate mailers. These can include free slot play, hotel rooms, and meal comps.
Multi-hand Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is a common multi-hand video poker game. It is usually available on Triple Play, Five Play, and Ten Play games. You may find it on 25, 50, or 100 hand machines. The pay tables are usually better up to Ten Play and significantly worse on the 25 up to 100-hand games.
Last Updated on September 10, 2023 by John Mehaffey