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Video Poker Strategy

Video Poker Strategy

Deuces Wild Video Poker

- simple strategy
- optimal strategy

Guest columnist Michael Shackleford, the Wizard of Odds, offers the following video poker strategy for deuces wild video poker.

The following strategy is for "full pay" deuces wild video poker. Full pay designates the following video poker pay table, per coin based on five coins bet, which returns 100.77% of money bet assuming optimal strategy.

Full Pay Deuces Wild Video Poker
Hand	Payoff
Natural royal flush	800
4 deuces	200
Wild royal flush	25
Five of a kind	15
Straight flush	9
Four of a kind	5
Full house	3
Flush	2
Straight	2
Three of a kind	1
Nothing	0

The following common terms are mentioned in these video poker strategies.

High card: A jack, queen, king, or ace. These cards are retained more often because if paired up they return the original bet.

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.

Spread: This refers to the number of ranks spread apart the cards are toward a potential straight, straight flush, or royal flush. The smaller the spread the better the odds are for the video poker player. For example, a suited 5, 6, and 8, would be 3 to a straight flush with a spread of 4 because the cards span 4 ranks.

Gap: The number of ranks needed to fill in the middle of a straight flush. For example, a 6,7,8 would have 0 gaps, a 6,7,9 would have 1 gap, and a 6,7,10 would have 2. The following are considered to have 2 gaps because they are at extreme ends: A,2,3; A,2,4; A,3,4; J,Q,A; J,K,A; and Q,K,A. The following are considered to have 1 gap because they are close to an extreme end: 2,3,4 and J,Q,K.

Penalty card: Sometimes one must discard a potentially useful video poker card. A penalty card is a potentially useful card that is discarded. For example, if the player had 3 to a royal and 4 to a flush, the correct play is to keep three to the royal, discarding the fourth suited card. The discarded suited card would be called a flush penalty card because it could have been used to complete a flush. By discarding it, the player's odds of forming a flush are "penalized."

Sometimes penalty cards can affect borderline plays. For example, if the player had a suited 10 and king, with no other cards of that suit, nor a 9, jack, queen, or ace, then the player should keep the two to a royal flush. However, this is only marginally better than discarding everything. If the player had just one suited card, or any card that could be used to complete a straight, then the odds of forming a flush or straight would be depressed, lowering the overall expected return below that of discarding everything. So, in that situation the player should be mindful of the effect of penalty cards.

Playing Card Symbols: T = 10, J = Jack, Q = Queen, K = King, A = Ace

Deuces Wild Simple Video Poker Strategy
(return of 100.71%)

The following strategy is my simple strategy for deuces wild video poker. Using this strategy on a full pay video poker machine will result in an expected return of 100.71%. To use this strategy, look in the following list given the number of deuces you hold (you never discard a deuce). Then look up all viable ways on the list to play an initial video poker hand and elect that hand which is highest on the list. For example, if you have both a pair and four to a flush, you would keep the pair because it is higher on the list.

Go with the highest video poker hand on this 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

Any video poker hand that does not appear on the above list should never be played. Most notably a hand of two pair - keeping a single pair hand has a higher expected value.

Example: Suppose you have the following video poker hand.

video poker hand

The top two strategic 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 video poker play.

Deuces Wild Optimal Video Poker Strategy
(return of 100.77%)

The following strategy is my optimal strategy for deuces wild video poker. Using this strategy on a full pay video poker machine will result in an expected return of 100.77%. To use this strategy, look in the following list given the number of deuces you hold (you never discard a deuce). Then look up all viable ways on the list to play an initial video poker hand and elect that hand which is highest on the list. For example, if you have both a pair and four to a flush you would keep the pair because it is higher on the list.

The numbers on the right represent the expected return, which can vary depending on the discards. The player should evaluate straight flush draws carefully. Usually the number of ranks the straight flush spans determines the spread. However, if the straight flush is on the low end, this can reduce the number of ways to complete it.

Go with the highest video poker hand on this list.

0 deuces

Natural royal flush (800.0000)

4 to a royal flush (19.574469)

Straight flush (9.0000)

Four of a kind (5.8510637)

Full house (3.0000)

Three of a kind (2.0175762)

Straight/Flush (2.0000)

4 to an outside straight flush (1.65958)

Suited 10-J-Q (1.3987)

4 to an inside straight flush (1.3829787)

3 to a royal flush, except 10-J-Q (1.2719704)

Pair (0.560222)

Two pair (0.5106383)

4 to a flush (0.5106383)

4 to an outside straight (0.5106383)

3 to a straight flush, spread 3-4, suited 345 (0.5051-0.3959)

2 to a royal flush, jack highest a (0.38815913)

3 to a straight flush, spread 5 and suited 346,356 b, c (0.35522664)

4 to an inside straight (0.34042552)

2 to a royal flush, queen highest d (0.33851373)

2 to a royal flush, king highest, no penalty cards e (0.3278446)

Garbage, everything discarded (0.32552597)

2 to a royal flush, king highest, 1 penalty card f (0.3185939)

2 to a royal flush, ace highest (0.29768732)

3 to a straight flush, A low (0.2729)

Notes:
a Suited 7-10-J beats suited 10-J if either: (1) king and ace discards, or (2) queen discard without 8.

b Play 4 to an inside straight over 3 to a straight flush, spread 5, if there is a straight penalty card to the straight flush.

c Play 2 to a royal, queen high, over 3 to a straight flush, spread 5, when 6 or 7 high.

d Play 2 to a royal, queen high, over 4 to an inside straight if there are no flush penalty cards and a fully open straight possibility. A fully open straight possibility means that there exists some possible straight with no penalty cards discarded. For example, with suited 10-Q and unsuited 5-K-A the player has a full chance at a Q-J-10-9-8 straight. However, with suited 10-Q and unsuited K-9-5, the player should go for the inside straight because the K and 9 block any fully open straight possibility.

e There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to discard everything rather than keep two to a royal, king high, with no penalty cards.

f There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to keep the two to a royal, king high, despite a 9 or ace straight penalty card.

1 deuce

Wild royal flush (25.0000)

5 of a kind (15.0000)

Straight flush (9.0000)

Four of a kind (5.8510637)

4 to a royal flush (3.4042554)

Full house (3.0000)

3 consecutive suited cards 5-6-7 or greater (2.21277)

3 of a kind (2.01758)

Straight (2.0000)

Flush (2.0000)

All other 4 to a straight flush (1.70213 to 1.97872)

3 to a royal flush, highest card king or less (1.1424607)

2 consecutive suited cards, 6-7 or higher, + deuce (1.0952822)

3 to a royal flush, ace highest card, no penalty cards (1.0462534)

Deuce only (1.0328652)

3 to a royal flush, ace highest card, 1+ penalty card a (1.0286771)

2 consecutive suited cards, 5-6 or lower, + deuce (1.0166513)

4 to an outside straight (1.0000)

Notes:
a There are some rare exceptions in which it is better to keep the deuce only rather than keep two to a royal, ace high, plus deuce, with no penalty cards.

2 deuces

Wild royal flush (25.0000)

5 of a kind (15.0000)

Straight flush (9.0000)

Four of a kind (5.8510637)

4 to a royal flush (4.617021)

2 consecutive suited cards, 6-7 or higher, + deuces (3.3404255)

2 deuces only (3.2730188)

2 consecutive suited cards, 5-6 of lower, + deuces (3.1276596)

Full house or less

3 deuces

Wild royal flush (25.0000)

3 deuces only, non-pair discarded (15.059204)

3 deuces only, pair 9 or less discarded (15.057354)

5 of a kind (15.0000)

3 deuces only, pair 10 or greater discarded (14.938946)

4 to a royal flush (11.829787)

Straight flush or less

4 deuces

4 deuces (200.0000)

Our thanks to the Wizard of Odds. If you have a question, feel free to ask the Wizard.

For more on the math and methodology behind the Wizard's strategy, look here.