When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn It’s rare to find online casino games that allow you to get the upper hand, but Deuces Wild is one of those games. It has multiple options and variations, but the full pay games return a 100.71% RTP. We will show you how to access these games and, ultimately, how to play Deuces Wild video poker profitably.
Deuces Wild Video Poker Rules
The concept of the game is simple. You’re dealt five cards, and the goal is the make the best five-card poker hand from the cards given to you.
To do this, after the cards have been dealt, you get one round where you can choose to hold or discard cards to be dealt new ones. Following this, the hand is calculated based on poker hand rankings and paid out accordingly.
The caveat with Deuces Wild is just that. The Deuces are wild. This means they can be used to represent any card in the deck to make winning combinations. You will get a bonus payout if you get multiple wild deuces.
Deuces Wild is a popular video poker variant because of its high RTP (Return to Player) percentage. It’s one of few casino games where, if the proper strategy is applied to hold and discard the right cards at the right time, you will have an edge over the casino, albeit small, at 100.71%.
Unfortunately, the games vary based on payouts, affecting the RTP. Full pay games will allow you to attain 100.71% RTP, but they are rare. Most games have adjusted pay tables and moved the RTP back in favor of the casino.
Even still, the games are as user-friendly as you can find, with 98% to 99% RTP not uncommon. It’s also one of the best casino games for user interaction, requiring decisions at every stage.
How to Play Deuces Wild Video Poker
We will work through an example hand to showcase how to play Deuces wild video poker. This is taken from our top-rated online casino, Wild Casino, who stock a great range of video poker games, including Deuces Wild.
The image above gives you an overview of the table, and there are some areas to note here. Before this, just ignore the current cards on the table, as these are from a completed, previous hand and are irrelevant for this example, although it does show where the cards appear.
At the top of the image is the pay table, and this shows the amount we win based on the poker hand combinations. The green button in the middle is to start a hand and on the right, you have a button where you can alter the coins and coin size per spin, and on the left, the speed the cards are dealt.
For this bet, we’re wagering five coins at five credits per spin for a total bet size of 25 credits. If you’re betting in USD, this would be $25 per spin.
To get started, click the green button in the middle.
Once you’ve pressed the button, you’ll be dealt five cards face-up. These are your starting cards. You can choose to hold zero to all five cards for any one hand.
As we’ve got four clubs in this hand, we will hold these four cards and spin the single nine of spades. It’s worth noting that if you don’t hold any cards, all five cards will spin, and you get a complete set of new cards.
We get lucky, and after spinning the single nine of spades, the queen of clubs lands to complete our flush.
It’s now a case of looking at the paytable to see how much we’ve won. As you can see, for our 25-coin bet, we’ve won an additional 50 coins for a flush.
The final step is choosing whether to gamble. You can play a higher or lower game with your winnings, where you choose the value of the next card in the sequence. Each bet is worth double your money, but if you lose, you lose it all.
As you can see, it’s a simple game, but as far as casino games go, it’s got a high level of interaction. Knowing what to hold and when requires skill, which we will discuss more in the strategy section.
Deuces Wild Video Poker Payouts
The payouts are a key to learning how to play video poker, and they vary depending on the rules and casino you’re playing at. You bet per coin, and the max you can bet is five per hand.
Limits will vary, but the majority of games allow you to bet up to 5 units per coin. This means the maximum bet is 25 coins. Video poker odds are based on a single coin bet, and the multiple of the win is based on this.
For example, if you bet five coins at a coin size of 5 units each and hit a flush, your payout would be 25 coins (5 coins x $5 units = $25 x 2 = $50 payout)
The next thing to note is the order of the hand rankings. They are not in the same order moving up as you would find in a game of Texas Hold’em. For example, four deuces pay more than a royal flush.
Use the table below to see how the hands rank and the payouts based on the number of coins you bet per spin.
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Full House | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Five of a Kind | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 |
| Deuces Royal Flush | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
Best Betting Site for Playing Deuces Wild Video Poker
Deuces Wild can be accessed at most of the best online casinos. If we were to pick just one, we would suggest that you try Wild Casino, as they include multiple bonus variations of the game and other video poker formats. Below we’ve made a guide on creating an account with Wild Casino and playing Deuces Wild games online.
1. Open an account
Open Wild Casino and click the “Join Now” button at the bottom of the page. You can create an account using your desktop or mobile browser.
2. Enter account information
When you’ve clicked the link, you must fill in the form on the screen. This includes information such as your name, email address, password, and date of birth. There are two more pages that you need to work through for your account, and it should take no more than a couple of minutes to complete
3. Make a deposit
Once the account is set up, log in and head to the cashier. Here you can choose from any of the payment methods to deposit. If you’ve not already done so, you must verify your account to make a deposit.
4. Use the casino to find video poker
Deuces Wild games are under the video poker section. You can use the menu at the top of the page to locate this or use the search function to type the game’s name.
5. Play Deuces Wild
Once you open the game, choose your stake and the number of coins you want to play with. Start betting, and you’re ready to go.
What’s the Difference Between Full Pay and Regular Pay Deuces Wild Games?
We’ve mentioned that some Deuces Wild games offer an RTP of over 100%. This is rare for any online casino game, which is why Deuces Wild is very popular.
To get these high RTPs, you need to find games that are classed as full pay. The only difference between full pay and regular pay is the payout. Full pay games pay 15 credits for a five-of-a-kind and 25 for a royal flush with a deuce.
Regular games pay 12 credits for five of a kind and 20 credits for a royal flush with a deuce. Full pay games have the highest RTP when you bet the maximum number of coins, which is five.
A slight change in payouts has a huge effect on the overall RTP. One way that casinos lower the RTP is to alter the payout, and even slight adjustments can make a big difference to the casino’s edge.
The problem with full pay games is that they are rare. Very few online casinos offer them, but they are much more common in brick-and-mortar casinos, such as Las Vegas.
Even though the RTP is lower on regular games, it’s still exceptionally high compared with most casino games. The caveat is that to achieve the highest RTP in the game, you need to play with a perfect video poker strategy. Any deviation from making the right play every time, and the RTP swings in the casino’s favor.
Is it Better to Play Deuces Wild or Jacks or Better?
Jacks or Better is an alternative video poker game where you need to create the best five-card hand. Qualifying wins start from a pair of jacks and work up from there. The rules and the function of the game are the same as Deuces Wild in that you get five cards and can choose to hold or throw them away.
The game is more popular than Deuces Wild, but it shouldn’t be. The RTP for Jacks or Better is generally lower than Deuces Wild, which gives the casino a bigger advantage. There are a couple of reasons for this:
- Jacks or Better has a lower qualifying hand ranking than Deuces Wild but has a lot fewer winning combinations
- The game does not include a wild, which makes it harder to make winning combinations
For this reason, we’d always recommend playing Deuces Wild over Jacks or Better, where possible.
Alternative Video Poker Games
The video poker section for most online casinos is very popular, and there are multiple games and variations of games that you can try. We will note that the games, for the most part, are quite similar, but they have small tweaks which means they’ve each got their own personality, if you will.
We’ve listed alternatives to Deuces Wild video poker below and highlighted how they differ, along with general RTP ratings (they can vary based on house/table rules) that can be achieved with optimal strategy.
- Jacks or Better: Probably the most popular video poker game. It’s known for its low volatility and high payout percentage, given that you only need to make a pair of Jacks to qualify for a win. RTP of up to 99.54%.
- Bonus Poker: This expands on the Jacks or Better format, paying slightly higher for four-of-a-kind hands. It also comes with bonus payouts and a reduced RTP of 99.17%, which is the tradeoff for the chance to win large bonuses.
- Double Bonus Poker: This comes with a 98.98% RTP and has larger bonuses from the singular game for four aces. Again, the lower RTP is the tradeoff for bigger prizes up top.
- Joker Poker: Joker Poker includes the Joker from the deck that works as a wild and can be used with any combination. As a result, it’s now a 53-card deck and increases the ease with which you can make winning combinations. The tradeoff is a 98.60% RTP, the lowest of any video poker game.
- All-American Poker: This game has increased payouts for flushes and straights and a unique payout structure. As a result, it’s one of the best in terms of RTP, at a high of 99.60%.
- Pick’em Poker: Pick’em Poker allows you to choose from two sets of hands to complete your hand. It’s more strategy-intensive than most, and with it comes an industry-high RTP of 99.95% using an optimal strategy.
Deuces Wild Video Poker Strategy and Tips
Deuces Wild video poker has one of the highest RTPs of any online casino game. However, that RTP only applies if you play the perfect strategy. It’s similar to blackjack in that you must make moves in every scenario that is positive.
This is one reason the casino entices you to play these types of games. Full card Deuces Wild has an RTP of 100.71%, meaning the casino will lose if you play the perfect strategy each time. That’s unheard of for a casino, and they rely on the vast majority not to apply this process.
Before we examine the more general aspects of profiting from Deuces Wild, we’ll show you exactly what to play and when.
The key to this process is to note how many deuces you’re holding, as this changes your approach. Remember, deuces are wild and can be substituted to aid any combination. You can have K-Q-J-2-9 for a straight or D-D-D-2-D for a flush.
Use the table below to see what to play and when. Each hand combination is in order of when you should play them. For example, if you’ve got no deuces, three cards to a royal flush, and one pair, keep the royal flush draw and discard the pair, as per the table.
| Holding 4 Deuces | Holding 3 Deuces | Holding 2 Deuces | Holding 1 Deuce | Holding No Deuces |
| Keep four deuces | Keep a wild royal flush | Keep wild royal flush | Keep wild royal flush | Keep all paying cards |
| Keep three deuces, discard two non paired cards | Keep five of a kind | Keep five of a kind | Keep four to an open-ended straight flush | |
| Keep five of a kind | Keep straight flush | Keep straight flush | Keep suited Q-J-T | |
| Keep four to a royal flush | Keep four of a kind | Keep four of a kind | Keep four to an inside straight flush | |
| Keep a straight flush or lower | Keep two deuces + consecutive cards | Keep four to a royal flush | Keep three to a royal flush | |
| Keep two deuces | Keep a full house | Keep one pair | ||
| Keep the deuce + three cards to a straight flush | Keep four to a flush | |||
| Keep three of a kind | Keep four to an open-ended straight draw | |||
| Keep a straight | Keep two to royal flush | |||
| Keep a flush | Keep four to an inside straight | |||
| Keep four to any straight flush | Keep two to a royal flush | |||
| Keep three to a royal flush | Discard all cards | |||
| Keep the deuce + two cards to a straight flush | ||||
| Keep three to a royal flush | ||||
| Keep the deuce |
There are two key terms to note here that, as a beginner, you might not be aware of. We’ve highlighted and explained them.
- Open-ended draw: You can make a straight at both ends in this type of draw. For example, if you had T-9-8-7, you could make a straight with a Jack or a six.
- Inside draw: You need an inside card to make the draw. So, you might have 8-7-5-4, meaning you need a six to make the inside draw.
If you’re playing online, you can use the table as a guide. If you’re playing at a real casino, you must memorize it. Once you’ve played for a while, it should become straightforward to learn and become automatic with your decisions.
We recommend using demo play games at the start to see how they run and apply the correct betting strategy. This will help a lot with real money action and limit potential mistakes.
Bankroll Management
As a rule, casino games are tough to beat long term. They are set up so the casino has the edge with most games. Deuces Wild is one of few where, with full card games, you can have the edge.
What doesn’t change is that you must apply proper bankroll management. This is designed to stop you from going broke and have fun with the funds available. Bet what you can afford to lose is one of the best sayings about casinos, and it should be applied here.
Everyone’s bankroll will differ, and the ease with which you can replenish any losses will determine how aggressive you can be. If you’re low on funds and want to play for as long as possible, we recommend never betting more than 5% of your bankroll in a single session.
If you can top up your bankroll more frequently, you can increase this number to a comfortable level. We’d still cap this at 10-15% per session, but we know that some like to go higher.
Doing this teaches you control, which is essential for casino games. The moment you lose control, the casino wins, and they do so very quickly.
Don’t Play the Double or Nothing Games
Most Deuces Wild games have a bonus game where you can roll your winnings into a game of high cards. It’s double or nothing here, and the casino’s edge by only being able to take the over on their initial pick is huge.
The high RTP goes out the window and is a surefire way to break quickly. Stick to the hand strategy about what to play and when, and you’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of the game rather than gambling with bonus games.
Avoid Bonus Variations of the Game
Deuces Wild can come in various configurations, with most adding bonuses to entice you to play. The bonuses are applied at the top end and might include increased payouts for four deuces on Deuces Wild Elite or increased payouts for five-card hands-on games like Bonus Deuces Wild.
They adjust the payouts in the middle areas of the paytable to get the bonuses in and not have to pay extra out. This might be the four-of-a-kind paying two instead of four or the straight flush paying eight instead of ten.
It may look reasonable to change those and give out heavier pay for bigger hands, but it drastically affects the overall RTP for the game. It can move it from as high as 99.60% down to 97% or even lower. The casino wants you to chase the bonuses, but these will come at a cost.
Some may argue that even at around 97%, it still pays higher than most of the best online slots for real money, which is true. If you feel you’d rather chase the big paydays, then fine, but the smart money is betting perfectly on Deuces Wild full pay cards and actually beating the casino long term.
