Loose Deuces is a Deuces Wild variant with one major change: Four Deuces pays 500-for-1 instead of the standard 200-for-1. This doubled payout on the rarest wild hand creates one of the highest-returning video poker games available — the full-pay version returns 100.97%.
What Makes Loose Deuces Different from Standard Deuces Wild
The core rules are the same — all four 2s are wild, and the strategy revolves around how many deuces you're dealt. The difference is in the pay table:
| Hand | Loose Deuces (Full Pay) | Deuces Wild (Full Pay) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Four Deuces | 500 | 200 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 25 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 15 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 9 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 5 |
| Full House | 3 | 3 |
| Flush | 2 | 2 |
| Straight | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 1 |
| RTP | 100.97% | 100.76% |
Notice the tradeoff: Four of a Kind pays only 4-for-1 (vs 5-for-1 in standard DW), but Four Deuces pays 500-for-1 (vs 200-for-1). The return is concentrated in a rarer hand, making Loose Deuces significantly more volatile.
Pay Table Variants
| Pay Table | Full Pay | 15/10 | 12/8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Deuces | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Full House | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| RTP | 100.97% | 99.20% | 97.10% |
Hourly Impact
At $0.25 denomination, 600 hands per hour:
| Pay Table | RTP | Hourly Result |
|---|---|---|
| Full Pay | 100.97% | +$7.28 (profit) |
| 15/10 | 99.20% | $6.00 (loss) |
| 12/8 | 97.10% | $21.75 (loss) |
Volatility Warning
Loose Deuces is one of the most volatile standard video poker games. Four Deuces occurs roughly once every 4,900 hands. At 600 hands per hour, that's about once every 8 hours of play on average — but variance means you might go 20+ hours without hitting it.
Because so much of the return is concentrated in the 500-for-1 Four Deuces payout, your short-term results will fluctuate wildly. Plan for at least 500-600 max bets per session and a lifetime bankroll of 5,000+ max bets for serious play.
Bottom Line
Loose Deuces offers the second-highest full-pay return of any standard video poker game. But the extreme concentration of value in the Four Deuces hand makes it unsuitable for small bankrolls. If you find the full-pay version, it's one of the best mathematical opportunities in the casino — just make sure you can afford the ride.