Deuces and Joker Wild is an exciting wild card video poker variant that uses a 53-card deck — the standard 52 cards plus one Joker. All four 2s (deuces) AND the Joker act as wild cards, giving you 5 possible wilds. This creates incredible hand-making potential with the minimum winning hand being Three of a Kind. The unique "Five Wilds" hand pays 200x when all five wild cards appear in a single hand.
1. Five wild cards: All four 2s plus the Joker substitute for any card of any suit.
2. 53-card deck: Standard 52 cards plus the Joker — more wilds than any other video poker variant.
3. Minimum winning hand: Three of a Kind (pairs, two-pair, and lower hands do not pay).
4. Special hands: Five Wilds (all 5 wild cards dealt), Natural Royal Flush (no wilds used — maximum payout), Five of a Kind (five cards of same rank using wilds).
5. Always bet max (BET 5) for the Natural Royal Flush bonus (4000 vs. 1250 at BET 5 rate).
With five wild cards in a 53-card deck, wild cards appear very frequently. Strategy must account for the high wild card density (~9.4% of cards are wild).
| Hand | Payout (BET 1) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 1 in ~130,000 |
| Five Wilds | 200 | 1 in ~300,000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 1 in ~400 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 1 in ~200 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 1 in ~70 |
| Four of a Kind | 3 | 1 in ~10 |
| Full House | 3 | 1 in ~30 |
| Flush | 3 | 1 in ~50 |
| Straight | 2 | 1 in ~15 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 1 in ~3 |
Always hold wilds: Never discard a deuce or the Joker under any circumstances. Wild cards are the most valuable cards in the deck.
No-wild hands: With no wilds, hold any paying hand (Three of a Kind or better) or any 4-card draw to a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, or Flush.
One wild: Look for 4-card Royal Flush draws first, then made hands (full house, straight, flush, three of a kind).
Two wilds: You already have a strong hand. Draw to Royal Flush, Five of a Kind, or Straight Flush. Discard everything else and draw 3.
Three or more wilds: Focus on the highest possible hand. With 3+ wilds, Four of a Kind is virtually guaranteed.
Natural Royal priority: With 4 cards to a Natural Royal Flush (no wilds), always break any made hand to draw — the massive payout justifies it completely.
Wild counting: The more wilds in your hand, the more aggressively you should draw. With 2+ wilds, you can make any hand with just a few draws.
Straight Flush draws: With one wild and 3 cards to a Straight Flush, drawing 2 cards is often correct — Five of a Kind and Straight Flush are achievable.
Five Wilds rarity: Getting all five wild cards is extremely rare (roughly 1 in 300,000 hands). Don't play expecting it — focus on consistent Three of a Kind and Four of a Kind wins.
| Hand | BET 1 | BET 2 | BET 3 | BET 4 | BET 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Five Wilds | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Four of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Full House | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Deuces and Joker Wild returns 99.07% to the player (RTP) with optimal strategy. This means for every $100 wagered over the long run, the expected return is $99.07. This is considered a very competitive return among video poker games.
Place your bet (1-5 coins), then press Deal to receive 5 cards from a 53-card deck. Deuces + Joker serve as wild cards, substituting for any other card to form the best possible hand. Select which cards to hold, then press Draw to replace the rest. Your final hand is evaluated against the pay table. The minimum winning hand is Three of a Kind. Always bet max coins (5) to qualify for the enhanced Royal Flush jackpot of 4,000 coins.
Deuces and Joker Wild uses a 53-card deck that includes one Joker card as a wild card. The Joker substitutes for any card to make the best possible hand, enabling hands like Five of a Kind. Because the Joker makes winning hands easier to form, the minimum qualifying hand is typically higher than in standard games.
Deuces and Joker Wild has high variance. This means larger swings in your bankroll — you may experience longer losing streaks, but the potential for big payouts is greater. A larger bankroll is recommended.
Yes! Deuces and Joker Wild is completely free to play on Pure Video Poker. No download, no registration, and no real money required. You get 1,000 practice credits to play with. It works in any modern web browser on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones. Use it to practice strategy and learn the game before playing at a real casino.