Deuces Wild is the most popular wild card video poker game, where all four 2s (deuces) act as wild cards that can substitute for any card. This dramatically changes strategy and payouts — the minimum winning hand rises to Three of a Kind (no pair pays), but Natural Royal Flushes pay 800× at BET 5, and Five of a Kind is possible. Full-pay Deuces Wild returns up to 100.76% RTP — a genuine player advantage with perfect play.
1. Four wild cards: Any 2 (deuce) substitutes for any card of any suit.
2. Minimum winning hand: Three of a Kind (pairs and two-pair do not pay).
3. Special hands: Five of a Kind (five cards of same rank using wilds), Wild Royal Flush (Royal with deuces), Four Deuces (the jackpot hand), Natural Royal Flush (no deuces used — maximum payout).
4. Always bet max (BET 5) for the Natural Royal Flush bonus (800× vs. 500×).
With four wild cards, hands occur far more frequently. The strategy must account for deuce probability (~7.7% of cards are deuces).
| Hand | Payout (BET 1) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 (at BET5) | 1 in ~45,000 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 1 in ~4,900 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 1 in ~600 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 1 in ~300 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 1 in ~90 |
| Four of a Kind | 5 | 1 in ~15 |
| Full House | 3 | 1 in ~40 |
| Flush | 2 | 1 in ~60 |
| Straight | 2 | 1 in ~18 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 1 in ~3 |
Always hold deuces: Never discard a deuce under any circumstances. Deuces are the most valuable cards in the deck.
No-deuce hands: With no deuces, hold any paying hand (Three of a Kind or better) or any 4-card draw to a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, or Flush.
One deuce: Look for 4-card Royal Flush draws first, then made hands (full house, straight, flush, three of a kind).
Two deuces: You already have a strong hand. Draw to Royal Flush, Five of a Kind, or Straight Flush. Discard everything else and draw 3.
Three deuces: Only keep a natural Royal or Five of a Kind. Otherwise discard 2 cards and draw.
Four deuces: You've already won 200×. Hold all four deuces, draw one card.
Natural Royal priority: With 4 cards to a Natural Royal Flush (no deuces), always break any made hand to draw — the 800× payout justifies it completely.
Deuce counting: The more deuces in your hand, the more aggressively you should draw. With 2+ deuces, you can make any hand with just 2 draws.
Straight Flush draws: With one deuce and 3 cards to a Straight Flush, drawing 2 cards is often correct — Five of a Kind and Straight Flush are achievable.
Avoid low pairs: With no deuces, a low pair (2s don't exist as pairs — they're wild!) is weaker than an open straight or flush draw in Deuces Wild.
Four Deuces frequency: Expect to hit Four Deuces approximately once every 5,000 hands. Track your sessions accordingly.
| Hand | BET 1 | BET 2 | BET 3 | BET 4 | BET 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 1600 | 2400 | 3200 | 4000 |
| Four Deuces | 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 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Full House | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Flush | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Deuces Wild returns 100.76% to the player (RTP) with optimal strategy. This means for every $100 wagered over the long run, the expected return is $100.76. This is one of the few video poker games with a positive expected return for the player.
Place your bet (1-5 coins), then press Deal to receive 5 cards from a 52-card deck. Deuces (2s) 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.
In Deuces Wild, Deuces (2s) act as wild cards — they can substitute for any other card to complete the best possible hand. This means hands like Five of a Kind become possible. Wild card games typically require Three of a Kind as the minimum winning hand, since pairs are much easier to form with wilds.
Deuces Wild has medium variance. This means a balanced mix of frequent small wins and occasional larger payouts. A good choice for players who want some excitement without extreme bankroll swings.
Yes! Deuces 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.