Deuces Wild--Other Versions
By Gayle Mitchell

Before we discuss three other Deuces Wild Video Poker (VP) versions, I have included a short-recap and pay schedule for Deuces Wild as discussed in a previous article.
Unlike Jacks or Better VP where the payout schedule is determined by the Full House and Flush, a Deuces Wild pay schedule is determined by the Straight Flush and 4-of-a-kind payouts.
Full-pay Deuces Wild pay schedules are 9/5 (9 coins for a Straight Flush and 5 for 4-of-a-kind as listed under the one coin payout schedule).
Short-pay is 9/4 where only 20 coins are paid for 4-of-a-kind with max. coins in play.
Remember a 5 coin short payout can make a difference in your gambling bankroll over the long run.
Every 5000 hands of cycled play, on average, will produce four Deuces-?a secondary jackpot to the Royal Flush.

Below is a full-pay 9/5 VP pay schedule for Deuces Wild:
Multiply by 5 for maximum coin play.
The minimum payout hand that qualifies for a return of your bet is 3-of-a-kind.

Pay Schedule

Three-of-a-kind (3/kind)  pays   1-1

Straight (ST)
(sequence, not same suit)  pays   2-1

Flush (FL)
(non-sequential, same suit)  pays   2-1

Full house (FH)
(3 of a kind and a pair)  pays   3-1

Four-of-a-kind (quad)  pays   5-1

Straight flush (SF)
(in sequence, same suit)  pays   9-1

5-of-a-kind (5/kind)  pays  15-1

Wild Royal Flush  pays  25-1

Four Deuces   pays 200-1

Royal flush (RF)   pays 250-1 
(Max. Coin bet pays 800 X 5=4000 for RF)

If you bet 5 coins, all winning hands are paid out multiplied by a factor of 5, except for the Royal Flush.  This is a bonus amount designed as an incentive to play five coins.

Three other versions follow:

1) Loose Deuces VP version pay schedule generally reflects 10/4 and 11/4. This translates to 10 or 11 for Straight Flush and 4 for 4-of-a-kind.
Loose Deuces pay schedule also reflects other hands that would be considered short pays, such as reducing 5-of-a-kind to 60 (75 for full-pay) and Wild Royals to 100 (125 for full pay).
However, the payoff of 2500 coins for Four Deuces played with optimum strategy will result in a 100%+ game. Payback of 101.06% can be achieved with Loose Deuces optimum play.

2) Double Deuces with a 2000 coin payoff for Four Deuces results in a payback of 100.93%.
Two strategy changes for Double or Loose Deuces from regular 9/5 Deuces Wild play are noted:
1)  Three Deuces are held alone even discarding a Wild Royal and
2) hold one pair rather than a 4-card Flush. 

3) Bonus Deuces Wild offers an additional payout of 2000 for four Deuces with an Ace as the fifth card plus higher coin for five of a kind.
Four Deuces without an Ace pays the usual 1000 coins. The overall payout is 99.45%.
The extra rewards for five-of-a-kind are:
Five 6?s to kings=100 credits.
Five 3?s, 4?s or 5?s=200
Five aces bring on 400 credits.
Therefore, when selecting one of two pairs to hold, you would consider whether one of those pairs is an Ace, 3?s, 4?s or 5?s. 
This version comes with a price by shorting other hands in that you are paid the same for
3-of-a-kind and straights; thus, the strategy change would be not to hold four parts of an inside or outside straight.

All three of these Deuces games require a larger bankroll because the highest payouts are with the top two jackpots being the Natural RF and four Deuces.
Now you can add these versions to the excitement of this wild and crazy game.

Until next we meet, may all your VP choices turn out to be ?royalty?.

(Gayle Mitchell is author of Casino Gambling Made Easier books, E-Books, booklets & Slots Trilogy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)