Jokers Wild
By Gayle Mitchell

Jokers Wild is a good candidate for full-pay analysis as determined in this article.
The majority of your hands will look like those on a Jacks+ machine, but don’t fall into the trap of using the same Jacks or Better strategy play.
Let’s examine the different strategies for this game:
First up, and most important, the full-pay Jokers Wild (JW) pay schedules will be 7/5 machines, 7 coins for a full house and 5 coins for a flush.
A quad (four-of-a-kind) pays 100 on a max coin bet.

The two most available versions placed are:
1) returns your bet with a pair of kings or better.
2) requires at least two pair before any money is paid out.
 
The first version with payouts for a pair of kings or better allows the player an advantage, therefore, why would anyone play the other version? 
These strategies for Jokers, unlike Jacks+, reflect the wild card, a 53–card deck and different payouts.
This game is almost as volatile as Deuces Wild, where original 5 cards dealt are discarded more often than Jacks+.
 
WITH JOKER
 
–hold pat hands of full house or better
–break a paying flush for a 4-card royal or 4-card open straight flush
–break 3/kind for any 4-card straight flush
–break a pair of aces or kings for a 3-card or better straight flush (must be consecutive), or any 4-card flush
–none of the above, draw to the joker alone.

 WITHOUT JOKER

–hold two pair or better except break a flush for any 4-card royal draw and break a straight for any 4-card straight flush or royal draw.
–break a pair of aces or kings for 3-card royal draw.
–break low pair for 4-card FL or open ended 3-card SF
–break any pair for any 4-card SF
–hold any 4-card straight or any 3-card straight flush, if consecutive, discarding small pair for the larger payout.
–hold A-K of same suit
–hold suited faces K-Q, K-J, K-10, Q-J, Q-10, or J-10
–hold any ace, king or ace-king combo.

Go for a straight flush whenever possible, for the larger return.
With this game, straight flushes and royal flushes, with wild card opportunities, are many more than Jacks +.
Don’t be reluctant to hold the joker alone. More than 3% of the time, you won’t be able to connect with a straight, flush, straight flush, or a high pair; however, holding the joker alone can give you four new cards, and a win.
Keep a lower pair over the possibility of pulling a joker for a four-card straight, especially an inside straight. 

Although wild card games are the only games in which it is suggested to hold an inside straight, in this case the payout for the straight has been reduced from four to three, not very profitable, so keep the pair only.

Until we meet again, 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)