Deuces Wild — free trainer & exact wild-card math
Trainer — wild-card EV on every hand
The engine substitutes wilds optimally inside the EV enumeration itself — verified against the canonical 100.7620% / 99.7283% returns and against published deal frequencies for all 11 hand categories.
Full-pay vs NSU
| Hand | Full-Pay | NSU |
|---|---|---|
| Natural royal | 800 | 800 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 200 |
| Wild royal | 25 | 25 |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 16 |
| Straight flush | 9 | 10 |
| Four of a kind | 5 | 4 |
| Full house | 3 | 4 |
| Flush | 2 | 3 |
| Straight | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 1 |
| Return (optimal) | 100.7620% | 99.7283% |
Strategy skeleton — organized by deuces dealt
| Deuces | Core rule (simplified — trainer gives exact play) |
|---|---|
| 4 | Hold the four deuces, draw one. Guaranteed 200. |
| 3 | Keep pat wild royal or five of a kind; otherwise hold the three deuces alone. |
| 2 | Keep pat quads or better; keep 2 deuces + 2 suited royals (T+); otherwise deuces only. |
| 1 | Keep any pat pay of straight flush+; deuce + pair = made trips; 4 to a wild royal; otherwise the deuce (often alone). |
| 0 | Pat pays stand; 4 to a royal; one pair only (never two pair); 4-flush / open straight draws; else toss all five. |
FAQ
What does "full-pay" Deuces Wild mean?
The original paytable paying 5 for four of a kind and 9 for a straight flush. With optimal play it returns 100.7620% — the player has a +0.76% edge over the house, which is why full-pay machines are nearly extinct. The common online version is NSU ("Not So Ugly"), returning 99.7283%.
Should I ever discard a deuce?
No. A deuce is never discarded in any Deuces Wild variant — it is the most valuable card in the deck. Every strategy chart is organized by how many deuces you were dealt (0 to 4).
Why does two pair play differently in Deuces Wild?
Because two pair pays nothing — the minimum paying hand is three of a kind. Dealt two pair with no deuce, you keep only ONE pair and draw three: the full house chance is what you play for, and holding both pairs halves your improvement draws.
What is a wild royal flush?
A royal flush completed with one or more deuces (for example 2-J-Q-K-A suited). It pays 25 per coin — real money, but far below the 800 of a natural royal, which is why with three deuces plus two royal cards you sometimes break the wild royal to chase better.
Is Deuces Wild better than Jacks or Better?
Full-pay Deuces (100.76%) beats any Jacks or Better. NSU Deuces (99.73%) also edges out 9/6 JoB (99.54%) — but the strategy is harder and mistakes cost more. Train both here and compare your accuracy.