Deuces & Joker

Although Jacks or Better is an interesting game by itself, many players also enjoy variations such as Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. Thanks to the additional wild cards, video poker fans revel in more exciting gaming as there are plenty of opportunities to form a winning hand. Adding wilds changes the winning combinations that will bring payouts, as well as the number of credits that they pay.

For those who enjoy both of the video poker variations, there is also the chance to play a hybrid game between Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. Deuces and Joker offers different gameplay which can contribute to quite the fruitful experience for some lucky players.

While there are several opportunities to form very generously paying hands, Deuces and Joker does come with a few alterations to the rules. This is why one should learn the specifics of this video poker variation, its gameplay and the right strategy that will bring rewarding results. Deuces and Joker is a game which is popular among virtual players who enjoy making bets at interactive casinos. The good thing about playing online is that you can often choose to try the game for fun which means that you can practice without risking your own money.

How to Play Deuces and Joker

Deuces and JokerOne of the specific features of Deuces and Joker is that it is played with 53 cards since there is an additional wild Joker in the deck. Combined with the four deuces in the game, Deuces and Joker is played with a total of 5 wild cards. As you have probably figured out, the chances to form a winning hand thanks to the wilds in the game are pretty high. This being said, there is also a change in the lowest-ranked hand that will qualify you for a payout. Despite these alterations, the rules of the game are similar to those of most video poker variations.

The first thing to do when playing Deuces and Joker is selecting the amount you are about to stake. As usual, the maximum coins you can bet is 5 and the denomination of the coins is ranging between a very low value and sums which will fit high-rollers.

Once you have chosen the bet amount, you will be dealt 5 cards. The next step is to choose whether you will keep any of the cards in order to be able to form a winning hand on the second draw. Once you are done with your decision, you should click on “Draw” and the cards you decide not to hold will be replaced with others from the deck.

If you manage to land a winning hand, you will be paid according to the payouts listed on the paytable. You will also have the chance to take the risk and make a double or nothing bet. If you decide to raise the stakes, this will load an additional game where you will have to beat the dealer’s card. If you manage to do so, you will double your winnings, however, if your card loses, you will have to say goodbye to the credits you have won in the base game.

Deuces & Joker Video Poker Gameplay


 

Paytables of Deuces and Joker Variations

PaytablesOne of the biggest differences that you will spot in Deuces and Joker is the paytable of the game. You have the chance to land a massive jackpot for Four Deuces and Joker when you have made a maximum bet. However, the hand with the lowest rank that will qualify you for a payout is Three of a Kind. This eliminates Two Pair and High Pair as options that will secure a payment. Naturally, the removal of the two low-rank hands from the paytable lowers players’ chances to land a win. This will also affect the expected return of the game which is definitely a factor to consider.

Full-Pay Deuces and Jack

Whenever you are browsing through various Deuces and Jack variations, you should be able to recognize which is the one that will offer the best payouts. The full-pay version of Deuces and Jack is offering a payout of 9 to 1 for a Five of a Kind, while Straight Flush pays 6 to 1. In this game, the bonus payout for staking 6 coins applies to the hand of five wilds which pays 10,000 credits. The paytable for this game is:

Hand Payout
Four Deuces and Joker 10,000 for 5 coins
Natural Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four Deuces 25 to 1
Wild Royal Flush 12 to 1
Five of a Kind 9 to 1
Straight Flush 6 to 1
Four of a Kind 3 to 1
Full House 3 to 1
Flush 3 to 1
Straight 2 to 1
Three of a Kind 1 to 1

If you are making maximum bets and you are using an optimal strategy, it is estimated that the expected return on the full-pay Deuces and Joker is 99.06%. This makes this game definitely a video poker version which can give players a good chance of sweeping generous payouts. The full-pay version of Deuces and Joker, however, can often be found with lowered payouts which will automatically change your winning chances.

8/6 Deuces and Joker

A commonly seen version of this video poker game is one that offers a lower payout for a Five of a Kind and pays only 8 to 1, instead of 9 to 1. This may seem an insignificant change to you, but it automatically lowers the RTP to 98.52%. When you see this paytable, you can be sure that you have come across a short-pay version of Deuces and Jack:

Hand Payout
Four Deuces and Joker 10,000 for 5 coins
Natural Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four Deuces 25 to 1
Wild Royal Flush 12 to 1
Five of a Kind 8 to 1
Straight Flush 6 to 1
Four of a Kind 3 to 1
Full House 3 to 1
Flush 3 to 1
Straight 2 to 1
Three of a Kind 1 to 1

9/5 Deuces and Joker

Another variant of the game that you can often see at online casinos has kept the payout for a Five of a Kind the same as the full-pay version but has decreased the reward for Straight Flush to 5 to 1. This is even a worse version of the aforementioned one as it has an expected return percentage of 98.35%. The paytable for this game looks like this:

Hand Payout
Four Deuces and Joker 10,000 for 5 coins
Natural Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four Deuces 25 to 1
Wild Royal Flush 12 to 1
Five of a Kind 9 to 1
Straight Flush 5 to 1
Four of a Kind 3 to 1
Full House 3 to 1
Flush 3 to 1
Straight 2 to 1
Three of a Kind 1 to 1

9/9/1 Deuces and Joker

While there are variants of the game which offer a payout of 7 to 1 or even 6 to 1 for a Five of a Kind, the worst option is the one that actually does not appear so bad at first glance. Many new players are fooled by the high payout of 9 to 1 for both Five of a Kind and Straight Flush of this Deuces and Joker game. As tempting as this paytable may look, you will notice that the payback for Straight has dropped to even money instead of 2 to 1. You may think that paying 9 to 1 for a Straight Flush might compensate for the lowered payout on Straight but in reality, this game offers an RTP of merely 96.06%. It is obvious that of all previously mentioned variants of Deuces and Joker, the 9/9/1 one is the one to avoid. The following table corresponds to this option:

Hand Payout
Four Deuces and Joker 10,000 for 5 coins
Natural Royal Flush 250 to 1
Four Deuces 25 to 1
Wild Royal Flush 12 to 1
Five of a Kind 9 to 1
Straight Flush 9 to 1
Four of a Kind 3 to 1
Full House 3 to 1
Flush 3 to 1
Straight 1 to 1
Three of a Kind 1 to 1

Strategy for Deuces and Joker

StrategyIn order to be able to ensure the best possible winning chances, you need to learn how to use the right strategy while playing Deuces and Joker. For this purpose, you are recommended to resort to the so-called ‘strategy charts’. One of the main things to remember about the specific strategy for Deuces and Joker is that your gameplay will change, depending on how many wilds you are holding.

Holding Four Wild Cards

This is the next best hand you can hold in this game, after Five Wilds. In this case, you should hold all four wild cards and replace the fifth one which is not wild.

Holding Three Wild Cards

In this situation, the strategy chart will look the following way:

Hand Decision
Wild Royal Flush, Five of a Kind keep your hand
Hold the three wild cards draw two more

Holding Two Wild Cards

If you have been dealt two wild cards on the first draw, there are more possible outcomes and the strategy chart looks like this:

Hand Decision
Wild Royal Flush, Five of a Kind, Straight Flush keep your hand
Four of a Kind draw one card
Four cards to a Royal Flush draw one card
Flush keep your hand
Four cards to a Straight Flush draw one card
Keep the two wild cards draw three more

Holding One Wild Card

The next variant is to be holding only one wild card which can actually help you form various different hands. This is why the strategy chart for this scenario is longer. This is the hand ranking when you are holding only one wild card:

Hand Decision
Four cards to a Natural Royal Flush discard the wild card
Five of a Kind, Straight Flush keep your hand
Four of a Kind, Full House keep your hand
Flush keep your hand
Four cards to a Wild Royal Flush draw one card
Straight keep your hand
Four cards to a Straight Flush (no gap or one gap) draw one card
Three of a kind draw two cards
Four cards to a Straight Flush draw one card
Three cards to a Wild Royal Flush (with no Ace) draw two cards
Three cards to a Straight Flush (no gap) draw two cards
Four cards to a Straight (no gap) draw one card
Four cards to a Flush draw one card
Three cards to a Straight Flush (one gap) draw two cards
Three cards to a Wild Royal Flush (with Aces) draw two cards
Keep the wild card discard the remaining four

Holding No Wild Cards

If you do not hold any wild cards, the ranking of hands changes and the following strategy chart is correct:

Hand Decision
Royal Flush keep your hand
Four cards to a Royal Flush draw one card
Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House keep your hand
Flush, Straight keep your hand
Three of a Kind draw two cards
Four cards to a Straight Flush draw one card
Three cards to a Royal Flush draw two cards
Four cards to a Flush draw one card
Two Pair draw one card
Four cards to a Straight (no gap) draw one card
Three cards to a Straight Flush (no gap) draw two cards
One pair draw three cards
Three cards to a Straight Flush draw two cards
Jack and 10 of the same suit draw three cards
Four cards to a Straight draw one card
Queen and 10 or Queen and Jack of the same suit draw three cards
No winning hands discard all five cards

Conclusion

video pokerIf you are looking for a video poker variation that combines both thrilling gameplay and rewarding payouts, you should definitely give Deuces and Joker a try. The fact that there are five wild cards in the game, gives players plenty of opportunities to form winning hands that will qualify them for payouts.

Make sure to always make a maximum bet on Deuces and Joker as this is the only way to win the bonus of 10,000 credits if you land five wild cards. Even though this payout sounds tempting, do not miss checking the full paytable of the game you are about to play. While some Deuces and Joker variants do provide an opportunity for a fruitful game, others have deceiving payouts and promise a very low expected return percentage.

When you try mastering the strategy for Deuces and Joker, make sure to pay attention to the number of wild cards you are holding. This is very important in order to be able to make the optimal moves under different circumstances. The best part about this fun video poker game is that the majority of websites will allow you to play for fun which means that you will be able to stake real money only when you feel confident in your gaming strategy.