Perfect Video Poker Strategy
Free Video Poker Strategy Chart. To succeed in video poker you have to play perfectly. You can find strategy tables online that will tell you exactly what to do in every situation. You should have the strategy guide open while you play online. Print out a copy and take it with you, as the strategy. Below is the perfect strategy for Jacks or Better – a list for you to play perfect video poker. Go from top down with what cards you keep and when to toss. Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush 4 to a royal flush.
Perfect Video Poker Strategy Software
| The best way to learn our Bonus Deuces strategy is to use it as you play. We suggest using our strategy at Bovada Casino. Bovada offers Bonus Deuces in single hand as well as 3-hand, 10-hand, 52-hand, and 100-hand variations. You can practice for play money at Bovada before you decide to deposit real money. Sign up at Bovada now for Bonus Deuces Wild! |
Bonus Deuces Wild is a variant of the popular Deuces Wild game, and plays virtually the same but uses different pay tables. Bonus Deuces Wild provides bonus payouts for four of a kind Deuces with an Ace kicker and all five of a kind hands. Also, Bonus Deuces Wild has a bonus round at the end of each winning hand that provides players the chance to double their money or take their current winnings.
This page is going to provide the mathematically correct strategy for playing Bonus Deuces Wild. We've crunched the numbers for every possible hand in Bonus Deuces, and determined the correct strategy for each situation. By following the strategy on this page, you will achieve a payout percentage of 99.86%. Please note that the strategy on this page was designed for full pay games, which use the pay table below. Any other pay table will slightly alter the mathematically correct strategy.
| Hand | Payout |
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 |
| Four Deuces w/ Ace | 400 |
| Four Deuces | 200 |
| Five of a Kind Aces | 80 |
| Five of a Kind 3s-5s | 40 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 |
| Five of a Kind 6s-Ks | 20 |
| Straight Flush | 10 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 |
| Full House | 4 |
| Flush | 3 |
| Straight | 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 |
Expert Bonus Deuces Strategy
Here is how you should use this page:
- Determine how many Deuces are in your hand.
- Find the appropriate section depending on how many Deuces are in your hand.
- Find the highest match for your hand on the list. For example, if you have AAJ109 with four spades, you'll notice that Four to a Flush is higher on the list than One Pair, so ditch the pair and go for the flush.
Perfect Video Poker Strategy
Strategy for Hands with No Deuces
Here are the ranks for hands with no deuces. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Pat Royal Flush | 800.0000 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-Ah |
| Royal Flush Draw | 19.5957 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-4h |
| Pat Straight Flush | 10.0000 | 6h-7h-8h-9h-Th |
| Four of a Kind | 6.2128 | Ac-Ad-As-Ah-5c |
| Pat Full House | 4.0000 | Ac-Ad-As-Js-Jc |
| Pat Flush | 3.0000 | Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4c |
| Three of a Kind | 2.0176 | Ac-Ad-As-Js-Tc |
| Four to a Straight Flush | 1.5745 | 4c-5c-6c-7c-Js |
| Three to a Royal | 1.3053 | Ks-Qs-Js-9c-4c |
| Pat Straight | 1.0000 | 4c-5s-6h-7h-8h |
| Four to a Flush | 0.7660 | Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4h |
| Two Pair | 0.6809 | Kc-Ks-Js-Jd-4c |
| One Pair | 0.5656 | As-Ac-Jc-10h-5c |
| Open Three to a Straight Flush (5-6-7s » 9-T-Js) | 0.4727 | 6c-7c-8c-10h-Jh |
| 4-5-6 suited | 0.4431 | 4c-5c-6c-8h-9h |
| Three to a Straight Flush, One Gap (7-Q High) | 0.4431 | 8c-9c-Jc-4h-3h |
| 3-4-5 suited | 0.4283 | 3c-4c-5c-8s-9s |
| Three to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 7-K Hi (w/ no penalty*) | 0.3913 | 7c-9c-Jc-4h-5h |
| 3-4-6 suited, 3-5-6 suited | 0.3913 | 3c-4c-6c-Jc-Qs |
| J-T suited | 0.3525 | Jc-10c-8s-6s-4h |
| Q-J suited, Q-T suited (w/ no penalty*) | 0.3347 | Qs-Ts-7c-6c-3h |
| A-3-4s, A-3-5s, A-4-5s (w/ no penalty*) | 0.3340 | Ac-3c-4c-8s-9s |
| Q-J suited, Q-T suited (w/ one penalty) | 0.3317 | Qs-Ts-7s-5h-3h |
| A-3-4s, A-3-5s, A-4-5s (w/ one penalty*) | 0.3302 | Ac-3c-4c-8s-9c |
| Q-J suited, Q-T suited (w/ two penalties*) | 0.3177 | Qc-Jc-6c-5c-3h |
| K-Qs, K-Js, K-Ts (w/ no penalty*) | 0.3169 | Kc-Qc-8s-7s-3h |
| K-Qs, K-Js, K-Ts (w/ 1 penalty*) | 0.3120 | Kc-Qc-8s-7s-3c |
| K-Qs, K-Js, K-Ts (w/ 2 penalties*) | 0.2999 | Kc-Qc-Js-7s-3c |
| Everything Else » Draw Five New Cards | 0.2993 | Ks-Jh-8c-6s-3h |
Strategy for Hands with One Deuce
Here are the ranks for hands with one deuce. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Five of a Kind Aces | 80.0000 | 2h-Ah-Ac-As-Ad |
| Five of a Kind 3s-5s | 40.0000 | 2h-5h-5c-5s-5d |
| Pat Wild Royal Flush | 25.0000 | 2h-Ks-Qs-Js-Ts |
| Five of a Kind 6s-Ks | 20.0000 | 2h-7h-7c-7s-7d |
| Pat Straight Flush | 10.0000 | 6s-2h-7s-8s-9s |
| Four of a Kind | 6.2128 | Ac-As-Ah-2h-6s |
| Pat Full House | 4.0000 | 3s-3c-2h-Js-Jc |
| Four to a Wild Royal | 3.3617 | 10s-Js-2h-Qs-4c |
| Pat Flush | 3.0000 | 2h-6c-9c-Jc-Ac |
| Three of a Kind Aces | 2.4801 | Ac-Ad-2h-7s-4c |
| Open Straight Flush Draw, 2-5-6-7s » 2-9-T-Js | 2.2340 | 2s-6c-7c-8c-Qh |
| Three of a Kind 3s, 4s, 5s | 2.1101 | 3c-3s-2h-7d-9c |
| Four to a Straight Flush, 1 Gap, 7-K High | 2.0213 | Kc-Jc-Tc-2h-4s |
| 2-3-4-5 suited, 2-4-5-6 suited | 2.0213 | 2c-3s-4s-5s-Kd |
| Three of a Kind 6s-Ks | 1.9251 | 6c-6d-2h-8s-3c |
| Four to a Straight Flush, 2 Gaps, 7-K High | 1.7660 | Kc-Tc-9c-2h-4s |
| 2-3-4-6 suited, 2-3-5-6 suited | 1.7660 | 2c-3s-4s-6s-Jd |
| 2-A-3-4s, 2-A-3-5s, 2-A-4-5s | 1.6170 | 2d-Ac-3c-4c-9d |
| Three to a Wild Royal, Jack High | 1.1739 | Js-2h-10s-4c-5c |
| Three to a Wild Royal, Queen High | 1.1138 | Qh-2c-Jh-4s-3s |
| Three to a Wild Royal, King High | 1.0842 | Ks-2c-Qs-4h-3h |
| Three to a Wild Royal, Ace High | 1.0102 | As-2c-Qs-4h-3h |
| Pat Straight | 1.0000 | 2h-6c-7s-8d-9h |
| Open Three to a Straight Flush, 2-6-7s » 2-9-Ts | 0.9889 | 2h-7s-8s-Jc-Ad |
| Four to a Flush | 0.9574 | Jc-8c-4c-2h-6s |
| Everything Else » Keep Deuce and Draw Four | 1.0289 | 2h-4c-8s-Jd-As |
Strategy for Hands with Two Deuces
Here are the ranks for hands with two deuces. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Five of a Kind Aces | 80.0000 | 2h-2c-Ac-As-Ad |
| Five of a Kind 3s-5s | 40.0000 | 2h-2c-5c-5s-5d |
| Pat Wild Royal Flush | 25.0000 | 2h-2c-Qs-Js-Ts |
| Five of a Kind 6s-Ks | 20.0000 | 2h-2c-7c-7s-7d |
| Pat Straight Flush | 10.0000 | 2h-2c-6s-7s-8s |
| Four of a Kind | 6.2128 | 2h-2c-Js-Jc-5s |
| Four to a Wild Royal | 4.3830 | 2h-2c-Js-As-4h |
| Two Deuces with an Ace | 3.2081 | 2h-2s-Ac-9d-6s |
| Everything Else » Keep Deuces and Draw Three | 3.2426 | 2h-2c-As-5c-9d |
Strategy for Hands with Three Deuces
Here are the ranks for hands with three deuces. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Five of a Kind Aces | 80.0000 | 2h-2c-2s-As-Ad |
| Five of a Kind 3s-5s | 40.0000 | 2h-2c-2s-5c-5d |
| Pat Wild Royal Flush | 25.0000 | 2h-2c-2s-Js-Ts |
| Five of a Kind 6s-Ks | 20.0000 | 2h-2c-2s-7s-7d |
| Everything Else » Keep Deuces and Draw Two | 14.9408 | 2h-2c-2s-6d-Jc |
Strategy for Hands with Four Deuces
Here are the ranks for hands with four deuces. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Four of a Kind Deuces w/ Ace | 400 | 2h-2s-2d-2c-Ah |
| Four of a Kind Deuces (w/ no Ace) | 217.0213 | 2h-2s-2d-2c-Kh |
*Penalty cards are any cards which you plan to discard that hurt your chances of completing a draw. For example, if you have 7c-9c-Jc-8s-5h and plan to keep the 7c-9c-Jc, the 8s that you're discarding actually hurts you because there is one less card in the deck that completes your straight. However, it still makes sense to discard the 8s because you have better expected return going for the straight flush than to draw to the inside straight.
Other Bonus Deuces Pay Tables
Keep in mind that the strategy chart on this page was specifically designed for full pay Bonus Deuces. However, many live and online casinos choose to offer less than full pay games, and if that is the case this strategy will be slightly off. It will still be very good, but might not be perfect. Learn about other common Bonus Deuces Pay Tables.
Video poker is one of the few casino games where the player's input has a major effect on the outcome of the game. Every time you push Deal you receive five new cards and have a total of thirty-two ways to play the hand. To be a successful video poker player, you have to make the best choice out of those thirty-two options as often as possible.
Since computers can mathematically analyze all thirty-two ways to play any given hand, it is possible to figure out the absolutely correct decision for every hand you receive. However, most players don't carry around high powered computers when they are in the casino, so how is this useful?
Well, fortunately for us, some video poker experts have taken it upon themselves to analyze every single hand that can come off the deck, and assemble their findings into easy to read charts that teach players how to play. Below we have strategy charts for the most common video poker games:
Where to Play Video Poker Online
| Rank | Casino | Sign Up Bonus | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 888 Casino | up to $/€/£888 | Play Now! |
| #2 | Spin Palace Casino | up to $/€/£1000 | Play Now! |
| #3 | Bet365 Casino | up to $/€/£200 | Play Now! |
Most of our pages above list just an expert-level strategy chart that will get you to within 0.1% of the maximum payout percentage for the respective game. Some of the pages also list a beginner-level strategy chart that isn't as accurate, but is easier to follow. If you want to play video poker on your PC check out our guide here. Alternatively, you can also have a look at this site's list of ipad video poker app for real money.
How to Use a Video Poker Strategy Chart
The strategy charts on our site are actually very simple to understand, but to a beginner they may be a bit overwhelming at the start. To use a chart you follow these steps:
- Analyze your hand. Make sure you look at all five of your cards before looking at the chart.
- Start at the top of the chart and work down. You are looking for any spots on the chart where your hand matches up. For example, if you had four hearts in your hand as well as a pair of Kings, it would match up with 'Four to a Flush' as well as 'High Pair'.
- Once you find a couple matches for your hand, observe which one is highest on the chart. Hold the cards indicated by the highest match.
If you still are a little confused, check out the below example to clear things up:
An Example Hand Analysis
Imagine you are playing a normal Deuces Wild video poker machine. You push 'Draw', and are dealt the hand below:
Ok, so what do we have here as far as options? Well, first of all, we have a Pat Straight, Seven to Jack - a made hand. We also have four clubs, so we have Four to a Flush. If we look at the chart below (a condensed strategy chart for Deuces Wild), we can see that a Pat Straight is just above Four to a Flush, so the Pat Straight is the better hand of the two.
| Hand | Expected Return | Example |
| Pat Royal Flush | 800.0000 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-Ah |
| Royal Flush Draw | 19.5957 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-4h |
| Pat Straight Flush | 10.0000 | 6h-7h-8h-9h-Th |
| Four of a Kind | 6.2128 | Ac-Ad-As-Ah-5c |
| Pat Full House | 4.0000 | Ac-Ad-As-Js-Jc |
| Pat Flush | 3.0000 | Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4c |
| Three of a Kind | 2.0176 | Ac-Ad-As-Js-Tc |
| Four to a Straight Flush | 1.5745 | 4c-5c-6c-7c-Js |
| Three to a Royal | 1.3053 | Ks-Qs-Js-9c-4c |
| Pat Straight | 1.0000 | 4c-5s-6h-7h-8h |
| Four to a Flush | 0.7660 | Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4h |
But wait! Since all we need for a straight flush is the nine of clubs, we also have Four to a Straight Flush. Because Four to a Straight Flush is higher on the chart than both a Pat Straight and Four to a Flush, the correct play here is to hold the four clubs and discard the nine of spades in hopes of hitting the Straight Flush.
See - it really isn't bad at all, as long as you pay attention to all the cards in your hand.
How Accurate are Strategy Charts?
Another intelligent question to ask is how accurate are these charts? If you find a game that returns 100.5%, but your chart has 0.6% error in it, then you are actually only playing at a 99.9% return - also known as a losing gamble.
Well, the charts on our site are on roughly accurate to within 0.1% of perfect play. So, if you find that game that returns 100.5%, you would be actually earning about 100.4% with our charts - not too bad. Not many charts get much closer than 0.1% because they would have to be extremely long and complicated to explain the subtle differences in rare hands.
Video Poker Strategy Software
Video Poker Tips And Strategies
There are quite a few programs out there than can develop custom strategy charts for all kinds of games with various pay tables. We have reviewed quite a few of these programs, here are links to our reviews: