Dancer's Answers

We publish a brand-new video poker article from Bob Dancer every Thursday in this section. These columns are called "Dancer's Answers". Click on any of the links below for more Dancer's Answers:

Bob Dancer Articles - Main Page
May 1, 2008

Vicksburg Video Poker - May 8, 2008

Vicksburg, MS Video Poker - Part 2 - May 15, 2008

Vicksburg Casino Video Poker - Part 3 - May 22, 2008

Common Deuces Wild Mistakes – Juan or the Other – May 29, 2008

Figuring Out Quick Quads - June 5, 2008

Breaking Full Houses in Quick Quads - June 12, 2008

A Quick Quads Puzzler - June 19, 2008

Let’s Go Scouting - June 26, 2008

When You're Not Sure of the Game - July 3, 2008

Can it be Right to Play Hunches - July 10, 2008

Good Hearted Woman in Love With a Good Timin’ Man - July 17, 2008

One-Way Versus Two-Way Straight Penalties - July 24, 2008

Effectual versus Ineffectual Straight Penalties - July 31, 2008

Unusual Dealt Royals - August 7, 2008

Learning from a Horse Handicapper - August 14, 2008

When Bad Is Good - August 21, 2008

I Live For These Moments - August 28, 2008

Next Dancer's Answers column coming on September 4, 2008!

Aces and Eights Video Poker

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Author's Note: This was first published in September 1998 in Casino Player. Although I didn't know it at the time, the game I referred to as "Good" in the article became well-known by the acronym NSU. I have since written extensively about this game, including a Winner's Guide co-authored with Liam. W. Daily, and it is one the games I play most frequently in 2008. The game I called “Standard” in this article is now generally called “Full Pay Deuces Wild” and is only available for quarters at a few local Las Vegas casinos.

Putting Your Ducks In a Row

Deuces wild is one of the most popular video poker games in Las Vegas. The best schedule allows the knowledgeable player to have a considerable advantage over the house, and can be found in hundreds of different machines located in dozens of different casinos.

For every “good” deuces wild machine (i.e. where the player has an edge), there are several of “ugly ducks” machines (i.e. where the house has the edge). And these “bad” machines come in dozens of varieties --- some terrible, and some actually pretty good.

In this month’s article, I want to compare the best frequently occurring version of deuces wild (I’ll call it “standard”) along with the second-best version (I’ll call it “good”). We’ll look at how to recognize these machines, what is most important difference between them, and some of the common hands which are played differently.

Let’s look at the different schedules. In every video poker game, the pay schedule gives you critical information on whether you are on a good machine or a bad machine.

When you compare the schedules, you’ll see the good schedule returns an extra bet for every five of a kind, straight flush, full house and flush. The standard game only gets one more for four of a kind. Superficially, since the good game gives you an extra unit four times, and only costs you a unit once, it would seem to be the better choice.

An examination of the weighting factor, however, shows you the fallacy of this thinking. The weighting factor gives an approximate value to how important a one-unit change is. It is easy to see that the change in the value for four of a kind dominates the rankings.

The good game is worth over 99.7%. While this is a full percent less than the standard game, this is hardly chopped liver. It is better than the 99.5% that 9-6 jacks or better gives you. It is the best game found in several casinos. It is actually better than over 95% of all video poker games found in Atlantic City.

In Las Vegas, the two games are rarely found in the same casinos. Only playing the standard game gives you no deuces game to play at several casinos. That might not seem to be a big loss because there is the standard game at a nearby casino, however casinos frequently come up new promotions all of the time --- some of which are very lucrative. If you want to play deuces wild to take advantage of a promotion at, for example, Binion’s Horseshoe, Monte Carlo, or the Showboat, the good game is as good as it gets.

There are several significant strategy differences between these games. Covering them all is beyond the scope of this article, but discussing several of the most significant ones is certainly in order. The dollar amounts I show assume you are playing the game for dollars.

The correct strategy for the standard game is better known than that of the good game. The reason for this is that several authors (including me) have discussed the standard game at length, but very little has been written about the good game. Therefore, I will address my comments to why the good game has a different play.

Kh Kd 7h 7c 5s --- In the standard game, holding either pair (not both) is worth 25¢ more than holding both pair. In the good game, holding both pair is the best play by 66¢. The reason? Full houses are worth more. Four of a kind are worth less.

7s 7c 4c Ac Kc --- Hold the pair in the standard game --- best by 25¢. Go for the flush in the good game --- best by $1.09. Flushes are worth 50% more in the good game than in the standard game.

5h 7h 9h 8c Ad --- Going for the straight flush (579) or the inside straight (5789) have identical values in the standard game. Going for the straight flush is worth 36¢ more in the good game. This is because both flushes and straight flushes have increased in value.

5h 6h 7s 8h Kh --- The 4-card flush and the 4-card straight have identical values in the standard game. In the good game, going for the flush is worth an extra $1.27. The bonus on flushes pays off again.

Ad 3d 5d 7s Kc --- In the standard game, throwing everything away is worth 21¢ more than keeping the diamonds. In the good games, going for the straight flush is the best play by 9¢. The higher value for the flush is the main reason.

2 6h 7h 9h 8d --- In the standard game, keeping the straight is 32¢ better than going for the straight flush. In the good game, the opposite is true by 96¢.

I can give several other examples, but I’d rather emphasize some important points that we’ve covered.

First. The pay schedule is extremely important. Starting to play deuces wild without knowing which machine you are on is very much like diving into water that may or may not hide submerged rocks.

Second. Small changes in the pay schedule can make major changes in the correct play of the hand --- changes that cost a bundle when you get them wrong. The differences presented today were on relatively common hands. And the cost of the errors was quite high.

Third. The logic behind the different plays makes sense. When flushes pay more, obviously you are going to go for them more often.

Fourth. Even though the strategy differences may have seemed obvious, the value of those differences isn’t. You need computerized help to get this information. I use Video Poker Tutor to help me, but there are other products on the market too.

You think you don’t need computerized help? Then how do you play 2 Ah Kh Th 5h? In the standard game, you get rid of the 5 and go for the wild royal. But in the good game, flushes are worth 50% more. Is that difference enough to make a difference in the play?

Or how about 2 2 4d 5d 6h. In the standard game, you just hold the deuces. But in the good game, are flushes and straight flushes worth enough more so that you hold 2245.

Finally, how about Kh Qh 5c 9s 4d? In the standard game, you draw five new cards. In the new game do you keep KQ? Would your answer be the same if the hand were Kh Qh 5h 9s 4d?

Answers: the correct plays are 2AKT, 2245, KQ and KQ. But I wasn’t sure myself until I checked it out on a computer.

Fifth. Winning players never play games that they aren’t familiar with. They play on the best machines. They know how much the game is worth, and they are reasonably sure what the correct strategy is. Losing players frequently (underlined) play on machines where they don’t have a chance. They guess about the correct strategy, and often they guess wrong.

The information for you to become a winning player is widely available. It requires some effort to learn appropriate strategies, and it requires considerable discipline to limit yourself to beatable games. But it can be done. And doing so will make a major difference in your “take home pay” on your gambling trips. It is for you to decide whether or not it is worth it.

Bob Dancer is America's best-known video poker writer and teacher. He has a variety of "how to play better video poker" products, including the software "Video Poker for Winners," Winner's Guides, strategy cards, his autobiography Million Dollar Video Poker, and his two novels, including Sex, Lies, and Video Poker. Dancer's products may be ordered at www.bobdancer.com or by telephone at 1-800-244-2224 M-F 9-5 Pacific Time.

Click here to visit River Belle Casino and play video poker games, including Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild.

The content on this site is copyright 2006 - 2008, Video Poker 365. All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized duplication.

Classic Dancer

We republish a classic Bob Dancer article every Sunday - often these articles are updated with new insights from Bob Dancer, the master of video poker writing.

Video Poker Questions and Answers - May 4, 2008

More Answers to Questions About Video Poker Machines - May 11, 2008

Losing is a Major Part of Winning at Video Poker - May 18, 2008

Video Poker VS Blackjack - May 25, 2008

The Art of Tipping Slot Personnel - Part 1 - June 1, 2008

The Art of Tipping Slot Personnel - Part 2 - June 8, 2008

Putting Your Ducks In a Row - June 15, 2008

Luck and Skill in Video Poker - June 22, 2008

Strategy Adjustments in Video Poker - June 29, 2008

One Coin vs Five Coin - July 6, 2008

Video Poker Progressives - July 13, 2008

High Pairs versus Three Cards to a Rolal in Kings or Better Joker Wild - July 20, 2008

The Double Up Feature -- Does It Ever Make Sense? - Part 1 - July 27, 2008

Doubling Up -- Does it Ever Make Sense? - Part 2 - August 3, 2008

Did I Quit at the Right Time? - August 10, 2008

Money Management: What Does and Doesn't Work - August 17, 2008

"I'm Playing The Wrong Game" and Other Video Poker Fallacies - August 24, 2008

More Classic Dancer coming Sunday August 31, 2008.

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