Reason #3 why the Wizard likes Bovada:

Excellent Odds

In my opinion many online casinos are too stingy when setting the odds on their games. They think they will make more money that way but I believe they are misguided, because when players lose too quickly it’s not fun, and those players might not come back.

Bovada is one of the few casinos that understands this. They offer generous odds to let you play longer and get you a better chance of winning. Among their generous offerings are Full-Pay Jacks or Better returning 99.54%, six other video poker games paying over 99%, single-zero roulette, and my favorite, Pick ’em Poker, returning 99.95%!

Kudos to Bovada for not being afraid to give their players a good gamble.

More about Bovada

Visit Bovada

Anything’s Wild Video Poker

Last Update: Apr 11, 2008

Anything's Wild is a video poker game I saw at the Mirage in December 2004. The game lets the player choose any rank as the wild card. The following 13 tables show the expected return for each wild card under the same pay table.

Deuces Wild
Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Nat. Royal Flush	800	451860552	0.000023	0.018135
Four wilds	200	3569009976	0.000179	0.035810
Wild Royal Flush	25	36609589824	0.001837	0.045915
Five of a kind	16	62382255384	0.003130	0.050073
Straight Flush	13	114872455524	0.005763	0.074917
Four of a kind	4	1241518035276	0.062284	0.249135
Full House	3	418049590932	0.020972	0.062917
Flush	2	352876748868	0.017703	0.035406
Straight	2	1155483277524	0.057968	0.115935
Three of a kind	1	5569471452216	0.279406	0.279406
Nonpaying hand	0	10977946241124	0.550736	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.967651

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Threes Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	456243312	0.000023	0.018311
Four wilds	200	3643421820	0.000183	0.036556
Wild Royal Flush	25	37551731520	0.001884	0.047097
Five of a kind	16	62789722080	0.003150	0.050400
Straight Flush	13	105056757912	0.005270	0.068516
Four of a kind	4	1251322561764	0.062776	0.251103
Full House	3	419772635520	0.021059	0.063177
Flush	2	354693082008	0.017794	0.035588
Straight	2	1066434333624	0.053500	0.107001
Three of a kind	1	5622356317584	0.282059	0.282059
Nonpaying hand	0	11009153710056	0.552302	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.959808

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Fours Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	459018816	0.000023	0.018422
Four wilds	200	3702576576	0.000186	0.037150
Wild Royal Flush	25	38095028136	0.001911	0.047778
Five of a kind	16	63156965184	0.003168	0.050695
Straight Flush	13	96016466232	0.004817	0.062620
Four of a kind	4	1261005152124	0.063261	0.253046
Full House	3	421484136420	0.021145	0.063434
Flush	2	357586636632	0.017939	0.035878
Straight	2	974612205744	0.048894	0.097788
Three of a kind	1	5677573022904	0.284830	0.284830
Nonpaying hand	0	11039539308432	0.553826	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.951641

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Fives Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	459790716	0.000023	0.018453
Four wilds	200	3766175124	0.000189	0.037788
Wild Royal Flush	25	38440133448	0.001928	0.048211
Five of a kind	16	63563472576	0.003189	0.051021
Straight Flush	13	86715307836	0.004350	0.056554
Four of a kind	4	1271931301356	0.063810	0.255238
Full House	3	423339210144	0.021238	0.063714
Flush	2	359568183984	0.018039	0.036077
Straight	2	878865092760	0.044090	0.088181
Three of a kind	1	5739477701004	0.287935	0.287935
Nonpaying hand	0	11067104148252	0.555209	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.943172

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Sixes Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	459843552	0.000023	0.018455
Four wilds	200	3802407612	0.000191	0.038151
Wild Royal Flush	25	38652577704	0.001939	0.048478
Five of a kind	16	63740464368	0.003198	0.051163
Straight Flush	13	84227881104	0.004226	0.054932
Four of a kind	4	1275524388912	0.063990	0.255959
Full House	3	423225678660	0.021232	0.063697
Flush	2	355049302896	0.017812	0.035624
Straight	2	868040813880	0.043547	0.087095
Three of a kind	1	5742873215808	0.288105	0.288105
Nonpaying hand	0	11077633942704	0.555737	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.941659

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Sevens Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	460168248	0.000023	0.018468
Four wilds	200	3765411444	0.000189	0.037780
Wild Royal Flush	25	38593238544	0.001936	0.048403
Five of a kind	16	63715104456	0.003196	0.051143
Straight Flush	13	84349016400	0.004232	0.055011
Four of a kind	4	1275336522492	0.063980	0.255922
Full House	3	423439931880	0.021243	0.063729
Flush	2	356814632424	0.017900	0.035801
Straight	2	860460381528	0.043167	0.086334
Three of a kind	1	5743219652604	0.288123	0.288123
Nonpaying hand	0	11083076457180	0.556010	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.940714

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Eights Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	461018424	0.000023	0.018503
Four wilds	200	3740648604	0.000188	0.037532
Wild Royal Flush	25	38667927816	0.001940	0.048497
Five of a kind	16	63531969336	0.003187	0.050996
Straight Flush	13	85417992780	0.004285	0.055708
Four of a kind	4	1270557758016	0.063741	0.254963
Full House	3	422823361356	0.021212	0.063636
Flush	2	358551262740	0.017988	0.035975
Straight	2	869824813980	0.043637	0.087274
Three of a kind	1	5726140755876	0.287266	0.287266
Nonpaying hand	0	11093513008272	0.556534	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.940348

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Nines Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	436824192	0.000022	0.017531
Four wilds	200	3709921320	0.000186	0.037223
Wild Royal Flush	25	37865570352	0.001900	0.047491
Five of a kind	16	63407737320	0.003181	0.050896
Straight Flush	13	86703336108	0.004350	0.056546
Four of a kind	4	1269248272344	0.063675	0.254700
Full House	3	422994828360	0.021221	0.063662
Flush	2	357826989852	0.017951	0.035903
Straight	2	871349635548	0.043713	0.087427
Three of a kind	1	5738078683032	0.287865	0.287865
Nonpaying hand	0	11081608718772	0.555936	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.939244

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Tens Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	393720204	0.000020	0.015802
Four wilds	200	3796159368	0.000190	0.038089
Wild Royal Flush	25	13221856812	0.000663	0.016583
Five of a kind	16	64028276592	0.003212	0.051394
Straight Flush	13	107376213036	0.005387	0.070028
Four of a kind	4	1285632799416	0.064497	0.257988
Full House	3	425197817832	0.021331	0.063993
Flush	2	347170621272	0.017417	0.034833
Straight	2	873268395564	0.043810	0.087619
Three of a kind	1	5789597923608	0.290450	0.290450
Nonpaying hand	0	11023546733496	0.553024	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.926779

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Jacks Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	393067032	0.000020	0.015775
Four wilds	200	3773769096	0.000189	0.037864
Wild Royal Flush	25	13118639712	0.000658	0.016453
Five of a kind	16	63781640424	0.003200	0.051196
Straight Flush	13	115307711124	0.005785	0.075201
Four of a kind	4	1276878611676	0.064058	0.256231
Full House	3	423302595576	0.021236	0.063708
Flush	2	343723454292	0.017244	0.034487
Straight	2	970366555980	0.048681	0.097362
Three of a kind	1	5728086756336	0.287364	0.287364
Nonpaying hand	0	10994497715952	0.551566	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.935642

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Queens Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	393449652	0.000020	0.015791
Four wilds	200	3731480316	0.000187	0.037440
Wild Royal Flush	25	13088530968	0.000657	0.016415
Five of a kind	16	63512507304	0.003186	0.050980
Straight Flush	13	123202844604	0.006181	0.080350
Four of a kind	4	1269223020132	0.063674	0.254695
Full House	3	421510722588	0.021146	0.063438
Flush	2	339403130088	0.017027	0.034054
Straight	2	1063182661872	0.053337	0.106674
Three of a kind	1	5672982101184	0.284599	0.284599
Nonpaying hand	0	10963000068492	0.549986	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.944437

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Kings Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	393481368	0.000020	0.015792
Four wilds	200	3667736256	0.000184	0.036800
Wild Royal Flush	25	13820361552	0.000693	0.017333
Five of a kind	16	63044238144	0.003163	0.050604
Straight Flush	13	131701303104	0.006607	0.085893
Four of a kind	4	1256118914280	0.063016	0.252065
Full House	3	419500642596	0.021045	0.063136
Flush	2	341257480824	0.017120	0.034240
Straight	2	1154820665700	0.057934	0.115869
Three of a kind	1	5607026979924	0.281290	0.281290
Nonpaying hand	0	10941878713452	0.548927	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.953023

Hand	Payoff	Combinations	Probability	Return
Aces Wild
Nat. Royal Flush	800	394384164	0.000020	0.015828
Four wilds	200	3720809952	0.000187	0.037333
Wild Royal Flush	25	13887411816	0.000697	0.017417
Five of a kind	16	63252623448	0.003173	0.050772
Straight Flush	13	126245093508	0.006333	0.082334
Four of a kind	4	1261385592096	0.063281	0.253122
Full House	3	419569403436	0.021049	0.063146
Flush	2	338765453016	0.016995	0.033990
Straight	2	1139701344540	0.057176	0.114352
Three of a kind	1	5622536492340	0.282069	0.282069
Nonpaying hand	0	10943771908884	0.549021	0.000000
Total	0	19933230517200	1.000000	0.950363

The next table shows just the return for each wild card. As you can see the best choice is to make the deuces wild.

Wild Card	Return
Return by Wild Card
2	0.967651
3	0.959808
4	0.951641
5	0.943172
6	0.941659
7	0.940714
8	0.940348
9	0.939244
10	0.926779
J	0.935642
Q	0.944437
K	0.953023
A	0.950363

My Video Poker Offerings
Basic Video Poker Info My main Video Poker page Return tables: Probability of Ruin for single-play video poker Random simulations of multi-play video poker The standard deviation of n-play video poker Practice / Play Video Poker for Free Play my free video poker game/trainer Video Poker Calculator Analyze the return for almost any video poker paytable Other Stuff Jacks or Better quiz Probability distribution for each hand by number of cards held in Full-Pay Deuces Wild Video poker programming tips San Diego County video poker survey	Strategies Full-Pay Jacks or Better: Simple Strategy (return of 99.46%) Intermediate Strategy (return of 99.52%) Optimal Strategy (return of 99.54%) Full-Pay Deuces Wild: Simple Strategy (return of 100.71%) Optimal Strategy (return of 100.76%) 3 to a wild royal (ace-high) vs. Deuce only 2 to a royal (king-high) with a straight penalty 2 to a royal (king-high) with no penalty Quick Quads: 9/6 Jacks or Better 8/5 Bonus Poker 9/7 Double Bonus 9/6 Double Double Bonus 8/5 Triple Bonus Other Strategies: "Not So Ugly Ducks" 8/5 Bonus Poker 10/7 Double Bonus 9/6 Double Double Bonus

Anything’s Wild Video Poker

Basic Video Poker Info

Practice / Play Video Poker for Free

Video Poker Calculator

Other Stuff

Strategies

Full-Pay Jacks or Better:

Full-Pay Deuces Wild:

Quick Quads:

Other Strategies: