20/12/9/5/3/2 Deuces Wild strategy

Introduction

The following video poker strategy is for 20/12/9/5/3/2 Deuces Wild.

To use the strategy, locate the appropriate category based on how many deuces were dealt, then look up all of the reasonable ways to play a hand and choose the play that is highest on the list. While optimal strategy returns 98.9378%, the strategy presented below is the optimal "exceptionless" strategy, which returns 98.9376%.

No Deuces Dealt

1. Royal Flush
2. 4 to a Royal Flush
3. 4 of a kind
4. Straight, Flush, Full House, or Straight Flush
5. 3 of a kind
6. 4 to a Straight Flush
7. 3 to a Royal Flush
8. 1 pair
9. 4 to a Straight: 4567, 5678, 6789, 789T, 89TJ, 9TJQ, TJQK
10. 4 to a Flush
11. 3 to a Straight Flush: 345, 456, 567, 678, 789, 89T, 9TJ
12. 3 to a Straight Flush: 457/467, 568/578, 679/689, 78T/79T, 89J/8TJ, 9TQ/9JQ
13. 3 to a Straight Flush: 589, 67T/68T/69T, 78J/79J/7TJ, 89Q/8TQ/8JQ, 9TK/9JK/9QK
14. 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
15. 3 to a Straight Flush: 346/356, 347/357/367, 458/468/479, 569/579
16. 4 to a Straight: 3456, 3457/3467/3567, 4568/4578/4678, 5679/5689/5789, 678T/679T/689T, 789J/78TJ/79TJ, 89TQ/89JQ/8TJQ, 9TJK/9TQK/9JQK, TJQA/TJKA/TQKA/JQKA
17. 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ/JQ
18. Discard everything

One Deuce Dealt

1. Full House or better
2. 4 to a Wild Royal Flush
3. 4 to a Straight Flush: deuce + 567, 678, 789, 89T, 9TJ
4. Flush
5. Straight
6. 3 of a kind
7. 4 to a Straight Flush: all other not shown above
8. 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: deuce + TJ, TQ/JQ
9. 3 to a Straight Flush: deuce + 67, 78, 89, 9T
10. 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: deuce + TK/JK/QK
11. Deuce only

Two Deuces Dealt

1. 4 of a kind or better
2. 4 to a Wild Royal Flush
3. 4 to a Straight Flush: deuces + 67, 78, 89, 9T
4. Deuces only

Three Deuces Dealt

1. Wild Royal Flush
2. Deuces only

Four Deuces Dealt

1. Four Deuces

Card Key

 

Written by: Michael Shackleford