Deuces Wild is a popular online video poker game offered by all leading games suppliers like Microgaming and Playtech. As in all online video poker games you have to use optimum strategy in deciding the cards to hold from your dealt hand so that you may achieve the 99% plus average returns. In Deuces Wild, the optimum strategy depends on the number of two dealt in the initial hand. This article explains the video poker optimum strategy when two and only two of the five initial cards are deuces or twos.

The first step is to check whether you hold a hand ranking of four of a kind or higher using the twos as wild cards or otherwise. For example you may hold 10H, 10S, 2D, 2S and 9C. This gives you four 10s and you discard the 9C in the hope of getting a 2 or a 10 and making the higher paying hand of 5 of a kind. You may also hold 7H, 8H, JH, 2D and 2C. This will give you a straight flush. You then hold on to all five dealt cards. Similarly, you may also hold a wild royal flush. Again, you keep all your cards.

If your cards do not fit into the above scenario then look for four cards to a wild royal flush. An example of such a hand is 2D, 2H, 10C, QC and 5S. Discard the 5S and try for a wild royal flush. An important aspect of Deuces Wild video poker optimum strategy needs to be explained here. You should break winning combinations lower ranked than four of a kind to hold four cards to a wild royal flush. Assume you hold 2D, 2H, 9S, 10C and JC. You hold a straight, which is a winning combination. Even then, the correct play is to discard 9S and hope to draw a 2 or QC, KC or AC. If you do not get the desired card, you would have given up a payout. However, in the long run this video poker strategy will pay dividends because of the larger payout of a wild royal flush.

The next step in the Deuces Wild optimum strategy is to hold cards that make a straight flush with the lowest card being a six. Lower straight flushes necessarily use the wild deuce as a two and therefore reduce its value. If none of the above options are possible then you must hold only the two wild deuces and replace the remaining three cards.