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Bob Dancer writes a video poker column for beginners to experts. He also writes a column with Jeffrey Compton, "Player's Edge", featuring information on promotions at various Las Vegas casinos. Player's Edge is published each Friday in the Neon section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to send Bob Dancer an e-mail.

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March 04, 2008

Comparing '345' and '456' in Deuces Wild

Three-card straight flushes are arguably the most complicated combinations in video poker. These combinations can have one or more high cards in some games, where a "high card" is one where you get your money back if it's paired. These combinations can have one or more insides, which is usually the same as gaps --- but not always.

In Deuces Wild variations, the situation is different because there are no high cards. Also, being near the deuce adds an inside --- sort of. If you compare '456' with '457' in this game, you'll find these two combinations have exactly the same value. The only straight flushes either one can be part of is '34567' and '45678', where one or two deuces may substitute for one of these ranks. We say the '457' has an inside because of the gap (i.e. it's missing the 6) and we say the '456' has an inside because it's close to the deuce.

Comparing '456' with '567', the '567' has no insides and may be part of three different straight flushes --- namely '34567', '45678', and '56789'. With wild cards, represented by a W, sometimes you don't know what straight flush you have. With WW'567', for example, you know you have a straight flush, but not whether it is '34567', '45678', or '56789'.

Sometimes we have straight flush combinations with two insides --- such as '346' or '347'. These may only be part of one straight flush, namely '34567'.

Now let's look at '345'. It may be part of two straight flushes --- namely 'AW345' and '34567'. It is weaker in value than '456' and '457', even though it can be part of two straight flushes. The reason it is weaker is that on the 'AW345' straight flush REQUIRES at least one wild card, and the two straight flushes you can get starting from '456' may be filled in by either natural cards or wild cards.

If you're playing NSU Deuces Wild (16-10-4-4-3-2-1) for dollars, the value of '567' (no insides) is $2.96, the value of '456' (one inside) is $2.55, the value of '345' (one plus inside) is $2.38, and the value of '357' (two insides) is $2.14. (For completeness, there is also an A-low 3-card straight flush, such as 'A34', which is worth $1.73.) These values assume the other two cards in the hand are unsuited with the 3-card straight flush and are not close enough to be in the same straight.

On strategy cards, usually '345' and '456' are grouped together. This is done for two reasons. First of all, the value of '345' is closer in value to those combinations with one inside than it is to those combinations with two insides. And secondly, when there's a deuce involved, the values of W '345' and W '456' are EXACTLY the same, namely $11.07.

In most games, grouping '345' and '456' together works well. In Full Pay Deuces Wild (15-9-5-3-2-2-1), for example, both '345' and '456' are superior in value to a 'JT' in the same hand, while '357' would be less valuable.

In "Video Poker for Winners", I was the one who developed the notation for the strategies. In most Deuces Wild variations, including Deuces Bonus, Super Deuces Bonus, and Deuces Double Bonus, I grouped '345' and '456' together. I looked for cases where '345' and '456' shouldn't be grouped together strategically, but didn't find many cases.

I finally came across such a game, or at least a part of a game. On the 1x level of NSU Deuces Wild Multi Strike, you hold '456' (assuming no straight penalty) but you NEVER hold '345'. On the 2x level of the same game, you hold '456' with or without a straight penalty, but you still don't hold '345'.

That's it. Those are the only versions of Deuces Wild I've found so far where '345' and '456' aren't played identically. There are quite possibly others, but I haven't discovered them and nobody has pointed them out to me. I don't tend to study games in great detail unless I'm playing them with my own money, so I'm not analyzing different Deuces Wild games too carefully. But if YOU come across such a situation, I'd appreciate knowing about it.