Poker Joker Wild Machine

Precision Play - Joker Wild

Unlike the other games that use a standard 52-card deck, Joker Wild adds the joker and deals from a 53-card deck. In live casino poker, the joker is usually a semi wild card, good only for aces, straights and flushes. In video poker, however, the joker is completely wild and substitutes for any needed card. This variation spurred the players'' interest and paved the way for other wild card games. It was probably predictable that Deuce Wild would become the most popular of the wild card games and lead to the most variations. Joker Wild and Deuces Wild have similar bankroll fluctuations, so the slightly higher payback and the excitement of the additional wild cards attracted more players to Deuces Wild. Deuces/Joker Wild followed, but its lower payback naturally limits its popularity. The latest entry is Double Joker Wild (slightly under 100%, but probably the highest paying game currently available in Atlantic City). There is also a rare Las Vegas version of Double Joker Wild that is over 100%.

Joker Wild Machines

The most common variation to Joker Wild is a reduced payoff on quads to 15-for-1. This costs 4.37%, reducing the total payback to just slightly over 96%. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), you should avoid any such short-pay machines. In some cases, other payoffs are increased slightly, but never nearly enough to compensate for this big cut on quads. There are very few full-pay Joker Wild machines around, so its complex strategy is not worth learning unless you frequent a casino that has them. The poker Precision Play strategy for Joker Wild below, which is for only the Kings-or-Better version previously described, is divided into redraw hand with or without the joker.

Errors in Precision Play?

There have been rumors to the effect that (horrors) there are errors in my Precision Play rules. Before these rumors spread too far, let me assure you that they are absolutely true! But just what do these "errors" mean to you? First we must agree on just what comprises an error. The definition used for the above assertion is that any recommended play that doesn’t always result in the absolute highest expected value is an error. Okay, suppose we accept that definition. One example cited is my Jacks-or-Better rule, "Break A-K-Q-J for suited Q-J or any three suited high poker online cards ...” No one argues with the "three suited high cards" part, but to make the perfect play when the queen and jack are suited but the ace and king are different suits, we must consider the fifth card. We know it’s not a ten because rule says to hold any made pay of two pair or better, so we would have held a made straight. We know it’s not a high card because rule places restrictions on breaking a high pair. We also know it’s not a 9 or 8 suited with the Q-J because rule says to draw to any three-card straight flush (even a double-inside draw). This leaves 30 possible fifth cards. The worst error results if the fifth card is a 7 or lower that is suited with the Q-J.