Deuces Wild comes in many paytable variations, but two stand above the rest for players who want the best possible return: full-pay Deuces Wild and Not So Ugly Deuces (commonly abbreviated NSU). Both are excellent, both can be hard to find, and the choice between them comes down to availability and a small difference in return and strategy. This guide compares the two so you know exactly which schedule to hunt for and what to do when only one is on offer.
Quick Comparison at a Glance
| Factor | Full-Pay Deuces | Not So Ugly (NSU) |
|---|---|---|
| Max RTP (perfect play) | 100.76% | 99.73% |
| Five of a Kind (per coin) | 15 | 16 |
| Straight Flush (per coin) | 9 | 10 |
| Four of a Kind (per coin) | 5 | 4 |
| Player edge? | Yes (rare) | No, but very close |
| Availability | Very rare | More common |
Reading the Two Paytables
Deuces Wild paytables are described by the payouts for the hands above three of a kind, since three of a kind is the minimum and pays 1. The full-pay schedule is often written as 25-15-9-5-3-2-2-1, referring to the wild royal, four deuces, royal flush, five of a kind, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush. The single most important line is four of a kind: at full pay it pays 5, which is where most of the game's return comes from because quads are common in a wild-card game.
Not So Ugly Deuces shifts value around: it pays more for the five of a kind and straight flush but drops four of a kind from 5 to 4. Because four of a kind is so frequent, that one-coin reduction is what pulls NSU's return down from 100.76% to 99.73%. It is still an outstanding paytable — far better than the short-pay "ugly" Deuces machines that return 96% or less.
Return to Player Compared
Full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% with perfect strategy, a genuine player edge. Not So Ugly returns 99.73%, just shy of break-even. The roughly one-percent gap comes almost entirely from that four-of-a-kind payout. In practical terms, full pay is the better game when you can find it, but NSU is close enough that it remains one of the best video poker options available — and it shows up far more often.
Be careful: many machines labeled simply "Deuces Wild" are neither of these. The notorious short-pay versions drop the four of a kind to 4 and the flush or full house as well, sinking the return into the mid-90s. Always read the four-of-a-kind line first. Our Deuces Wild payout table guide details every common variant.
Strategy Differences
The optimal strategies for full-pay and NSU Deuces are similar but not identical. Because NSU values the straight flush and five of a kind slightly higher and the four of a kind slightly lower, a few marginal holds change — mostly around when to chase a straight flush versus locking in quads. The differences are small enough that a player who knows full-pay Deuces strategy will play NSU very well, giving up only a tiny fraction of a percent. For maximum precision, use the strategy chart matched to the exact paytable you are playing.
Which Should You Look For?
Hunt for full pay if you are willing to search, because it is the only common video poker game offering a real long-term edge. It is most often found in select Las Vegas locals casinos rather than Strip properties or online.
Play NSU happily when full pay is unavailable. At 99.73% it is still better than almost every other game in the building, and it appears far more frequently than true full pay. Treat NSU as the excellent everyday option and full pay as the prize you grab when you can.
If neither is available, do not settle for a short-pay Deuces machine without checking alternatives — a 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% will usually beat an ugly Deuces game. Compare on RTP, not on name.
The Two Paytables in Detail
Because the difference between these schedules is subtle and lives in just a few rows, it is worth laying them out completely. Here are both full schedules, per coin on a five-coin max bet. The hands are ranked from the top down, and three of a kind is the minimum paying hand in both.
| Hand | Full-Pay Deuces | Not So Ugly (NSU) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 200 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 25 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 16 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 10 |
| Four of a Kind | 5 | 4 |
| Full House | 3 | 3 |
| Flush | 2 | 2 |
| Straight | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 1 |
| RTP | 100.76% | 99.73% |
Only three rows differ: five of a kind (15 vs 16), straight flush (9 vs 10), and four of a kind (5 vs 4). NSU pays a little more for the two rarer hands and a little less for the common one. Because four of a kind is by far the most frequent of the three in a wild-card game, the net effect favors full pay by about a full percentage point. This is the entire story of the comparison in a single table.
Why Four of a Kind Is the Deciding Line
In any Deuces Wild paytable, four of a kind is the load-bearing payout. With four wild deuces in the deck, quads are remarkably common — you will make four of a kind many times per hour of play. That frequency means each coin of payout on the four-of-a-kind line is multiplied across a large number of hands, so even a one-coin change moves the return substantially.
This is why full pay's four-of-a-kind payout of 5 is so valuable, and why NSU's reduction to 4 costs about a percentage point despite the compensating increases elsewhere. The five of a kind and straight flush that NSU pays more for are genuinely rare, so their richer payouts cannot fully offset the more frequent four-of-a-kind reduction. The same principle — that the most frequent hands dominate the math — is exactly what separates good and bad paytables across every video poker family, not just Deuces Wild.
Recognizing the Ugly Versions to Avoid
The reason these two paytables earn their good reputations is that the alternative is so much worse. The common short-pay or "ugly" Deuces Wild machines slash the return into the mid-90s by cutting the same key lines. A typical bad schedule drops four of a kind to 4 and also reduces the full house to 3 or the flush below 2, sometimes paying just 1 for two pair-equivalent hands.
| Schedule | Four of a Kind | Approx. RTP |
|---|---|---|
| Full Pay | 5 | 100.76% |
| Not So Ugly | 4 | 99.73% |
| Illinois / "Ugly" | 4 (with other cuts) | ~98.9% |
| Short Pay | 4 (heavily cut) | ~96.8% or less |
The takeaway is that a four-of-a-kind payout of 4 is not automatically bad — NSU pays 4 and is excellent — but it is a warning sign that demands you read the rest of the schedule. NSU compensates for its 4 by paying 16 and 10 for five of a kind and straight flush; the ugly versions pay 4 without those compensations and additionally cut elsewhere. Reading the full schedule, not just one line, is what separates a 99.73% game from a 96.8% trap.
Practical Hunting Tips
Finding these paytables takes a little effort, but the payoff is real. A few practical pointers: true full-pay Deuces is concentrated in Las Vegas locals casinos rather than Strip resorts, and it appears more often at lower denominations like quarters than at dollars. NSU shows up more broadly, including at some regional casinos and online. When you find a machine labeled "Deuces Wild," resist the urge to start playing on the name alone — tap to the full pay screen and check the four-of-a-kind, five-of-a-kind, and straight-flush lines against the table above. If they match full pay or NSU, you have found a keeper; if four of a kind is 4 and the other lines are not elevated, walk away.
Variance: Both Are High
One thing the two good Deuces paytables share is high variance, and it is worth setting expectations honestly. All Deuces Wild games swing more than Jacks or Better because so much of the return is concentrated in less frequent hands — four deuces (paying 200), five of a kind, wild royals, and natural royals. Between those highlights, you will see many three-of-a-kind hands that merely return your bet and plenty of hands that pay nothing at all.
This means that even on a full-pay machine with a genuine player edge, you can lose over a session — sometimes a long one. The 100.76% return is a long-run figure that depends on hitting your share of the big hands over tens of thousands of plays. A player expecting steady profit because the game is "positive" will be surprised by the swings. The correct mindset is that full-pay Deuces is the cheapest entertainment in the casino over the long haul, not a reliable income. Bring a bankroll sized for high variance, and treat any single session's result as noise around the long-term average. Our bankroll management guide covers how much cushion a game like this requires.
Strategy Adjustments Between the Two
While the strategies are broadly similar, a few concrete adjustments separate optimal NSU play from optimal full-pay play. Because NSU pays more for the straight flush (10 versus 9) and five of a kind (16 versus 15) but less for four of a kind (4 versus 5), the relative value of certain draws shifts. In NSU, you lean very slightly more toward straight-flush draws in close situations, since they are worth a bit more, and you place slightly less premium on locking in four of a kind. In full pay, the richer four-of-a-kind payout pulls marginal decisions the other way.
These differences are small — a player using full-pay strategy on an NSU machine gives up only a tiny fraction of a percent — but a dedicated player will use the chart matched to the exact paytable. The larger point is that you should never carry over Jacks-or-Better instincts to either Deuces game. The wild cards change the entire decision framework, and both NSU and full pay require genuine Deuces Wild strategy, which differs fundamentally from non-wild play. Our full-pay Deuces strategy guide is the right starting point for both.
Which to Prioritize in Practice
Putting it all together, here is a practical decision framework for a session. If both full pay and NSU are available, choose full pay — the extra percentage point of return is free value for the same effort. If only NSU is available, play it happily; at 99.73% it is among the best games in any casino and you are giving up very little. If only short-pay "ugly" Deuces machines are on offer, do not play them on the strength of the Deuces Wild name — compare them against other games, and a 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% will usually be the better choice.
The unifying rule is to evaluate every Deuces machine by its four-of-a-kind line first, then the five-of-a-kind and straight-flush lines, and to judge on return rather than reputation. The "Deuces Wild" label spans games from a genuine player edge down to a worse-than-slots trap, and only reading the paytable tells you which one you are facing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Not So Ugly" actually mean?
It is a nickname distinguishing this near-full-pay schedule from the common "ugly" short-pay Deuces machines. NSU keeps most of the return while being more widely available than true full pay.
Is NSU good enough to play seriously?
Yes. At 99.73% with perfect play it is one of the best games available and far superior to typical short-pay Deuces or most slots and table games.
How do I tell them apart quickly?
Check the four-of-a-kind payout. Full pay pays 5; NSU pays 4 but pays 16 for five of a kind and 10 for a straight flush. Short-pay versions pay less across the board.
Bottom Line
Full-pay Deuces Wild is the rare prize with a true player edge; Not So Ugly is the excellent, more available everyday alternative at 99.73%. Learn the four-of-a-kind tell, carry the right strategy chart, and never confuse either with the short-pay "ugly" machines that quietly return far less.