Wild Five Poker

Introduction

Wild Five Poker, previously known as Poker with a Joker, debuted in casinos at Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas in early 2015. As of October 2018, it can be found at the Cannery and Aliante locations in Las Vegas.

Rules

1. The game is played with a deck of 53 cards, which includes one joker that is completely wild.
2. To initiate play, participants must place equal Ante and Bonus bets. Additionally, players can opt for side bets on Wild 5 and Wild 7.
3. Each participant and the dealer receive five cards facedown, accompanied by two community cards that are also dealt facedown.
4. Once players review their cards, they can choose from several options:
   • Opt to fold, thereby forfeiting their Ante and Bonus bets.
   • Place a Play bet that is one to three times the size of the Ante bet.
5. Should the player opt for a Play bet, they may either retain their original five cards or choose to discard one card. If a card is discarded, the player can then utilize the two community cards in their hand.
6. After all players have made their decisions, the dealer will show their own five cards and will play according to the house rules outlined below:
   • If the dealer has a complete five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush, royal flush, or five of a kind), they will stand.
   • If the dealer has a two pair, three of a kind, or four of a kind, they will drop the lowest single card.
   • In the case where the dealer possesses four cards towards a flush or an outside straight, they will discard the fifth card. If both conditions apply, the dealer retains the cards for the flush.
   • If the dealer only holds a pair or five single cards, they will get rid of the lowest single.
7. Next, the dealer will reveal the two community cards.
8. Both the player and the dealer have the option to incorporate the two community cards into their hands if they chose to discard.
9. The dealer will assess the poker value of both hands.
10. If the dealer's hand contains at least a pair, then they are considered qualified.
11. The hands of the player and dealer will be compared, and the Ante, Bonus, and Play bets will be settled as follows:
    • If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante bet will be returned to the player.
    • The Ante and Play bets pay out 1 to 1 if the player holds the stronger hand, will result in a push in the case of a tie, and will result in a loss if the dealer's hand wins.
    • The Bonus bet pays out according to a specific payout table, with outcomes mirroring the situations described above—winning when the player has the higher hand, pushing on ties, and losing against the dealer's hand. All outcomes follow a 'to one' model.
      

      Bonus Wager Pay Table

      Hand	Pays
      Five of a kind	100
      Royal flush	50
      Straight flush	10
      Four of a kind	5
      Full house	3
      Flush	2
      Straight	1
      All other	Push

      
      
12. Winnings from the Wild 5 sidebet are determined based on the player's initial five cards and align with a payout table. Again, all results follow a 'to one' structure.
    

    Wild 5 Pay Table

    Hand	Pays
    Five of a kind	1000
    Royal flush	500
    Straight flush	250
    Four of a kind	100
    Full house	50
    Flush	25
    Straight	10
    Three of a kind	5
    Two pair	5
    All other	Loss

    
    
13. The Wild 7 side bet payouts are calculated based on the player's original five cards plus the two community cards, following a payout table. The top two prizes are tied to a progressive jackpot, with a fixed bet of $1. All payouts are also on a 'for one' basis.
    

    Wild 7 Pay Table

    Hand	Pays
    Seven-card straight flush	100% of Jackpot
    Five aces	10% of Jackpot
    Five of a kind (2-K)	$500
    Royal flush	$250
    Straight flush	$100
    Four of a kind	$20
    Full house	$4
    All other	$0

    
    

Strategy

The strategy known as 'Station Casinos Strategy' can be found on the rack cards at Green Valley Ranch. Reports suggest that it may lead to a house edge about 1% higher than what the optimal strategy would yield, totaling around 3.84%.

1. For a complete hand (flush, straight, full house, Royal Flush, or Five of a Kind) — Maintain your hand and raise by three times.
2. For four cards toward a flush or outside straight, or with a pair of eight or better — Retain the high pair and raise by three times.
3. For four cards aimed at an inside straight, or a pair of sevens to a Queen high without any draw — Call with 1x.
4. For a hand that is Jack high or lower with no potential draws — Fold.

Another strategy I refer to as the 'Steve How' strategy. If you don't recognize the name, he's the brilliant mind behind the website mentioned earlier. Discount Gambling This strategy is presumed to be close to optimal.

• 3x Play a pat Five-of-a-Kind, else
• 3x Play a pat Royal Flush, else
• 3x Play a pat Straight Flush, else
• 3x Play a pat Full House, else
• Raise 3x for Four-of-a-Kind, and discard the lowest single card; otherwise,
• Raise 3x for a Royal Flush or an open-ended Straight Flush draw (e.g., break a pat straight or flush); otherwise,
• 3x Play a pat Flush or Straight, else
• 3x Play any Straight Flush draw, else
• Raise 3x for wild Three-of-a-Kind (while retaining the single card that enhances straight draws); otherwise,
• Raise 3x for Three-of-a-Kind (discard the lowest singleton); otherwise,
• Raise 3x for Two Pairs and eliminate the lowest single card; otherwise,
• 3x Play any wild flush draw, else
• 3x Play any wild open-ended draw, else
• Raise 3x for any Joker hand (discard the singleton that enhances straight formations); otherwise,
• Raise 3x for a pair of eights or better, keeping three suited cards or optimizing straight draws; otherwise,
• Raise 3x for a flush draw (e.g., breaking a pair of sevens or lower); otherwise,
• Raise 3x for a Jack-high open-ended straight draw; otherwise,
• Raise 3x for an Ace-high gutshot straight draw; otherwise,
• Bet 1x for an open-ended straight draw; otherwise,
• 1x Play a pair with 3 suited cards, else
• Bet 1x for a pair, holding kickers that are best for straight draws; otherwise,
• Bet 1x for three suited cards accompanied by the highest off-suit singleton; otherwise,
• Bet 1x for the highest four cards if they are Queen-high or higher; otherwise,
• Bet 1x for four cards with the best potential for straight draws; otherwise,
• Fold all remaining hands that do not allow for any possible straight draws.

Base Game Analysis

A math report from GLI indicates that with optimal strategy, the house edge—defined as the ratio of anticipated losses to the Ante bet—stands at 2.84%. The average wager is around 3.88 units, resulting in a. Element of Risk of 0.73%.

Wild 5 Analysis

The table below outlines the probability and contribution to the return of all potential outcomes associated with a Wild 5 bet. Notably, the lower right cell indicates a house edge of 5.45%.

Wild 7 Analysis

The subsequent table provides insights into the probability and return contributions for all outcomes of the Wild 7 bet, calculated under an assumed 'break even' jackpot of $524,541.60.

Here are additional statistical insights regarding the Wild 7.

• The return from fixed Wild 7 wins is 50.73%.
• Each $10,000 in the meter adds 0.94% to the return.
• Each $10,645.24 adds 1% to the return.
• The 'break even' threshold—where the bet is exactly fair—stands at $524,541.60.

Acknowledgements

I extend my gratitude to the game owners for sharing the GLI math report, which was instrumental in calculating the house edge and risk factors discussed above. I conducted my own evaluation of the Wild 5 and Wild 7 side bets.

External Links

Wizard of Vegas — A forum discussion focused on Poker with a Joker.

Written by: Michael Shackleford