Wild Card
A wild card is a card that can be used as any rank, for example a joker. Games with wild cards, such as deuces wild, change the hand rankings, since a hand like five of a kind becomes possible.
The simple explanation
Most popular poker games, such as Texas Hold'em, do not use wild cards. In home games, the dealer may call a game with wild cards, such as 'deuces wild', where all twos can be any card.
A closer look
Wild cards raise the value of strong hands: with many of them, a hand of three of a kind is common, and five of a kind is the best hand. Because the probabilities change, the rules of hand rankings in wild games are different, so check them before you play. Some games use a joker only as a bug, which can complete only an ace, a straight or a flush. Casinos rarely use wild cards for poker.
A practical example
In a deuces wild game, a player holds K♠ K♦ 2♣ and the deuce counts as a king. He has three kings.
Full explanation
A wild card is a card that can be used as any rank, for example a joker. Games with wild cards, such as deuces wild, change the hand rankings, since a hand like five of a kind becomes possible.
A wild card can represent any card.
Examples are jokers and deuces in ‘deuces wild’ games.
They change the probabilities of hands.
Standard Texas Hold’em has no wild cards.
Alternative spelling: wildcard, wild-card