Five of a kind means five cards counted as the same rank. In ordinary poker with a standard deck and no wild cards, the hand cannot happen. In video poker games such as Deuces Wild, wild cards can complete five of a kind and make it a separate paytable award.
Plain Talk
Five of a kind sounds impossible because there are only four suits for each rank in a normal deck.
The missing piece is the wild card. If deuces are wild, four queens plus a deuce can be counted as five queens. The machine is not adding a fifth printed queen. It is allowing the wild card to stand in for the rank that makes the best qualifying hand.
This glossary page defines the term. For the full game context, read Video Poker and the Glossary.
| Term | Plain-English meaning | Where it appears | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five of a kind | Five cards counted as one rank | Wild-card video poker | Usually a strong paytable award |
| Wild card | Card that can substitute | Deuces Wild and similar games | Makes the hand possible |
| Deuces Wild | Game where 2s are wild | Video poker | Common home for five of a kind |
| Paytable | Payout list | Machine screen | Shows what five of a kind pays |
Where You See It
You see five of a kind mainly in wild-card video poker, especially Deuces Wild. It can also appear in specialty poker-style games that define wild cards in their rules.
Why It Matters
Five of a kind matters because it shows how much wild cards change hand rankings and strategy.
In Jacks or Better, four of a kind is already a premium result. In Deuces Wild, the presence of wild cards pushes the hand ladder upward. That changes which hands matter, which draws are valuable, and how the posted Return to Player is built.
Example
You are playing Deuces Wild and are dealt 9♣ 9♦ 9♥ 9♠ 2♦.
Because the deuce is wild, the hand can be counted as five nines. The paytable decides the award. Another machine with a different Deuces Wild paytable may value the same hand differently.
From the Casino Side:
From the casino side, five of a kind is a paytable component. It helps define the personality of a wild-card game.
A casino can offer several Deuces Wild versions with different payouts for five of a kind, straight flush, four of a kind, and wild royal. The player may see the same game name, but the expected return can be different.
Common Misunderstanding
Players often think a rare hand automatically means a generous game.
Not always. Five of a kind may look exciting, but the total paytable matters. A game can pay well for five of a kind while quietly reducing other awards that appear more often.
Hard Truth
A wild card can make bigger hands, but it can also hide a weaker paytable. The name of the hand is not the same as the value of the game.
Related Terms
| Term | Difference | Best page to read next |
|---|---|---|
| Deuces Wild | The common wild-card game | Deuces Wild |
| Wild Royal | Royal completed with a wild card | Wild Royal |
| Straight Flush | Five suited cards in sequence | Straight Flush |
| Paytable | Shows the award | Paytable |
| Strategy Chart | Shows the best holds | Strategy Chart |
FAQ
Can five of a kind happen in normal poker?
Not with a standard deck and no wild cards. It needs a wild card or a special rule.
Is five of a kind better than a royal flush?
It depends on the specific game and paytable. In Deuces Wild, a natural royal flush usually outranks five of a kind.
Does every Deuces Wild game pay the same for five of a kind?
No. Paytables vary, and those differences change the game’s return.
Is five of a kind the same as four of a kind with a kicker?
No. In wild-card games, the wild card completes the fifth card of the same rank for the hand ranking.
Should I chase five of a kind every time I see a deuce?
No. The correct hold depends on the full hand, the paytable, and the strategy chart.
Deeper Insight
Five of a kind is a useful reminder that video poker hand names are rule-dependent. The same five cards can have different strategic value depending on whether wild cards are active and how the machine ranks awards.
A good player reads the paytable before playing. The hand ranking is only part of the story. The payout size and frequency decide the long-run value.
Formula / Calculation
Hand Value = Probability of Making the Hand × Paytable Award
Total Return = Sum of All Hand Values Across the Paytable
Formula Explanation in Plain English
Five of a kind contributes to return only through how often it appears and how much it pays. A big-looking award does not mean much by itself unless you compare it with the full paytable.
Related Reading
For the wild-card side, read Deuces Wild and Wild Royal. For the math side, read Paytable, Expected Value, and Return to Player. For full game context, visit Video Poker and Ask a Veteran.