Deuces Wild

Released in 1993 by Steve Budrys / Blind Squirrel Software, Deuces Wild is a 68k Macintosh shareware video poker simulator built around the Deuces Wild paytable family — the casino variant in which all four 2s play as wild cards. It bundles four payout schedules in a single application: Deuces Wild, Bonus Deuces, Loose Deuces, and Jacks or Better.

Gameplay

Each variant follows standard single-hand video poker mechanics: the player is dealt five cards, holds any subset, and the rest are redrawn for a single payout. Where the variants differ is the paytable. Deuces Wild rewards five-of-a-kind and wild royals; Bonus Deuces and Loose Deuces shift returns toward four-of-a-kind ranks and natural royals respectively; Jacks or Better is the deuces-free baseline.

Casino simulation features

Beyond the four paytables, the title leans into casino atmosphere with a Slot Club Card system that tracks player activity over a session and a Change Person interaction that handles credit top-ups in character, rather than via an abstract bankroll dialog. Payouts are credited per the active variant's schedule, so the title doubles as a practice surface for learning each payout family.

System and versions

Deuces Wild is a small 68k Mac binary that runs across System 6.x through Mac OS 8 / 8.1. Macintosh Garden archives four releases — 1.1, 1.3, 1.3.2, and the final 1.4.1 — all between roughly 220 KB and 273 KB. The compact size makes it a good fit for Mini vMac, Basilisk II, or QEMU-PPC under modern preservation setups.

Distribution

The title circulated through 1990s Mac shareware channels — user-group disks, Info-Mac mirrors, and online archives — under the Blind Squirrel Software name. It survives today through Macintosh Garden, where the four numbered builds are mirrored alongside the original screenshot.