A ? for the math whizzes...

I have a question regarding hand rankings with wild cards. The games in question are five-card draw with deuces wild, and a home game called four-forty-four. Four-forty-four is a game where each player receives four cards down initially, which is followed by a betting round, then a card face up to each player and a betting round following the card face up. The card face up continues after each round until each player still in the game had four face up. Each player can use his four down cards and four up cards to make the best five-card poker hand, with fours being wild (so basically 8 cards with fours wild)


The problem we have is determining which hand would win in a showdown in either or both of these games, a five-of-a-kind or a royal flush with wilds (We have already determined that a natural royal flush is better than any five of a kind). Could it depend on how many wilds each player used in each hand? Or is it simply one or the other is always better? In our experiences we have generally seen more five-of-a-kinds than royal flushes, but that could easily be a fluke.


Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

Everyone gets 8 cards and there are 8 wild cards? Wow! I guess a straight doesn't win very often....


The way to answer your question is to count how many kinds of each hand there is. This might be tedious w/all the cards.


But maybe Ill do one or two.


N(Royal w.no wild cards) (That is one turns over AKQJTs even though he may have a wild card in his hand)= 4(47C3)


N(5 of a kind w/ only 1 wild card)(That is one turns over

XXXXW where X is not a 4 or 2)= 11 (48C4 - 40C4) (Note we have not counted 44442 and the like yet).


ANd one can continue.

and how many "hours" will it take you?