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The Big Six wheel (also known simply as The Big Six, the Wheel of Fortune, or the Big Wheel) is an unequal game of chance, played using a large vertical wheel that can be spun.
Since 13 May 2002, it can be played legally in licensed casinos in the United Kingdom, under The Gaming Clubs (Bankers' Games), (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (Statutory Instrument 2002/1130).
The game is also in casinos in the United States.
The wheel is divided into a number of equal segments separated by spokes or pins. Each segment is associated with a number. The wheel is spun by a dealer, and the winning segment is indicated by a pointer mounted on a flexible piece of rubber or leather, which also rubs against the pins to impart friction and slow the wheel down. Should the player stop the wheel, the segment at the top is the winner.
There are a number of variants of the game, that divide the wheel into a different number of segments, use different symbols in the segments, and have different odds if a symbol is selected.
This variant is the most common in casinos in the United States. The symbols are $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20 bills — and two special symbols, a joker and the casino logo. The $1 bills pay at odds of 1 to 1, the $2 bills at 2 to 1, the $5 bills at 5 to 1, and so on. The joker and the logo pay at odds of 40 to 1 or 45 to 1, depending on local gaming regulations or the practice of the casino.
The house advantage or edge (the proportion of the stakes that the casino expects to win on average) of this game is one of the highest of most casino games. In the United States it ranges from 11.1% on the $1-bill bet to more than 24% on the joker or logo (when it pays at 40 to 1). In Australia the house edge is 7.69% on all bets, so that the payouts on a 52-segment wheel are 47:1, 23:1, 11:1, 5:1, 3:1 and 1:1.
The symbols on the wheel represent some of the 216 (6 × 6 × 6) possible combinations of three dice. Sometimes the same combination appears in more than one segment. Players wager on the numbers 1 through 6. If the number appears on one of the dice in the winning segment, the dealer pays at 1 to 1; on two of the dice, 2 to 1; on all three of the dice, 3 to 1.
One example of a dice wheel, manufactured by H. C. Evans & Co. of Chicago (or its successor), is divided into 54 segments:
In the example above, there are 54 (24 + 24 + 6) possible outcomes for a single spin of the wheel. For a specific number:
At odds of 1 to 1, 2 to 1, and 3 to 1, respectively, for each of these types of outcome, the expected loss as a percentage of the stake wagered is:
The symbolism of the game is redolent of chuck-a-luck or sic bo, games of chance played with three dice. However, the house advantage or edge is greater than for chuck-a-luck, which itself has a higher house advantage than other casino games.
This variety is seldom seen in casinos, but frequently seen as a carnival game, or at a charity "Monte Carlo night" fund-raiser. A similar game, the "Big Nine" wheel, has five numbers on each segment, and also three special symbols, appearing on three spaces each, which pay 10:1 odds.
A legal game in a licensed casino in the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand involves a wheel at least 1.5 metres in diameter divided into 52 segments, each marked with one of seven symbols (referred to as A to G). The table below sets out the frequency of the symbols, their probability, the associated odds specified, and the house advantage or edge.
Symbol | Number of segments | Probability of winning | UK | AUS & NZ | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Odds offered | House edge | Odds offered | House edge | |||
A | 1 out of 52 | 1.92% | 50 to 1 | 1.92% | 47 to 1 | 7.69% |
B | 1 out of 52 | 1.92% | 50 to 1 | 1.92% | 47 to 1 | 7.69% |
C | 2 out of 52 | 3.85% | 20 to 1 | 19.23% | 23 to 1 | 7.69% |
D | 4 out of 52 | 7.69% | 10 to 1 | 15.38% | 11 to 1 | 7.69% |
E | 8 out of 52 | 15.38% | 5 to 1 | 7.69% | 5 to 1 | 7.69% |
F | 12 out of 52 | 23.08% | 3 to 1 | 7.69% | 3 to 1 | 7.69% |
G | 24 out of 52 | 46.15% | 1 to 1 | 7.69% | 1 to 1 | 7.69% |
Other variants, using different symbols and odds, are relatively rare in the United States.
One variant called "Mississippi Derby" was used for a short time at the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi. (The casino was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.) The symbols were combinations of three of a number of different horses, arranged to represent a winner, a second-placed horse and a third-placed horse. (The horses were represented in three concentric rings, with the winner on the outer ring.) Players wagered on particular horses to "win", "place" or "show", as with betting in horse racing. The payoffs varied from horse to horse, depending on how many times and where the horse appeared on the rings. Odds ranged from 40 to 1 for the "longshot" to win, down to 1-2 for the "favorite" to show.
Games available in most casinos are commonly called casino games. In a casino game, the players gamble cash or casino chips on various possible random outcomes or combinations of outcomes. Casino games are also available in online casinos, where permitted by law. Casino games can also be played outside of casinos for entertainment purposes, like in parties or in school competitions, on machines that simulate gambling.
Craps is a dice game in which players bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice. Players can wager money against each other or against a bank. Because it requires little equipment, "street craps" can be played in informal settings. While shooting craps, players may use slang terminology to place bets and actions.
Chuck-a-luck, also known as birdcage, or sweat rag, is a game of chance played with three dice. It is derived from grand hazard and both can be considered a variant of sic bo, which is a popular casino game, although chuck-a-luck is more of a carnival game than a true casino game. The game is sometimes used as a fundraiser for charity.
Gambling is the wagering of something of value on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elements to be present: consideration, risk (chance), and a prize. The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of dice, a spin of a roulette wheel, or a horse crossing the finish line, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.
Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets. In some countries it is known as the tote after the totalisator, which calculates and displays bets already made.
Pai gow poker is a version of pai gow that is played with playing cards, instead of traditional pai gow's Chinese dominoes. The game of pai gow poker was created in 1985 in the United States by Sam Torosian, owner of the Bell Card Club.
Roulette is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the color red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if the number is high or low.
A slot machine, fruit machine, poker machine or pokies is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers.
Fixed-odds betting is a form of gambling where individuals place bets on the outcome of an event, such as sports matches or horse races, at predetermined odds. In fixed-odds betting, the odds are fixed and determined at the time of placing the bet. These odds reflect the likelihood of a particular outcome occurring. If the bettor's prediction is correct, they receive a payout based on the fixed odds. This means that the potential winnings are known at the time of placing the bet, regardless of any changes in the odds leading up to the event.
Video poker is a casino game based on five-card draw poker. It is played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine.
Online casinos, also known as virtual casinos or Internet casinos, are online versions of traditional casinos. Online casinos enable gamblers to play and wager on casino games through the Internet. It is a prolific form of online gambling.
Vigorish is the fee charged by a bookmaker for accepting a gambler's wager. In American English, it can also refer to the interest owed a loanshark in consideration for credit. The term came to English usage via Yiddish slang which was itself a loanword from Russian.
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.
Fan-Tan, or fantan is a gambling game long played in China. It is a game of pure chance.
Sic bo, also known as tai sai (大細), dai siu (大小), big and small or hi-lo, is an unequal game of chance of ancient Chinese origin played with three dice. Grand hazard and chuck-a-luck are variants, both of English origin. The literal meaning of sic bo is "precious dice", while dai siu and dai sai mean "big [or] small".
A progressive jackpot is a jackpot which increases each time the game is played but the jackpot is not won. When the progressive jackpot is won, the jackpot for the next play is reset to a predetermined value, and resumes increasing under the same rule.
Crown and Anchor is a simple dice game, traditionally played for gambling purposes by sailors in the Royal Navy as well as those in the British merchant and fishing fleets.
The mathematics of gambling is a collection of probability applications encountered in games of chance and can get included in game theory. From a mathematical point of view, the games of chance are experiments generating various types of aleatory events, and it is possible to calculate by using the properties of probability on a finite space of possibilities.
Dealer's Choice is an American game show that aired from January 21, 1974, to December 12, 1975, in syndication for a total of 210 episodes, built around various casino-type games. Bob Hastings was the host for the first few weeks; afterwards, Jack Clark, who was better known at the time as an announcer for other game shows, took over as the host. Hastings and Clark, who wore tuxedoes as hosts of Dealer's Choice, were assisted by hostess Jane Nelson and by announcer Jim Thompson. The show was taped at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, but later moved to Los Angeles after its first season.
Slot machine terminology, characteristics and regulations vary around the world.
Regulation in the United Kingdom
Regulation in New Zealand