If Big Six Changed The Odds...

Everyone knows that the Big Six, also known as the Wheel of Fortune, game has some of the worst odds of all table games. The house edge ranges from about 11% to 24% according to the Wizard of Odds site. Personally, I find it amazing that the game is in existence at all and it is rare to even find people playing it.

My question is what would happen if you reduced the house edge by increasing the payouts. For example, give the game a house edge of 3% to 5% or so. Would the increased number of Players make up for the lower house edge?

Why even have a game which sits empty for the vast majority of the day due to it's high house edge? Lower the edge and fill up the seats!

.....

Big Six is not making a comeback.

Quote: Paigowdan

Big Six is not making a comeback.

What about EZ Big Six ? :)

Big Six exists for a few reasons. It gets loud, even louder than craps, and thus attracts attention. So casinos put it in the front. Yes, it is closed on off-hours. But it can survive with comparatively low limits. For players it keeps the lowlifes away from the real games. Last time I was at the casino I was in the bar yards from the Bix Six Wheel. My first reaction was that "The Jerry Springer" show was having a tour for their audience and guests.

Would never create such an abomination. ;)

Quote: Paigowdan

Big Six is not making a comeback.

Agreed. It is still an interesting question, though. There are plenty of casino games around with high house edges. Those that have shown staying power seem to have either an appealing aesthetic, or the potential for a big payoff. Roulette, for example, has that James Bond / Casablanca kind of aura about it (think martinis and tuxedos). Along with the excitement of a possible 35:1 payout on single numbers, a lot of people play - even on 00 wheels.

While big six has the 40:1 payout on the joker, but I'm not sure it has enough aesthetic going for it. There is kind of an old-West saloon vibe to it, but I don't reckon that's enough.

Walt,
There is new breed of "Simple Tourist" games being created to fill that Big Six need with very low house edges.
Clean Carnival Games, if you can call it that.
The following are fun to play, have low house edges, require no strategy, and Easy Over Under and Scossa dice are in field trials as we speak.

Short list:
- Easy Over Under (Red Wind Casino)
- Scossa dice (Red Rock Casino)
- Bet Your Luck

Quote: Paigowdan

Would never create such an abomination. ;)

EZ Big 6 - the joke being it's more complicated and includes player skill choices... now if I can work out what those would be, I'll be sure to let you know :)

Let's not forget "Casino War".

The wheel has an aura. It is easy to understand, and you see it in other formats, including the ubiquitous "Wheel of Fortune" slots.

As for cesspit's suggestion, how about "parlay" opportunites, or bets on two spin totals?

What you need is a revamped game, one that dones't look as though it's set up on a table taken out of your grandmother's home. Keep the banknotes under glass, place the wheel horizontal on a larger table and even let the players spin it.

Then you change the house edge to something more along the lines of roulette (5-6%), and add four or so side bets with even worse house edges. And I mean house edges to make Keno blush.

It would be a hit, I'm sure.

If there was any real concern to make Big Six more appealing, they should merely adopt Atlantic City's policy where the jokers pay 45.

Other than that, changing the payouts would be difficult, since using dollar bills to indicate the payout odds is part of the asthetic design and charm of the game. You could change the distribution, to lower the edge, but can't really change the payouts - except for the jokers.

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EZ Big Six? Not gonna happen. Unlike Pai Gow and Baccarat, there's nothing difficult or complicated about Big Six that would lend itself to an EZ version.