First Time at Cutting Edge Table Games Competition

Hey Everyone,

I'm a young table game inventor from Toronto and will be presenting my new table game, Lucky Sevens, for the first time at the Cutting Edge Table Games Conference in Nevada this year.

I'd like to prepare myself to have the best showing I can there, as this will be the biggest milestone for my game in trying to obtain floor space in a casino.

Does anyone who has attended this conference have any advice for a first timer like me? Things I should keep in mind or prepare for to make sure I have the best impact I can with my first appearance at this conference?

All advice is appreciated!

Thanks,
Ryan

Quote: LuckySevens

Hey Everyone,

I'm a young table game inventor from Toronto and will be presenting my new table game, Lucky Sevens, for the first time at the Cutting Edge Table Games Conference in Nevada this year.

I'd like to prepare myself to have the best showing I can there, as this will be the biggest milestone for my game in trying to obtain floor space in a casino.

Does anyone who has attended this conference have any advice for a first timer like me? Things I should keep in mind or prepare for to make sure I have the best impact I can with my first appearance at this conference?

All advice is appreciated!

Thanks,
Ryan

I would suggest you have a competent dealer deal the game while you and at least one other person assist attendees with questions, entice people to try it and explain rules.

I'd also have a 30 second maximum pitch down pat to explain the game. 15 seconds would be even better.

Know the house advantage and know what adjustments can be made to the rules or pay tables to lower and raise the house advantage to each preference.

Know other important factors like hit frequency, hands per hour and the difference (if any) between optimal play house edge and expected house edge.

Explain why people will want to play your game and why a table games director would replace one of their current games with yours. Most directors have very little interest in trying something new and unproven. You may want to consider free trial periods and area exclusivity for any area to get some installs.


ZCore13

Quote: LuckySevens

Does anyone who has attended this conference have any advice for a first timer like me? Things I should keep in mind or prepare for to make sure I have the best impact I can with my first appearance at this conference?

Frankly, my advice is to be an attendee, study what others are doing, and then show it the following year.

Since that can’t happen, my other advice would have been to ask these kind of questions months ago.


Zcore already gave some good advice. My only other advice would be to have literature, as well as a good website. If possible, the website should include a way to play the game and links to download whatever literature you’re planning on giving away.

Hi, Ryan. Welcome to the forum, and good luck at the show.

I would suggest you have a handout brochure in color that has a sample table card, your logo and business address, the information Zcore listed above in a math chart, and a graphic of your table layout.

I would also suggest you have a professional-looking binder with any math reports, protection reports, intellectual property claims filed, alternate logos or game variations, any test results, available but kept in a safe place on site . You may have to demonstrate where you are on those things to directors under various jurisdictions, reference unexpected questions, or be able to start a discussion with a distributor.

I would also have some kind of handout thing - a pen with your info printed on it, a key ring bottle opener, a chip or token with your logo on it -some kind of inexpensive but fun thing, and some individually wrapped candies to hand out. Maybe some bottled water on ice if you have room for it.

I would join Zcore and emphasize you get a trained dealer who just deals, and you and at least one other person who can discuss the game play, protection, and numbers without having to look stuff up. You'll want a cheat sheet printed large for the dealer if it's not within the felt design.

You and your dealer should have a script you learn ahead of time - as Zcore says, 30 seconds max, 15 seconds better, to explain the game. Rehearse saying it. Make it sound fun, but you're explaining the basic play, not describing or selling. The game has to "sell" itself when you're talking to these people.

If you were presenting 3 card poker, your script might be:

"This is a single 52 card deck poker game. Each player bets the ante, and the optional Pairs Plus bet, then is dealt 3 cards, as is the house. The player looks at their cards, and decides whether to fold, or match their ante bet on the play bet. The dealer then exposes the house hand. The house hand must be queen high or better; if it is not, the dealer pays the ante and pushes the play bet for all players still in the game. If the dealer qualifies, they expose each player hand and compare it to the house hand. Higher hand wins even money on ante and play, copy hands push. Also, ante bonus pays odds on a player straight or better whether the hand wins, loses, or pushes. Pairs plus side bet pays for a pair or better whether the hand wins or loses"

(This is too verbose - you'd want to look for ways to talk less but still give this info.)

You will want a felt. They can be custom printed and shipped to you for less than 200 for the first one. Less for reprints because theyll have done the art and setup.

You will want a table sign with a good graphic that includes the name on the table. You want them to visualize your game on their floor.

I don't think it necessary to have a backdrop. But if you do, make it a good one, not a painted sheet. I think the default trade curtains should be fine.

I'm guessing you've done a lot of this already, but hope you find it helpful anyway.

All good advice. Use a good Premium Company for whatever chips or pens you decide on. Don't annoy people with pens that don't write. Make the nick nacks good ones or don't have them at all.

As with all game developers,,, I wish you the best of luck.

All the advice given so far has been excellent.

Being able to explain the game in 30 seconds or less is so important. If it takes longer than that to teach a player, it will not succeed.

A few things that I look for:

1) Hands per hour
2) House Advantage
3) Hit Frequency
4) Player decision points
5) Fun Factor
6) Will the dealers buy in to the concept

I have been known to put new games on the floor. There are a few game inventors who know who I am. I will be at the show and will give it a look.

Good luck.

Hey ZCore,

Perfect, other than working to lower the time on my pitch, I already have everything you suggested prepared/accounted for! Makes me feel a little better about my position :)

Thank you!

Hey DJ,

Actually I have been asking around for months! I just never brought it to the forum.

I agree, I rather have attended before hand to get a scope of it all, but I think the game is ready now and I'd like to get the dice rolling!

Thank you!

PMed you.

Hello Beach,

Wow thank you so much for all the advice, I didn't expect this level of detailed response this quickly!

As you said, most of this stuff I already have prepared, but a few notable things I didn't think of.

I can't express enough how much I appreciate you taking your time to write this out for a stranger. I hope to meet you at the event if you attend! Lucky Sevens booth 217 :)

Thank you

Hello Flea,

I'll make sure to not cheap out on the pens!

Thank you,

Quote: LuckySevens

Hey ZCore,

Perfect, other than working to lower the time on my pitch, I already have everything you suggested prepared/accounted for! Makes me feel a little better about my position :)

Thank you!

Excellent. Definitely lower the time. It's the same pitch dealers will end up having to give players if you get placements. The attention span of most players is 15 seconds before they start looking like a dear in headlights. You have a little more time at the show since you aren't dealing with alcohol and novice players, but you will get tuned out by people at the show too. Don't let it happen.


ZCore13

Hello FCBLComish,

I'll be sure to refine the pitch even further. The game follows a very simple design to ensure even a first time gamer can easily learn it with ease :), I have a tutorial video that I planned on having displayed on a screen/laptop in my booth, but I of course will practice my pitch as well.

As a former dealer, and invented while I was a dealer, I designed the game to not only be easy to deal, but entertaining as well.

I really appreciate the feedback and greatly look forward to meeting you at the event! Lucky Sevens will be at booth 219, I promise you, we will be the loudest and most enthusiastic booth at the event, the game creates a very social gaming atmosphere :)

Thank you,

Quote: LuckySevens

Hello FCBLComish,

I'll be sure to refine the pitch even further. The game follows a very simple design to ensure even a first time gamer can easily learn it with ease :), I have a tutorial video that I planned on having displayed on a screen/laptop in my booth, but I of course will practice my pitch as well.

As a former dealer, and invented while I was a dealer, I designed the game to not only be easy to deal, but entertaining as well.

I really appreciate the feedback and greatly look forward to meeting you at the event! Lucky Sevens will be at booth 219, I promise you, we will be the loudest and most enthusiastic booth at the event, the game creates a very social gaming atmosphere :)

Thank you,

Hey, LuckySeven! You sent me to booth 217 4 posts ago, and him to booth 219. He's the one who can buy your game, so be sure he gets the right info. I'll come out if I can, but it's not looking good at the moment.

Quote: FCBLComish

All the advice given so far has been excellent.

Being able to explain the game in 30 seconds or less is so important. If it takes longer than that to teach a player, it will not succeed.

A few things that I look for:

1) Hands per hour

Hey FCBLComish,

I've done a fair bit of math analysis for clients who often say they are asked for information about hands per hour. And I never have any answer for them other than a rough guess for obvious reasons that it's impossible to gather empirical evidence on a game with no play history.

So by #1, do you mean you're just generally looking at how fast the dealer is dealing the game and estimating HPH from there? Or are you looking for some sort of number? Cause if it's the latter, I'd love to know how you'd recommend formulating such a figure on a game with zero history.

Thanks, and might well see you at the show!

Charles.

Quote: Zcore13

I would suggest you have a competent dealer deal the game while you and at least one other person assist attendees with questions, entice people to try it and explain rules.

I agree 100%. Even better if the dealer provides an eye candy factor. Think the Scientific Games booth at G2E. That will get people to the booth and keep them there longer. Give her a long leash. Don't attack potential customers unless they come to you first with questions of a business nature.

Quote:

I'd also have a 30 second maximum pitch down pat to explain the game. 15 seconds would be even better.

Totally agree about the 30 second "elevator pitch." I've said that hundreds of times.

Quote:

Know the house advantage and know what adjustments can be made to the rules or pay tables to lower and raise the house advantage to each preference.

Know other important factors like hit frequency, hands per hour and the difference (if any) between optimal play house edge and expected house edge.

You may not know some of the latter questions at this time, which is okay. At least know the basics of the math.

Quote:

Explain why people will want to play your game and why a table games director would replace one of their current games with yours. Most directors have very little interest in trying something new and unproven. You may want to consider free trial periods and area exclusivity for any area to get some installs.

My only point of departure here would be to definitely offer a free field trial at least. You are in no position to bargain here. You should make any deal necessary. If you have to offer ten years of free use of your game to the casino that does the field trial, do it. I've never once heard of a casino paying to do a field trial. If anything, it should be the other way around.

1) Offer free field trials
2) The first ten people who sign up for the trials, and their guest,will be invited to a week-long review of the placements at a conference in Hawaii.

Hey Beach,

My apologies, slip of the finger, we will be at booth 219! I hope to see you there in the end!

Thanks,

Hello Wizard,

Is this THE Wizard of Odds? I didn't realize you monitor this forums, you were by far my biggest inspiration for creating Lucky Sevens and the best source for research math behind the casino industry. I greatly appreciate your input and hope to meet you in person in the near future, especially at the event!

As for the advice, I'll be sure to give my dealer a long leash as you recommended, I'll be reciting the elevator speech in my sleep, I absolutely planned on offering free field trials, and the only stat I don't know from the top of my head right now is hit frequency, I know the game like the back of my hand otherwise :)

Thank you,

Be certain to know your layout and text from the dealer's view and from the player's view. Surveillance people don't like player's hands blocking someone's stack of chips even for a moment.

No one at the convention will be drunk but most of the players wandering around a casino during a field trial just might be a bit soused so a very brief "dealer's spiel" is always in order.

Quote: LuckySevens

Hello Wizard,

Is this THE Wizard of Odds?

Short answer: Yes.
Slightly longer answer: Read the credits at the bottom of the page.


On a side note, are you coming to G2E? You can join our group (which will include the Wizard), give us a brief demo, and obtain some friendly critique before Cutting Edge.

Hello DJ,

If only I had a dime for every time I've had that asked to me this month! Unfortunately I will not be attending G2E this year, but if all goes well I'll be sure to make it next time around :)

Thanks,

Quote: LuckySevens

Is this THE Wizard of Odds? I didn't realize you monitor this forums, you were by far my biggest inspiration for creating Lucky Sevens and the best source for research math behind the casino industry. I greatly appreciate your input and hope to meet you in person in the near future, especially at the event!

Yup, it's me. Thank you for the kind words. Now that you've buttered me up so nicely, I look forward to meeting you at Cutting Edge.

Quote: CharlesMousseau

Hey FCBLComish,

I've done a fair bit of math analysis for clients who often say they are asked for information about hands per hour. And I never have any answer for them other than a rough guess for obvious reasons that it's impossible to gather empirical evidence on a game with no play history.

So by #1, do you mean you're just generally looking at how fast the dealer is dealing the game and estimating HPH from there? Or are you looking for some sort of number? Cause if it's the latter, I'd love to know how you'd recommend formulating such a figure on a game with zero history.

Thanks, and might well see you at the show!

Charles.

I can estimate HPH pretty easily when I see what the game is about.

FCBLComish,

Yeah, as I mentioned, I can estimate HPH too :) Anything more scientific than an estimate? Comparison to existing games with factoring in extra / missing steps? Or just put in some juicy looking number and tell my clients to practice like dervishes :)

Compare it to a known game. We all have guidelines for HPH for games like TCP, UTH, C4P, PGP, etc.