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.
Money wheel 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.
Dice wheel & Co. of Chicago 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: • 24 segments with triples; each triple (
1-1-1,
2-2-2, etc.) appears four times • 24 segments with doubles; each double (1-1-x, 2-2-y, etc.) appears four times: • 2-
1-1 •
2-2-1 • 4-
3-3 • 5-
4-4 • 6-
5-5 •
6-6-3 • Note the non-pair value appears precisely once in a group of these six pairs • 6 segments with three different numbers; each of the following combinations of three different numbers appears three times: • 3, 2, 1 • 6, 5, 4 In the example above, there are 54 (24 + 24 + 6) possible outcomes for a single spin of the wheel. For a specific number: • There are 7 possible outcomes where only one die will match the number; payout 1:1 • 3× in the three-different-number combinations • 4× in the paired combinations • There are 4 possible outcomes where only two dice will match; payout 2:1 • There are 4 possible outcomes where all three dice will match; payout 3:1 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: :1 - [(7/54) * 2 + (4/54) * 3 + (4/54) * 4] = % 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.
United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand 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.
Other variants 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. ==References==