Roulette Tournament 2019
It appears all bets are off when it comes to casinos coming up with clever ways to increase profits. Venetian Las Vegas recently introduced Sands Roulette, a game almost identical to traditional roulette, but with an insidious twist, a triple zero.
Most roulette tables in the U.S. have a zero and double zero. Those games have a house advantage of 5.2%. Not the worst game in a casino, but fairly hefty when compared to games like blackjack and baccarat.
Occasionally, you can find a European roulette table, with just a zero, and the house edge
dips down to 2.7%. In Las Vegas, those tables tend to be reserved for high rollers.
The game, called Virtual Cycling, allows gamblers to place bets on a piece of paper obtained over the counter, showing a graphic similar to a roulette table. The game features a maximum stake of. Published on Jan 31, 2019 Woensdag jl. Vond in de showroom van Eurocoin Gaming het 1e door OneTime georganiseerde Chinese roulette toernooi plaats. 18 spelers streden om prijzengeld ter hoogte van.
Sands Roulette at Venetian, with 0-00-000, means there are more ways for a player to lose,
and the house advantage jumps up to 7.7%.
We’d love to show you a photo of the Sands Roulette table layout, but photography is
strictly forbidden at live tables in the Venetian. Therefore, we aren’t able to share the
photo below.
Sadly, this isn’t Photoshopped. It actually exists.
Yes, the bean counters are at it again.
While a 2.5% increase in the house edge may not seem like a lot at first glance, it
amounts to a huge windfall for the casino over the course of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of spins.
The frustrating part about this particular revenue enhancement strategy is it’s
implemented in a way that seems underhanded. You won’t see a triple zero on the table, but
rather the triple zero is represented with an “S” and the Sands logo. The Venetian is owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Sands Roulette intentionally takes advantage of less experienced players. One Venetian
staffer even said, aloud, “Tourists and conventioneers don’t really care.”
That opinion seemed to be confirmed by the fact the Sands Roulette table (there’s only one
in the casino at this point) was packed during our visit.
That same floor person admitted, “We try new table games for 90 days and evaluate the
results. If it tanks, it’ll go away.” Good to know, although much like 6-to-5 blackjack
(for many years, the game payed 3-to-2), sometimes such “innovations” never go away.
The Venetian staffer followed up with something rather ominous. He said, “If it increases
the drop, they’ll probably try adding another space.”
We’ll let that particular brand of WTF sink in for a moment.
Sorry, we can’t show you this photo, either. Our hands are tied!
That’s right. Not only is the Venetian exploring new ways to stick it to us, they’re open to upping the ante. Let’s do this until we see what the pain point is, they seem to be saying.
Deep breaths.
Look, we don’t begrudge casinos the ability to increase profits. They’re doing it with paid parking and reduced liquor pour sizes and comp drink monitoring systems.
But is it too much to ask to not muck with a timeless, iconic casino table game? Seriously, WWJBS? (What would James Bond say?)
Roulette Tournament 2018
As mentioned, there’s currently only one triple zero table at Venetian, and we’re not
aware of any others in Las Vegas. It would surprise no one if triple zero games started
popping up at competing casinos in the very near future.
The Sands Roulette table had a $10 minimum, while all the other roulette tables had a $15 limit. One could make the argument the triple zero is a “surcharge” for the “lower” table minimum. Or not.
Will the average Las Vegas visitor realize they’re being dinged when they play the triple
zero Sands Roulette? Will knowing about it keep them from playing? We suspect not. Recreational gamblers don’t obsess over things like odds. These are the same folks playing the Big Six wheel, with one of the biggest house edges in a casino (as much as 24%, the mind reels).
Taken alone, Sands Roulette’s triple zero at Venetian Las Vegas isn’t the end of the world. But it does feel like another symbol of how casinos seem to be jeopardizing long-term trust and loyalty for short-term gain. With each new fee or detrimental change to a game, casinos run the risk of damaging the public perception of Las Vegas as a value-driven destination.
Ultimately, we decide what games succeed or fail. So, choose wisely.
Updated (4/13/19): Since this story, a number of Las Vegas casinos have introduced triple zero roulette. Here’s a complete list of the Las Vegas casinos with triple zero roulette:
- Venetian and Palazzo
- Planet Hollywood
- Circus Circus
- Golden Nugget
- Park MGM
- New York-New York
- Harrah’s Las Vegas
- Luxor
- Wynn Las Vegas
- Linq
- Binion’s
- Four Queens
- Aria Las Vegas
- Caesars Palace
- Green Valley Ranch
- Palms
Roulette tournaments take this centuries-old casino game and transform it into a multi-round knockout event where the last player standing gets the chocolates. As we play against other gamblers rather than trying to beat the house, this format requires us to pay extra special attention to strategy and betting patterns. Let us show you how roulette tourneys work and what you need to know in order to be competitive with this kind of casino gaming.
Sites with roulette tournaments
What is a roulette tournament?
Roulette tournaments are organised events where players compete against one another in a knockout format. In this sense, it is much like any other multi-player sporting or gambling competition in which contestants are eliminated round by round. However, the fact roulette is normally played against the casino means it is more akin to a blackjack tournament than anything else.
As with any tourney, the aim is to survive each round in order to progress to the next. Unlike a standard sit-and-go poker tournament, where players are eliminated once they lose all their chips, in roulette events the winners of each round are determined by who has the biggest stack after a certain amount of time has elapsed or a certain number of spins has been played. Eventually the field will be whittled down to one table of between two and eight players, from which the eventual champion will emerge.
Australian roulette tournaments can come in a variety of formats, determined by the number of entrants, the amount of the buy in, and which land-based casino it is held in. High stakes roulette events can draw prize pools valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
How roulette tourneys work
In a common brick-and-mortar tournament setup, all entrants are required to pay a buy-in (sometimes alongside an additional entry fee). The higher the stakes, the bigger the buy-in. In the vast majority of casino roulette tourneys, all players start with the same amount of chips. This is often the case at the beginning of each new round as well. For example: one player might win their table with 500 chips and another winner might finish with 740, but in the next bracket they would both start with 300 credits. However, sometimes players are allowed to carry their total stack into the next round – so if you win a round with 740 chips, you start the next table with that amount.
The number of tables used at the beginning of the tourney depends on the number of players involved, as well as the overall format of the event. For instance, if there are 42 entrants, a typical multi-table tournament might use six tables with seven players per table; however, a head-to-head roulette tourney with 16 participants would have eight layouts with two players going one-on-one at each table. These parameters will often be predetermined, with a set amount of tables decided beforehand and a limited number of positions available.
The rules of progression are widely variable and often depend on the size of the field and the nature of the event. In many devil’s wheel tournaments, all but one player (the one with the most chips) will be eliminated from each table at the end of each round, but sometimes two or three players from each table will continue on. How those progressing players are then grouped is up to the whims of the organisers, really. Sometimes tables are merged at random, while in other cases (head-to-head roulette, for instance) there is a bracket system that determines who meets who in the next round – much like the draw in a major tennis tournament.
When it comes to actually playing the game, there is not a jot of difference compared to a standard player-versus-casino affair. Whether it is double-zero American roulette, European roulette, French roulette, or even if you are playing semi-automated versions like Rapid Roulette – all the rules of play and betting options are the same as they ever were. This includes minimum and maximum bets per spin, be it $5/$100 or $50/$1,000.
Payout structures vary from tourney to tourney. There can be prizes for everyone who makes the final table, or even small rewards for each player who progresses from every round. Sometimes the grand champion will take home the entirety of the cash prize pool. The most common scenario is a tiered payout scale, where first place gets the largest prize and the final paying spot receives the smallest.
Tournament betting strategy
Roulette players love betting strategies – from grinding on the even money wagers, to pressing one’s luck on a straight-up winner. But where a seasoned casino punter might stick to one favourite system, a successful tournament gambler needs to be adept at a number of different approaches. This is because competitive play throws up myriad risk-versus-reward situations where a sudden change in tactics can make or break a man’s title bid.
One of the keys in working out your ideal tournament strategy is knowing what kind of player you are. Do you like to use the inside layout and place a lot of high-risk, high-reward bets? Or are you a more meticulous player who enjoys long sessions in search of modest but steady profits? Perhaps you like to tread the middle ground, mixing up inside bets and outside wagers simultaneously or in sequence? Figuring out what type of roulette bettor you are is hugely important when it comes to identifying the style of tournament you should be aiming to enter.
Roulette Tournament 2019 Results
One thing to look out for in tourney setup is whether the rounds are based on time or number of spins. Timed rounds generally allow for greater betting flexibility, as we can play however many spins we want within the allotted period – so if we hit a huge winner after three spins, we can choose to stop there and keep an eye on our competitors while waiting for the buzzer. Rounds with spin limits, however, tend to restrict one’s options and encourage a more aggressive, all-or-nothing attitude.
Whether governed by time or by spin requirements, tournaments with longer rounds are generally more attractive to conservative bettors who like to grind on red and black, evens and odds, and other outside bets whenever possible. On the other hand, shorter rounds suit the more swashbuckling kind of gambler who is happy to ransom his or her stack on low-percentage wagers with big payouts.
The most important strategic point is to be aware of your opponents’ chip tallies at all times, and to tailor your method of play based on where you stand in the pack. This is where knowing a variety of betting styles and being able to use them instinctively becomes crucial. For example: if you are an aggressive gambler and you get out to a big lead early in the round, you might want to rein in your natural instincts and start betting smaller sums on the outside in order to protect your lead. Should someone else then take the advantage, you could then loosen up your play in search of bigger rewards.
Flexibility and vigilance are vital, as you need to be able to switch gears when the moment arises. This is where old-school grinders often trip up, as they tend to focus on very particular betting patterns with no room for improvisation. Thus, it always helps to practice a number of different betting techniques before trying your hand at tournament play.
How to win roulette tourneys
There are plenty of attributes that make up a roulette champion – knowledge of different betting patterns, gut instinct for tactical shifts, experience in live tournament gambling, sound decision-making skills under pressure, and so on. All these traits are important, and most hi-stakes roulette tourney winners possess them. But there is one thing you need more than anything else, and it is something that cannot be taught or learned (unfortunately).
That thing is luck. You need to win plenty of spins to triumph in a live roulette tournament – because no matter how well prepared you are or how many different roulette strategies you have mastered, there is not much to be done if your numbers don’t come up. Strategy and nerve can only get you so far in a game of pure chance, after all. But if you have the gift of good fortune, then knowing how and when to change your bets and switch between tight and loose play can transform mere luck into cold, hard cash.
Casino roulette events in Australia
Roulette Tournament 2019 Games
Real-time roulette tournaments are not as widespread as those dedicated to SNG poker or blackjack, but leading Australian gaming venues such as The Star in Sydney and Crown Casino in Melbourne have been known to hold ‘little wheel’ events in recent years. For more on where to find a roulette tourney near you, check out our complete list of land-based Australian casinos.
See also:
Where to Play Roulette in New Zealand
Roulette Betting Strategies & Systems
Roulette Rules & Bets