A Lesser Known Casino Game: Big Six Wheel
Besides the Casino called “Caesar’s Palace”, modern day gambling shares something else with Ancient Rome – the Big Six Wheel.
If you’ve even seen a large, upright spinning wheel in a casino with slots for currency or numbers, then you’ve probably seen a Big Six Wheel. Whether you call it a “Money Wheel”, “Big Six Wheel”, “Big 6”, a “Wheel of Fortune” or even just the simple (yet aptly named) “Big Wheel”, the basic concept is similar - you wager the wheel will land on your chosen spot.
While the concept is simple (you hope the number / symbol you bet on comes up), the history is rather complex. Big Six Wheels (and Roulette’s) ancestors began on the ancient battlefields of Rome. While no modern day Big Six Wheel existed, the concept wasn’t very different than a Roman solder’s way to settle disputes after battle. Since commanders didn’t want solders fighting each other for the spoils of war, overturned chariots were used as gambling wheels. Each solder with a claim to the bounty would thrust his spear into the ground around the wheel, and one small mark was made on the wheel. Around and round it went until the mark landed closest to the spear of the winner! Cool, huh?
The concept of a spinning wheel for gambling stayed and was refined into the games we know today – such as Roulette, Dice Wheel, Money Wheel, and even the gigantic wheel on Wheel of Fortune.
So how do you play Big Six Wheel? In front of the money wheel are the available bets. Each bet has the payout, unit of currency, and a number. Place a bet on the outcome you think will happen and if the Big Six Wheel lands on that spot you win! Gambling doesn’t get simpler, my friend.
To make betting easy, payouts are usually tied to the dollar amount shown. A one dollar slot pays 1 to 1 (or even money), a two dollar spot pays double or 2 to 1, the five dollar spot pays 5 to 1, the ten dollar spot pays 10 to 1, a twenty dollar spot is 20 to 1 and “the big one” is 40 to 1. The “big one” will usually have the casino’s logo in its spot.
Remember the currency next to the payout doesn’t limit your wager. If you feel like placing ten chips on the two dollar spot, go ahead! The only real limitation is the table minimum and maximum bet.
Now that you know how to play the Big Six Wheel, should you? Well, despite it being a simple game, the house odds are some of the worst in gambling. Depending on the bet and casino they range from 11% to over 24%.
However a three dollar bet can win you over one hundred dollars, so it’s your call – many people think gambling means “win a lot for a small bet” – if you feel that way, the Big Six Wheel may be for you.
We say go ahead and put down a few bucks for a moment of fun, and then go on to other games.
