Tweaking the black and red components of the game of roulette wasn't enough for Frank Mugnolo, president of Casino Gaming LLC of Broadview, Ill., so now he has gone "green".
Anyone familiar with roulette knows the color green is associated with the "0" and "00" slots on the 38–position American style wheel. They are what give the game the house advantage of 5.26 percent.
This fact is precisely why Mugnolo's first roulette innovation, a side bet called "Colors", is so significant. It carries a house edge of 4.34 percent, the lowest of any bet you can place on a roulette wheel.
With Colors, you make a bet that a black number will show on three consecutive spins of the wheel, or that red number will show on three consecutive spins, keeping in mind that among the numbers 1 through 36, half are black and half are red. A winning bet pays 9 for 1.
Even without the side bet, it's possible to bet on three straight blacks or reds by making a wager and parlaying it (letting the winnings ride) twice. Each time the wager is being slammed with a house advantage that is 0.92 percent higher than Colors.
The mathematical probability of spinning three consecutive black numbers or three consecutive red numbers is 10.63 percent.
Mugnolo speculates the option would be easy to configure with Rapid Roulette, the electronic version of the game that is played on touch–screen video monitors using a live dealer and real roulette wheel.
The investment for casinos is minimal. The existing roulette wheels are used; even the game is played the same. All that's required to accommodate the option is the addition of the Colors betting box on the felt layout.
Mugnolo, a native Chicagoan, has worked his magic in the past with blackjack and craps. The addition of Colors to his company's arsenal of games gave his company a strong presence at the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas last year.
The "greens wager" is the new twist that's being added. It will soon be appearing on the roulette layouts at The Orleans Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas. However, unlike its cousin "Colors", this bet is one only the house can appreciate.
A greens wager is one in which the player betting either "0" or "00" will hit on two consecutive spins of the wheel. Should the greens appear back–to–back, successful bettors will collect 300 to 1. That may sound like a lot, and it is, but it all boils down to a house edge of 16.62 percent, making it the worst roulette bet from the perspective of the players.
Mugnolo's first creation was Casino Surrender, which he renamed Automatic Win.
Using the Automatic Win option, players holding a two–card 20 against a dealer's up–card of 10 (no blackjack) can elect to not play out their hand in exchange for getting their original bet back and winning 50 percent of its value.
It's an option that's not for every blackjack player because of the 5.8 percent house edge, but expert players who track cards can use it to their advantage.
The opinions expressed are solely the writer's. Reach him at jbrokopp@comcast.net. John Brokopp's Beat the Odds tips air Sundays at 8:20 a.m., 2:50 p.m. and 10:42 p.m. on WBBM Newsradio 780.
