TCSJOHNHUXLEY have manufactured Roulette Wheels for more than 30 years and are one of the world’s largest gaming manufacturers. They are currently the most prolific of all roulette manufacturers and their wheels are offered in several styles. The MKVII, Gemini and Saturn designs are very popular in the UK, and now there is a new offering called Double Action.
Beating the new Double Action roulette wheel will take some dedication and planning; because the wheel offers something other wheels do not – two sets of numbers. TCSJOHNHUXLEY states that they are “recognised across the world as the pioneers of the most random and secure wheels available today”.
That’s all well and good for the casinos, but what about players looking for patterns to follow? That’s a problem.
Double Action Roulette
The new Double Action Roulette game offers players a unique variation to traditional roulette; two winning numbers every spin of the ball. This is achieved with a specialized MKVII wheel designed with two sets of numbers, an inner and an outer ring situated in opposing order on a single wheel. The numbers spin in opposite directions until the ball lands, marking two numbers at one time. For traditional players, playing numbers and combinations does not change, so the odds are the same as with a traditional game. However, the new game has a specialized layout with two betting sections.
One betting section is for the outer ring of numbers and the other betting section is for the inner ring of numbers. Players are able to play both sections and receive traditional odds, making the game very exciting for players. For players who want to experience some new bets and odds, outside bets carry new payoffs. For single zero wheels, the odds are palatable, but for double zero wheels, the outside betting gets a bit dicey. The image below on the left shows the two rings on the wheel displaying different numbers and the second image on the right shows the betting table.
How to Play
TCSJOHNHUXLEY offers a lighted layout, designed to help accentuate the winning bets after each spin. The new layout uses an advanced electroluminescent technology – a cold light source that is paper thin. New players will immediately see that outside bets are not even-money at Double Action Roulette. Instead, to win outside bets, bets chosen must occur on both numbered rings.
There are new payoffs for a single zero wheel. A wager on red only wins if both rings show a red number, so the payoff is 3-1, with a new 5.33 house edge. Obviously this is the same for odd/even and 1-18 and 19-36. Column bets must be represented on both layouts “A” and “B” to win, and pay 8-1 odds, with a new 5.33 house edge. (7)-number bets pay 25-1, with a new 6.94 house edge. (8)-number orphans pay 18-1, with a new 11.18 house edge.
Players are allowed to continue making bets while the ball starts in motion and will be told “no more bets” as it starts to slow. The winning numbers are automatically illuminated on both layout “A” and layout “B” so few errors are made. A separate display of previous winning numbers is also available on some tables.
After the winning numbers are lit, the dealer will signify both winning numbers with markers and move any Double Action bets to the rim of the wheel. The Double Action Track is then swept, then section “B” farthest from the wheel, and then section “A” in traditional roulette manner. No other changes are made to the game or dealing procedures and players will note that the game moves quickly, even with the additional bets.
Huge 1200 To 1 Payoffs
The Double Action Track looks like a racetrack, with numbers following the same order as on the wheel. Wagers placed here win a huge 1200 to 1 payoff if the ball lands on the same corresponding number on both rings of numbers. This is an attractive wager because of the high payoff, but should be bet sparingly as the house edge is a whopping 12.27 percent.
Electronic Version
In addition to the live table version, TCSJOHNHUXLEY offers an electronic terminal version with Novo Unity II. This configuration allows casinos to offer gaming to many players on their own terminal screens with a centralized wheel and one or two dealers handling the crowd.
This new version that includes the Double Action bets can accommodate up to 100 individual players on their own playing screens. Players who enjoy standard roulette may find that having two layouts to bet at one time is quite a challenge.
Beating Double Action Roulette
The additional side bets on Double Action Roulette are much like craps, where proposition bets have higher payoffs than the pass line, but also hold a much higher casino edge. When there is a big hand going at craps and every roll is a winner, a few wagers with a high house edge don’t hurt so much. However, roulette doesn’t offer the same advantage, so plunging on a string of high house-edge bets will hurt the player more in the long run.
To beat the new Double Action game, players should steer clear of outside wagers. The house edge is just too high, especially if the game offered is a double-zero wheel. Instead, take advantage of having two separate layouts for your wagers and invoke the traditional odds of single-zero roulette on inside bets.
Using a pad and paper, players should be able to play either a Labouchere or Pivot system on both layouts (betting on both spinning rings of numbers). Start with the same wager and number on both layouts, and then continue the system as usual. You’ll have twice the work, and will also find that often both layouts are struggling. However, there will be times when both layouts are winning for you and you’ll win twice as much as you do on a standard wheel.
Betting the Columns
If you just can’t stay away from the columns and sections bet on the Double Action game, consider a revised betting scheme. Many column and section bettors simply place a wager and then increase their bet until it wins using the following string of bets: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 6 – 9 – 13 – 20 – 30 – 45 – 67 – 100. Obviously if it does not hit in 12 spins, the player loses their bankroll of 300 units. Because the player at Double Action must hit their section on both rings of numbers, the wager will not win nearly as often. However, the higher payoff greatly reduces the wager amount. A new string of wagers can be: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-4-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-13. Your risk is 101 chips. You get 24 spins to win.
Another variation is trying to hit a section or column wager twice in a row. You can try this by continually wagering a single chip until you win, which pays 8 chips. Then leave the entire 9 chips up for the next spin. If you catch a double-double, your payoff is 72 chips plus the previous 8 for a total payoff of 80. Of course if you are going this direction, you might want to just play the 1200-1 wager on occasion.