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Shake the Plate
Introduction
Shake the Plate, or Xoc Dia, is a mostly illegal Vietnamese gambling game. It is played with four chips, each red on one side and white on the other. The chips are put on a plate and covered with a bowl. After players make bets on the outcome, the dealer will shake the plate/bowl combo, lift up the bowl, and pay winners. Bets are available on the number of chips that will land red face up.
I noticed this game at an Internet casino offering live dealer games. One of them was this game, although they title it "sede," for reasons I have no idea. It is my understanding that the Vietnamese name Xoc Dia translates to "shake the plate," which sounds better so I'm titling it that.
Rules
Here are the rules to Shake the Plate.
- The game uses the following equipment: a plate, bowl, and chips colored red on one side and white on the other.
- The chips are placed on the plate and covered with a bowl.
- The table below shows the available bets.
- After players have made their bets everything will be shaken. Then the bowl will be lifted up to reveal the outcome. Winning wagers will then be paid.
Following are the bets available. The pays are those used at a live dealer Internet casino by Evolution Gaming and Asia Live Tech (ALT). Pays are on a "to one" basis, meaning you get your original bet back if you win. I imagine that payouts may vary if you play elsewhere.
Evolution Gaming Pay Table
| Bet | Evolution | ALT |
|---|---|---|
| All red | 9 | 9.5 |
| All white | 9 | 9.5 |
| Three red | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Three white | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Even reds | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Odd reds | 0.96 | 0.97 |
The "even reds" bet wins if there are 0, 2, or 4 reds. The "odd reds" wins if there are 1 or 3 reds.
Note there is no bet on 2 Reds. Why, I have no idea.
Analysis
The following table shows the probability of winning and house edge according to the pays by Evolution Gaming. Pays are on a "to one" basis.
Evolution Gaming Analysis
| Bet | Pays | Combinations | Probability of Winning |
House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All red | 9 | 1 | 6.25% | 37.50% |
| All white | 9 | 1 | 6.25% | 37.50% |
| Three red | 2.5 | 4 | 25.00% | 12.50% |
| Three white | 2.5 | 4 | 25.00% | 12.50% |
| Even reds | 0.96 | 8 | 50.00% | 2.00% |
| Odd reds | 0.96 | 8 | 50.00% | 2.00% |
I imagine in the streets of Vietnam the pay table in this game may vary. The following tables show the house edge according to various pays on the three types of bets.
Zero Reds and All Reds
| Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 9 | 37.50% |
| 10 | 31.25% |
| 11 | 25.00% |
| 12 | 18.75% |
| 13 | 12.50% |
| 14 | 6.25% |
| 15 | 0.00% |
One Red and Three Reds
| Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 2.5 | 12.50% |
| 2.6 | 10.00% |
| 2.7 | 7.50% |
| 2.8 | 5.00% |
| 2.9 | 2.50% |
| 3 | 0.00% |
Even Reds and Odd Reds
| Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 0.9 | 5.00% |
| 0.91 | 4.50% |
| 0.92 | 4.00% |
| 0.93 | 3.50% |
| 0.94 | 3.00% |
| 0.95 | 2.50% |
| 0.96 | 2.00% |
| 0.97 | 1.50% |
| 0.98 | 1.00% |
| 0.99 | 0.50% |
| 1 | 0.00% |
Asia Live Tech
Following are the pays and return offered on each bet by Asia Live Tech (a live dealer studio for Internet casinos).
Asia Live Tech Analysis
| Bet | Pays | Combinations | Probability of Winning |
House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All red | 9.5 | 1 | 6.25% | 34.38% |
| All white | 9.5 | 1 | 6.25% | 34.38% |
| Three red | 2.5 | 4 | 25.00% | 12.50% |
| Three white | 2.5 | 4 | 25.00% | 12.50% |
| Even reds | 0.97 | 8 | 50.00% | 1.50% |
| Odd reds | 0.97 | 8 | 50.00% | 1.50% |
Strategy
Like all games of pure luck, the only strategy is in bet selection. With the lowest house advantage on even and odd, I would strongly suggest betting those only, at least under the Evolution Gaming pay table.
External Links
Discussion of Shake the Plate in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.