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Touchdown Roulette
Introduction
Touchdown Roulette is a side bet in some electronic roulette games made by Interblock. If the player makes the side bet and the ball lands in zero or double-zero, then the player will play a simulated football game based on four roulette spins. Following the complete rules and odds.
Rules
- The game is based on standard double-zero roulette.
- In addition to all the usual bets, the player may bet $1 to $5 on a side bet down as Touchdown Roulette. All other outcomes, 1 to 36, shall cause the side bet to lose.
- If the ball lands in zero or double-zero, then the game will go into a simulated football game.
- Before the game, each player who made the side bet will pick the red or black team.
- The ball shall start on the 50-yard line (the middle of the field).
- The next four spins will determine the movement of ball, as follows:
- Red 1 to 10: 3 yards towards a Red Team touchdown.
- Black 1 to 10: 3 yards towards a Black Team touchdown.
- Red 11 to 20: 5 yards towards a Red Team touchdown.
- Black 11 to 20: 5 yards towards a Black Team touchdown.
- Red 21 to 30: 10 yards towards a Red Team touchdown.
- Black 21 to 30: 10 yards towards a Black Team touchdown.
- Red 31 to 36: 15 yards towards a Red Team touchdown.
- Black 31 to 36: 15 yards towards a Black Team touchdown.
- After the fourth spin, the location of the ball shall determine the winner of the game. If the ball is closer to a Red Touchdown, then red wins. Vise-versa for black. If the ball is on the 50-yard line, then the game shall be a tie.
- The table below shows the win for each possible outcome under two known pay tables available for the game, identified by the casinos that have the game. Wins according to the yard line are for bets on the winning team only.
Touchdown Roulette
| Yard Line | Borgata | South Point |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 500 to 1 | 1000 to 1 |
| 1 to 10 | 250 to 1 | 200 to 1 |
| 11 to 20 | 75 to 1 | 75 to 1 |
| 21 to 30 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| 31 to 40 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| 41 to 50 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 |
| 50 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Loss | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
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Analysis
The following table shows the probability of each ball position after each spin.
Touchdown Roulette — Ball Position Probability Table
| Yard Line | Spin 1 | Spin 2 | Spin 3 | Spin 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001204 |
| 1 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 2 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000259 |
| 3 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 4 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 5 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000492 | 0.002118 |
| 6 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 7 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001295 |
| 8 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000259 |
| 9 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 10 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.003882 |
| 11 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 12 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003453 |
| 13 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001295 |
| 14 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000647 |
| 15 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006561 | 0.006292 |
| 16 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 17 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.006033 |
| 18 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003453 |
| 19 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002158 |
| 20 | 0.000000 | 0.006233 | 0.011463 | 0.011026 |
| 21 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 22 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.008201 | 0.008776 |
| 23 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.006033 |
| 24 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003957 |
| 25 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016675 | 0.018426 |
| 26 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001367 |
| 27 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.015035 | 0.012373 |
| 28 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.008201 | 0.008776 |
| 29 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.004100 | 0.004460 |
| 30 | 0.000000 | 0.038089 | 0.023509 | 0.026519 |
| 31 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003357 |
| 32 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016949 | 0.019586 |
| 33 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.015035 | 0.012373 |
| 34 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.005395 |
| 35 | 0.078947 | 0.042936 | 0.041314 | 0.031338 |
| 36 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.005156 |
| 37 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.020502 | 0.025034 |
| 38 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016949 | 0.019886 |
| 39 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.007194 |
| 40 | 0.131579 | 0.051939 | 0.054399 | 0.036525 |
| 41 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006378 | 0.004940 |
| 42 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.027336 | 0.026473 |
| 43 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.020502 | 0.025034 |
| 44 | 0.000000 | 0.017313 | 0.002734 | 0.010695 |
| 45 | 0.131579 | 0.069252 | 0.057133 | 0.042856 |
| 46 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.006594 |
| 47 | 0.131579 | 0.013850 | 0.040184 | 0.024133 |
| 48 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.027336 | 0.026473 |
| 49 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.008393 |
| 50 | 0.052632 | 0.119114 | 0.048586 | 0.049006 |
| 51 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.008393 |
| 52 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.027336 | 0.026473 |
| 53 | 0.131579 | 0.013850 | 0.040184 | 0.024133 |
| 54 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.006594 |
| 55 | 0.131579 | 0.069252 | 0.057133 | 0.042856 |
| 56 | 0.000000 | 0.017313 | 0.002734 | 0.010695 |
| 57 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.020502 | 0.025034 |
| 58 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.027336 | 0.026473 |
| 59 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006378 | 0.004940 |
| 60 | 0.131579 | 0.051939 | 0.054399 | 0.036525 |
| 61 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.007194 |
| 62 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016949 | 0.019886 |
| 63 | 0.000000 | 0.034626 | 0.020502 | 0.025034 |
| 64 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.005156 |
| 65 | 0.078947 | 0.042936 | 0.041314 | 0.031338 |
| 66 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006834 | 0.005395 |
| 67 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.015035 | 0.012373 |
| 68 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016949 | 0.019586 |
| 69 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003357 |
| 70 | 0.000000 | 0.038089 | 0.023509 | 0.026519 |
| 71 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.004100 | 0.004460 |
| 72 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.008201 | 0.008776 |
| 73 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.015035 | 0.012373 |
| 74 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001367 |
| 75 | 0.000000 | 0.020776 | 0.016675 | 0.018426 |
| 76 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003957 |
| 77 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.006033 |
| 78 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.008201 | 0.008776 |
| 79 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 80 | 0.000000 | 0.006233 | 0.011463 | 0.011026 |
| 81 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002158 |
| 82 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003453 |
| 83 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.006033 |
| 84 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 85 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.006561 | 0.006292 |
| 86 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000647 |
| 87 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001295 |
| 88 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.003453 |
| 89 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 90 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.002460 | 0.003882 |
| 91 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 92 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000259 |
| 93 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001295 |
| 94 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 95 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000492 | 0.002118 |
| 96 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 97 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| 98 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000259 |
| 99 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Touchdown | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 | 0.001204 |
Based on the table above, the next table shows the probability and return from each possible outcome of the Touchdown Roulette bet under both pay tables.
Touchdown Roulette — Borgata Return Table
| Event | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 500 | 0.000063 | 0.031690 |
| 1 to 10 yard line | 250 | 0.000411 | 0.102802 |
| 11 to 20 yard line | 75 | 0.001808 | 0.135622 |
| 21 to 30 yard line | 50 | 0.004773 | 0.238650 |
| 31 to 40 yard line | 25 | 0.008729 | 0.218217 |
| 41 to 49 yard line | 10 | 0.009242 | 0.092416 |
| 50 yard line | 5 | 0.002579 | 0.012896 |
| All other | 1 | 0.025026 | 0.025026 |
| No bonus | -1 | 0.947368 | -0.947368 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.090049 |
The average bonus win under the Borgata rules is 16.289067.
Touchdown Roulette — South Point Return Table
| Event | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 1000 | 0.000063 | 0.063381 |
| 1 to 10 yard line | 200 | 0.000411 | 0.082241 |
| 11 to 20 yard line | 75 | 0.001808 | 0.135622 |
| 21 to 30 yard line | 50 | 0.004773 | 0.238650 |
| 31 to 40 yard line | 25 | 0.008729 | 0.218217 |
| 41 to 49 yard line | 10 | 0.009242 | 0.092416 |
| 50 yard line | 5 | 0.002579 | 0.012896 |
| All other | 1 | 0.025026 | 0.025026 |
| No bonus | -1 | 0.947368 | -0.947368 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.078919 |
The average bonus win under the South Point rules is 16.500540.
Strategy
Given that the house edge on every roulette bet is 5.26%, and for Touchdown Roulette it is 7.89% or 9.00%, depending on the rules, the proper strategy for the game is to bet anything except the Touchdown Roulette side bet and the dreaded 0-00-1-2-3 combination bet, which carries a house edge of 7.89%.
If you must make the Touchdown Roulette bet and given the choice of where to play, then look for the more liberal South Point 1000-200 pay table on the top two awards.
External Links
- Press release about the game launch at the Borgata, from the game maker's web site.
- Wizard of Vegas — Discussion about Touchdown Roulette at my forum.