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Uptown Downtown
Introduction
I first saw Uptown/Downtown at the Silver Legacy in Reno on January 19, 2017. It is a simple dice game where every bet is resolved in one throw.
Rules
Uptown/Downtown uses two ordinary six-sided dice. There are seven bets to choose from on each throw, as follows:
- Downtown: Pays 6 to 5 on a total of 2 to 6.
- Uptown: Pays 6 to 5 on a total of 8 to 12.
- Midtown: Pays 4 to 1 on a total of 7.
- Even: Pays 1 to 1 on totals of 4, 6, 8, and 10. A 2 or 12 results in a push.
- Odd: Pays 1 to 1 on totals of 5, 7, 9, or 11. A 3 results in a push.
- 2 or 12: Pays 15 to 1 on a total of 2 or 12.
- 3 or 11: Pays 7 to 1 on a total of 3 or 11.
Players shall take turns shooting the dice. The shooter must make a bet on Downtown or Uptown. He may keep shooting as long as he keeps winning.
If my rules were not clear, maybe the rack card will be more clear. Click on the image for a larger version.
Analysis
The following tables show my analysis of each bet. The expected return can be found in the lower right cell of each table.
Downtown (Total of 2 to 6)
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 6 | 1.2 | 15 | 0.416667 | 0.500000 |
| 7 to 12 | -1 | 21 | 0.583333 | -0.583333 |
| Tota | 36 | 1.000000 | -0.083333 |
Uptown (Total of 8 to 12)
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 | 1.2 | 15 | 0.416667 | 0.500000 |
| 2 to 7 | -1 | 21 | 0.583333 | -0.583333 |
| Tota | 36 | 1.000000 | -0.083333 |
Midtown (Total of 7)
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 6 | 0.166667 | 0.666667 |
| All other | -1 | 30 | 0.833333 | -0.833333 |
| Total | 36 | 1.000000 | -0.166667 |
Even
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4, 6, 8, 10 | 1 | 16 | 0.444444 | 0.444444 |
| 2, 12 | 0 | 2 | 0.055556 | 0.000000 |
| 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 | -1 | 18 | 0.500000 | -0.500000 |
| Total | 36 | 0.944444 | -0.055556 |
Odd
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5, 7, 9, 11 | 1 | 16 | 0.444444 | 0.444444 |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.055556 | 0.000000 |
| 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | -1 | 18 | 0.500000 | -0.500000 |
| Total | 36 | 0.944444 | -0.055556 |
2 or 12
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 15 | 2 | 0.055556 | 0.833333 |
| 3 to 11 | -1 | 34 | 0.944444 | -0.944444 |
| Total | 36 | 1.000000 | -0.111111 |
3 or 11
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 or 11 | 7 | 4 | 0.111111 | 0.777778 |
| All other | -1 | 32 | 0.888889 | -0.888889 |
| Total | 36 | 1.000000 | -0.111111 |
Strategy
Following is the house edge of each bet:
- Uptown: 8.33%
- Downtown: 8.33%
- Midtown: 16.67%
- Even: 5.56%
- Odd: 5.56%
- 2 or 12: 11.11%
- 3 or 11: 11.11%
My advice is that if you must play, stick to the even and odd bets only, which carry the lowest house edge. Please keep in mind the odds in craps are much better.
External Links
Discussion about Uptown/Downtown in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.