This article first appeared in the May/Jun 2011 issue of World Gaming magazine.
The Venetian has introduced a new game to Macau called Dragon Phoenix. For those who have never played it World Gaming takes a comprehensive look at this new take on a traditional Australian game.
Dragon Phoenix is the latest game to hit the gaming floor of the Venetian Macau. This is the first time it has appeared in Macau and at this stage it is only offered at the Venetian. The basic concept of the game is that one of the players (called the ‘spinner’) tosses two coins in the air and everyone bets on which side the coins will land.
The practice of using a coin as a way of randomly deciding an outcome is as old as coins themselves, yet Dragon Phoenix has a unique cultural link to a country barely 100 years old. The game is borrowed from the famous Australian game of ‘two-up’, but has been given a Chinese flavour. ‘Two-up’ is played in Australia on the public holiday ANZAC Day, which honours Australian and New Zealand military service men and women.
Dragon phoenix
The game is very simple and was highly popular with soldiers who used gambling to alleviate fear and boredom at the front. It was an easy game to play as the only equipment needed is two coins, and any number of soldiers could bet on the outcome. In the West, the two sides of a coin are always referred to as ‘heads’ (the side with a picture of someone’s head on it) and ‘tails’ (the other side). The person throwing the coins always tried to throw heads and the coins were easily distinguished as the tails side of each coin was painted with a prominent white cross. Instead of ‘heads’ and ‘tails’ the coins used in Dragon Phoenix are red with a Phoenix on one side and black with a Dragon on the other.
The spinner is selected from those playing the game. Dragon Phoenix is not played on a table, it’s played in a large ring. Players stand in a circle outside the ring, and the spinner stands in the middle of the ring. Everyone who wants a turn to spin the coins has a chance to do so (the option to be spinner moves around the ring, just like the option to be the shooter in craps moves around the table). The spinner’s first job is to decide if they are trying to throw three Dragon spins in a row, or three Phoenix spins in a row. They place a bet accordingly, called the ‘spinner’s bet’ (minimum HK$100 to maximum HK$1,000).
The spinner’s bet is only available to the spinner. Everyone else places bets on each single spin being either Dragon or Phoenix. These bets are placed in squares around the edge of the ring, with a maximum of three player’s bets in each square. The minimum bet is HK$200 per player and the maximum HK$20,000 per square. The crowd goes wild and the spinner steps into the middle of the ring and throws the two coins in the air, off a small wooden block called a ‘kip’. The spinner must throw the coins well above their head and the coins must be spinning. If the spin is no good the dealers will run in and hit or kick the coins before they land, so no one will know what the result might have been! There is a great skill to being a good spinner and there is nothing better than watching the two coins spinning wildly in unison high in the air.
The coins bounce on the floor and the dealers yell out the result. If the coins land with one Dragon and one Phoenix this is called odds and is a bit like a tie in baccarat – no-one wins or loses. However, if the spinner throws odds the bets are frozen and can not be changed. The coins are spun again and again until they land with both coins showing Dragon or both coins showing Phoenix. The exception is if the coins land odds five times in a row – in this case the casino takes all the bets on Dragon and Phoenix, a bit like hitting zero on a roulette wheel. This is the only commission paid to the house, and is a rare event. All winning bets placed on Dragon or Phoenix are paid at even money.
Finally, if you are looking for a big payout you can bet on the result of a spin being ‘five odds’ (a bit like betting on zero at roulette). The minimum bet on ‘five odds’ is HK$100 and the maximum is HK$1,000. If you’re lucky enough to win this bet you will be paid at the handsome odds of 25 to 1! Some players like to bet on their favourite side (Dragon or Phoenix), and then take a little ‘insurance’ on the ‘five odds bet’, just in case it comes up.
If the spinner is successful in spinning three of their chosen side (Dragon or Phoenix) they are rewarded with a massive 7.5 to 1 payoff on their ‘spinner’s bet’. As in baccarat, looking for patterns is generally considered part of the game and you may find some spinners are particularly lucky for you.
The game in Australia can get very noisy and when all bets have been placed the person running the game yells out ‘come in spinner’ which signals the time for the spinner to enter the ring and throw the coins, usually to a crescendo of yelling and cheering by the crowd.
This is a great game to play with a group of friends. Getting behind one of your friends and cheering him on is all part of the game. If he is lucky and starts getting on a hot roll you can keep betting on him. You can also bet on a spinner being unsuccessful which also adds to the atmosphere of the game. This is a game where cheering and being vocal is encouraged.
If you want to experience this exciting and fun game for yourself you’ll find it near the Bellini Bar on main gaming floor of the Venetian Macau.
