Other casino games Gaming

Dragon phoenix at the Venetian

Written by Pai Yao

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

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.

其他娱乐场游戏

威尼斯人的“龙凤斗”

Written by Pai Yao

此文章首次刊登在《环球博彩》2011年5月/6月刊中。

威尼斯人将一个新游戏引入澳门,取名“龙凤”。对于那些从未玩过这个游戏的读者,《环球博彩》在此全面介绍一下这个传统澳大利亚游戏的澳门面孔。

龙凤是澳门威尼斯人博彩大厅里的最新游戏。这是它首次现身澳门,目前只在威尼斯人可以看到。这个游戏的基本玩法是,一位玩客(称为“掷币者”)将两枚硬币抛向空中,然后所有玩客来猜测硬币的哪面会朝上。

使用硬币来随机作决定的做法同硬币本身一样古老,但龙凤这个游戏与一个年仅100多岁的国家有着独特的文化关联。这个游戏从著名的澳大利亚游戏“two-up”借来,不过融入了中国色彩。人们常常在澳新军团日(澳大利亚用来纪念澳大利亚和新西兰军人的公共假日)玩“two-up”这个游戏。

龙凤

游戏很简单,深受那些在前线用赌博来释放恐惧、打破沉闷的士兵的喜爱。它玩法简单,唯一需要的就是两枚硬币,任意数目的士兵都可以参与。在西方,硬币的两面通常被称作“头”(有人头的一面)和“尾”(另一面)。掷币者通常试图掷出“头”。硬币两面很容易识别,因为“尾”的一面会画上一个醒目的白色十字。在龙凤游戏中用来代替硬币的“头”和“尾”的是有“凤”的一面(红色)以及有“龙”的一面(黑色)。

掷币者为其中一位玩客。龙凤不在赌台上玩,而是在一个大圈中。玩客围在圈外,而掷币者站在圈的中央。每位玩客都有机会作掷币者(掷币权绕着圈移动,就像是掷骰子游戏中桌边玩客轮流作掷骰人一样)。掷币者的首要任务是决定是否试图连续三次掷出龙,或连续三次掷出凤,然后作相应的投注,被称作“掷币者投注”(最低100港币,最高1000港币)。

只有掷币者可以作这个“掷币者投注”,其他人只能在龙或凤上投注。这些投注放在大圈边沿的方框中,称为“门”,一门中至多三个客人投注。最低投注为每人200港币,最高投注为每门20,000港币。掷币者进入圈中,用一个小的木制钱币承载器将两枚硬币抛向空中。硬币必须高出头顶,并且旋转。如果掷币无效,荷官会跑过去,在硬币落地之前打落或踢飞硬币,这样没人会知道结果究竟如何!好的掷币者需要技巧,才可以使两枚硬币在空中并肩起舞。

硬币落地后,由荷官喊出结果。如果出现一龙一凤,称为“龙凤配”,有点像百家乐中的平局,没输没赢。不过所有投注会冻结,不可以更改。然后继续掷币,直到两面同时出现龙或凤。例外情况是,如果龙凤配连续出现五次,那么赌场将收走所有龙和凤的投注,有点像轮盘中转到零。这是赌场唯一占优势之处,很少出现。所有的龙凤投注赔率均为1/1。

如果你想获得较大赢金,可以在“连续5次龙凤配”上投注(有点像投注轮盘中的零),最低100港币,最高1000港币。如果你走运赢了这个投注,赔彩为惊人的25/1!有些玩客喜欢在自己偏爱的一面(龙或凤)上投注,然后在“连续5次龙凤配”上买点小“保险”,以防它出现。

如果掷币者成功掷出3次自己选择的面(龙或凤),会在“掷币者投注”上得到7.5/1的回报。与百家乐一样,玩客常常会留意输赢的模式,你可能会发现有些掷币者总能为你带来好运。

在澳大利亚,这个游戏常常十分喧闹。当所有投注作好后,荷官会喊“掷币者进来”,代表着掷币者进入圈中,之后喝彩声就会开始一浪高过一浪

这个游戏很适合一帮朋友一起玩,为朋友喝彩是乐趣所在。如果他很走运,接连得手,你可以不停在他身上押注。你也可以押一个掷币者不成功,这也为游戏增添了气氛。这是个鼓励大嗓门的游戏。

如果你想亲身体验这个刺激的游戏,可以在澳门威尼斯人博彩大厅的百利酒廊附近找到。