Spin roulette wheel for seating? (1 Viewer)

[GreekRedEye]

I woke up with this half formed notion that it might be fun to use a roulette wheel to assign folks a seat at the poker table. I have no idea how to make that work practically. I do not own a wheel nor have I ever played roulette.

Any ideas how to make this work? Ideally I am thinking one spin only and seat selection is random.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

So the balls would be marked for the players? And spun all at once? Think this is way overcomplicated lol. It could work but most roulette wheels aren't meant to spin 10 balls at once. Interested if you make it work but I want seat selection to be a very quick thoughtless process and this seems the opposite.

 

[louBdub]

Too much time for me haha.

My tubes have a number in the cap, with each cup holder having the corresponding number, and the button goes to the number Siri tells me.

Cards fly

Super fast and simple.

 

[allforcharity]

You're better off using dice. Roll 5 dice, total them up. Lowest = seat 1, next lowest = seat 2, etc.

 

[harrysallout]

Each spin would take too long.

Cards A-10. Shuffle and everyone picks one. Done.

 

[GreekRedEye]

I have seating chips coming to randomize seating. So I do not need a roulette wheel as a solution. I just thought, vaguely, it might be fun. But I do not know how to make it work.

 

[GreekRedEye]

So the balls would be marked for the players? And spun all at once? Think this is way overcomplicated lol. It could work but most roulette wheels aren't meant to spin 10 balls at once. Interested if you make it work but I want seat selection to be a very quick thoughtless process and this seems the opposite.

I had not thought of multiple balls. I was thinking 10 spins. Still not sure how it would work though.

 

[doublebooyah85]

Highly recommend a “wheel” of some sort for your home game.

We have a wheel for 3 card poker and spin it every 30-60 min with side money!

We also use if for giveaways, extra chips in tourneys etc

You can often find these “carnival” wheels on fb marketplace.

 

[BPTDirector]

Too much time and effort. Seating chips or writing seats in tube caps are simple and easy. No need for extravagance, play cards.

 

[Poker Zombie]

A roulette wheel is essentially a random number generator, generating numbers 1-36 with 1, or 2 (possibly 3 if you really hate people) Zeros.

Option 1, 2-36 players.
Players place markers on the mat, as many as possible while giving each player an equal number of markers, while leaving at least one space open. The ball is spun, winner gets seat 1. Spin again for Seats 2-(total players).

If the ball lands in an empty slot, all players pay a small blind to the pot. If the ball lands in a slot "owned" by an already seated player, they scoop the pot (which admittedly can be $0). When the number of players already seated >50% of the group, switch from a small blind to a big blind. While time consuming, it might be a fun pregame gambol.

Alternately, each player gets 1 marker when they arrive, +1 marker for each successive guest, then follow the rules above. Again, gambol, but with an incentive to get to the game time. Downside - it is weighted toward the host, and players are going to frequently be in a similar order (I find the order of arrival is fairly predictable), and is limited to 8 (or fewer) player games. Upside - nobody will be late.

 

[Sparkynutz]

Save the roulette wheel for playing roulette. A good wheel spins a long time, even longer for people that spin it like they are on wheel of fortune or get the ball bounced out.

Seating chips or cards are the way to go.

You can still play Roulette tho.
We play tournament style with a blind random timer. Everyone starts with 100 chips. Top 3 chip counts are paid out.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Save the roulette wheel for playing roulette. A good wheel spins a long time, even longer for people that spin it like they are on wheel of fortune or get the ball bounced out.

Seating chips or cards are the way to go.

You can still play Roulette tho.
We play tournament style with a blind random timer. Everyone starts with 100 chips. Top 3 chip counts are paid out.

I've often wondered about small -EV tournaments (roulette, craps, possibly slots). Aren't you the most likely to win by wagering the least? I get that because of variance you need to win at least once, but overall, less is more, right?

 

[Machine]

You do know that a wheel has non consecutive numbers ranging from 0 to 36 + a 00 or even a 000.

So tonight everyone gets one chip you can't bet the zero's, we spin you pick your seat once you get a win, a postage stamp beats a street, street beats a dbl street, no outside play, GO! If a zero hits and you've not gotten a seat you have to leave and we'll play 3 handed!

Until the players figure it out and all play the same number straight up, then you have the same problem you started with.

 

[chippitydoodah]

Here's an idea:

Seat #'s in the balls

 

[Sparkynutz]

I've often wondered about small -EV tournaments (roulette, craps, possibly slots). Aren't you the most likely to win by wagering the least? I get that because of variance you need to win at least once, but overall, less is more, right?

Some people get lucky.
Overall, The board is usually pretty much covered so somebody wins.
All it takes is a good run of luck.

 

[GreekRedEye]

A roulette wheel is essentially a random number generator, generating numbers 1-36 with 1, or 2 (possibly 3 if you really hate people) Zeros.

Option 1, 2-36 players.
Players place markers on the mat, as many as possible while giving each player an equal number of markers, while leaving at least one space open. The ball is spun, winner gets seat 1. Spin again for Seats 2-(total players).

If the ball lands in an empty slot, all players pay a small blind to the pot. If the ball lands in a slot "owned" by an already seated player, they scoop the pot (which admittedly can be $0). When the number of players already seated >50% of the group, switch from a small blind to a big blind. While time consuming, it might be a fun pregame gambol.

Alternately, each player gets 1 marker when they arrive, +1 marker for each successive guest, then follow the rules above. Again, gambol, but with an incentive to get to the game time. Downside - it is weighted toward the host, and players are going to frequently be in a similar order (I find the order of arrival is fairly predictable), and is limited to 8 (or fewer) player games. Upside - nobody will be late.

Yeah, the randomness of roulette is what got me thinking about this in the first place.

I imagine you could 3d print a little v shaped piece to block off any numbers you do not want in play. And the v forces the ball to a different well. Not sure it would help.

Brainstorming here. What if you inverted this and instead of the number representing a seat it represents a person? First spin is for first seat, second for second seat, etc. If your number hits you get that seat. So, if there are 30 wells and you have 10 players, you give each player 3 chips with unique numbers on them. Yes, someone would have 0 and someone else 00. If the ball lands in your well on spin #2, you get seat number 2? And at the same time, let folks play the board with their chips with some kind of payout if the number hits? So, you are kind of eliminated from the game if your chip number hits but rewarded if your board number hits?

And your chips get redistributed so the longer you stay the more chips you have? More chips means greater likelihood of being seated/eliminated but more opportunity to hit a board number and a reward? And redistributing chips means it ensures someone is always seated/eliminated each spin? Not sure what mechanism to use to redistribute chips.

If this sounds bonkers, remember I have never played roulette before!

 

[chippitydoodah]

Yeah, the randomness of roulette is what got me thinking about this in the first place.

I imagine you could 3d print a little v shaped piece to block off any numbers you do not want in play. And the v forces the ball to a different well. Not sure it would help.

Brainstorming here. What if you inverted this and instead of the number representing a seat it represents a person? First spin is for first seat, second for second seat, etc. If your number hits you get that seat. So, if there are 30 wells and you have 10 players, you give each player 3 chips with unique numbers on them. Yes, someone would have 0 and someone else 00. If the ball lands in your well on spin #2, you get seat number 2? And at the same time, let folks play the board with their chips with some kind of payout if the number hits? So, you are kind of eliminated from the game if your chip number hits but rewarded if your board number hits?

And your chips get redistributed so the longer you stay the more chips you have? More chips means greater likelihood of being seated/eliminated but more opportunity to hit a board number and a reward? And redistributing chips means it ensures someone is always seated/eliminated each spin? Not sure what mechanism to use to redistribute chips.

If this sounds bonkers, remember I have never played roulette before!

 

[Poker Zombie]

Yeah, the randomness of roulette is what got me thinking about this in the first place.

I imagine you could 3d print a little v shaped piece to block off any numbers you do not want in play. And the v forces the ball to a different well. Not sure it would help.

Brainstorming here. What if you inverted this and instead of the number representing a seat it represents a person? First spin is for first seat, second for second seat, etc. If your number hits you get that seat. So, if there are 30 wells and you have 10 players, you give each player 3 chips with unique numbers on them. Yes, someone would have 0 and someone else 00. If the ball lands in your well on spin #2, you get seat number 2? And at the same time, let folks play the board with their chips with some kind of payout if the number hits? So, you are kind of eliminated from the game if your chip number hits but rewarded if your board number hits?

And your chips get redistributed so the longer you stay the more chips you have? More chips means greater likelihood of being seated/eliminated but more opportunity to hit a board number and a reward? And redistributing chips means it ensures someone is always seated/eliminated each spin? Not sure what mechanism to use to redistribute chips.

If this sounds bonkers, remember I have never played roulette before!

As someone that has taken various esoteric routes to complete menial tasks, I get what you are doing.

However, there are an incredible number of people that when faced with a convoluted solution to a simple task who will simply ask "why"? For example, in chip races, I used to deal 1 card per extra chip. then I would deal a flop, turn and river. Best hand (or hands, depending on how many chips were being colored up) would win a chip. Way more interesting than "high card", but it was more elaborate than it needed to be, and everyone left on break and checked their stack to see if they won or not.

Additional notes since you've never played roulette:

• 1 spin takes 20 seconds. Add a few more to determine the winner, retrieve the ball, and start the next spin so about 30 seconds. Then recounting/redistributing chips may take up to a minute, so if you don't have to explain anything, and you hit a players number each time, you are talking about 10 minutes.
• Most wheels have 38 slots, so invariably, there will be spins that do not relate to anybody. It would easily be within the realm of variance where you spend 5 minutes with nobody being seated.

In the end, if all you want to do is seat people, then seat them in the easiest method possible. Otherwise, there needs to be a reason it took 30 minutes before the first card was dealt.

 

[doublebooyah85]

This makes zero sense if you have never played roulette before. I thought maybe you were trying to find more ways to utilize your wheel.

 

[jpoppaaa]

We usually do a seat change every hour and a half even if we are only at one table. Anyone else make a similar change? It seems to spice up the action a bit and stops people from complaining about position as much.

 

[GreekRedEye]

This makes zero sense if you have never played roulette before. I thought maybe you were trying to find more ways to utilize your wheel.

As someone that has taken various esoteric routes to complete menial tasks, I get what you are doing.

However, there are an incredible number of people that when faced with a convoluted solution to a simple task who will simply ask "why"? FOr example, in chip races, I used to deal 1 card per extra chip. then I would deal a flop, turn and river. Best hand (or hands, depending on how many chips were being colored up) would win a chip. Way more interesting than "high card", but it was more elaborate than it needed to be, and everyone left on break and checked their stack to see if they won or not.

Additional notes since you've never played roulette:

• 1 spin takes 20 seconds. Add a few more to determine the winner, retrieve the ball, and start the next spin so about 30 seconds. Then recounting/redistributing chips may take up to a minute, so if you don't have to explain anything, and you hit a players number each time, you are talking about 10 minutes.
• Most wheels have 38 slots, so invariably, there will be spins that do not relate to anybody. It would easily be within the realm of variance where you spend 5 minutes with nobody being seated.

In the end, if all you want to do is seat people, then seat them in the easiest method possible. Otherwise, there needs to be a reason it took 30 minutes before the first card was dealt.

I was just thinking out loud. Thanks for indulging me. I am convinced this is a dead end.

My thoughts process before the first post did not go beyond: "Seating should be random. Roulette produces random results. Hmmm."

 

[allforcharity]

A decent roulette wheel is hella expensive, too .