Big Six Wheel or as it is also known, Wheel of Fortune or simply Big Six, is a real casino classic. Despite offering one of the worst house advantages on the casino floor and being based entirely on pure chance, its incredible popularity can be summarized by its star attraction: the Big Six wheel itself.

How It’s Played, Simply

The Big Six wheel is made up of 54 equal-sized segments, a leather or rubber pointer and one of seven values within each segment (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, two wilds) with wilds only appearing once and the bigger numbers appearing less than the smaller numbers. Casino patrons place bets on the pointer landing on one of those numbers of wilds and the payouts are based on the numbers themselves. 

So, betting $20 on the pointer landing on 1 will result in a $20 payout. A $100 payout if the same $20 was bet on 5 (20×5) and a $400 payout if the best was on 20 (20×20). For the wilds, each has a 40 to 1 payout (though a 54 to 1 odds, which is where the house advantage comes in) so that $20 would net you $800 (20×40) if the pointer lands on either wild.   

Its Massive Popularity

The Big 6 Wheel is such a beloved classic that variants of it have populated carnivals, charity drives and more than a few game shows over the years. The above applies specifically to the variants found in casinos, but there’s really not much difference between the Big Six Wheel and the Wheel of Fortune of the famous game show of the same name. The segments on the wheel can be dollar values or an assortment of different prizes, but the way you win is the same on any version of the game: the pointer lands on a certain segment and you win whatever prize is offered in that segment – be it a multiple of your bet, a cash prize or a prize car.

There’s something about that large, vertical, spinning wheel that really draws in the crowd. 

Tips, Tricks and Strategies to Win Big

Let’s cut straight to the chase: Big Six Wheel, in all its variants, is a game of pure, dumb luck. There is absolutely no skill involved with playing it and part of its appeal is just how easy it is to play. As such, there is virtually no strategy, tip or trick that can be employed to win at it or even just to increase your odds substantially. You (or in most cases, the croupier) spins the wheel and it has an equal chance to land on any segment. It’s that simple.

The one place where there is some strategy required, though, is in the betting. Not a ton of strategy, of course, but some:

1. Make sure that you’ve set yourself a betting budget and only bet within that budget.  
2. The next thing you need to do is decide whether you want to use that budget just on Big Six or on other casino games as well. 
3. Decide whether you want to play for a quick payout or if the main point is to stick around for a long time playing the wheel. 
4. Depending on your answers for the above, bet accordingly. If you want to stay in the game for a while, keep your bets low and bet on the lower numbers. If you want to just hang around at the Big Six part of the casino for a couple of minutes before you move on with the hope of winning big, bet your allocated cash (say one-fifth of your budget for the night) on a high number or on a wild.
    
5. That said, whichever one you choose, you increase the likelihood of winning slightly by betting on two separate numbers (or a number and a wild) on every spin. Betting on multiple values each round would be a mistake, but you’re more likely to do well if you bet on two or, at maximum, three values at once. 

With all that said, Big Six is not a game for having a high chance of winning big. Use these tips as a guide but remember the most important thing: Big Six is supposed to be fun. When it stops being fun, it’s time to count your losses and leave.