Gambling Guide

Razzle is a game sometimes presented on carnival midways. This generic name is seldom known to players as it is generally presented as Football, Ten Points Win, Baseball, Mo-Co, Indian Poker, Cajun Bingo or other name selected to generate interest for the locals.

Razzle consists of playing board with numbered holes, averaging 120, upon which eight marbles are spilled from a cup. The numbers are added to a total and that total is displayed on a chart, that looks something like a calendar, with the value for that number displayed beneath it. The player does not have to win or lose each play but can incrementally progress through the game to an ultimate win.

The best part of the game is that more than one prize can be won in a game. All the player must do is score a certain number, usually 29, to win additional prizes.

All regular Razzle players try for 29. Besides awarding additional prizes, the prizes are guaranteed to the player together with the player's investment in the game upon successful completion of the game. Not many games offer such a generous proposition. After scoring 29, the only way a player loses is to drop dead or quit before finishing the game.

Unfortunately, almost all Razzle games are not run honestly. The "10 points or more" chart is the secret. The numbers most likely to come up are worthless or only indicate that you have to double or increase the bet. Most dishonest razzle games also rely on a fast count by the game operator to trick the player into believing he either has a better or worse number total than he actually rolled.

The only way the game operator (carnie) can lose is when the player runs out of money or calls the police. Razzle falls into the category of carnival games known as "flats" or "two way" joints ("joint" is the term for a carnival game). The "two way" refers to the ability of the operator to run the game fairly or dishonestly.