Roulette
Roulette is played at the classic tables of the gaming hall. The casino introduced American Roulette in 1989; on its game page it says only the look of the tables differs from French roulette, and that American Roulette uses its own coloured chips.
Touchbet-Roulette is played at a touchscreen terminal linked to two automatic and two regular roulette tables. You bet at a table of your choice and have a full layout to yourself. The casino’s slot-machine page counts 23 such stations. In 2013 the casino introduced a fully automatic roulette system with 23 seats linked to two tables, a first in Hesse.
The house special is the Bad Homburger Viertelchance: a bet on a group of nine numbers that pays 3:1.
| Bet | Pays | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Plein (a single number) | 35:1 | 1/37 (2.7%) |
| Cheval (two numbers) | 17:1 | 2/37 (5.41%) |
| Transversale Plein (three numbers) | 11:1 | 3/37 (8.11%) |
| Carré and Die ersten vier (four numbers) | 8:1 | 4/37 (10.81%) |
| Transversale Simple (six numbers) | 5:1 | 6/37 (16.22%) |
| Viertelchance (nine numbers) | 3:1 | not stated |
| Kolonne and Dutzend | 2:1 | 12/37 (32.43%) |
| Einfache Chancen (for example red or black) | 1:1 | 18/37 (48.65%) |
The roulette page states no stake limits. It reminds players to keep an eye on the minimum stakes at each table. Bets are placed on the croupier’s call “Bitte das Spiel zu machen!” and end with “Nichts geht mehr!” once the ball is rolling.
Black Jack
Black Jack arrived in 1983. The casino’s page mentions four tables and invites you to take a seat at one of seven boxes (“eine der 7 Boxen”). The dealer draws until reaching at least 17, and a two-card 21 pays 1.5 times the stake. The page does not say whether the dealer stands on a soft 17, and it gives no stake limits or payout rate for the main game.
Free Bet Black Jack was introduced in 2015, a German first. You may double and split without an extra stake: the dealer marks the bet with a chip. Free splits apply to all card values except tens and picture cards and can be repeated, and free doubles are allowed on a first-two-card total of 9, 10 or 11 (without an ace), including after a split. If the bank has exactly 22, your stakes stay on the table (“push 22”), except for blackjacks.
Side bets and specials
- Chance Blanc: a heart ace carrying François Blanc’s picture is added to the deck. A Black Jack with that card pays 3:1.
- Gold Jack (optional): a bet on the dealer’s hand that pays only if the dealer has a Black Jack. Black Jack 19:1 (any suits), Silber Jack 77:1 (same suit), Gold Jack 300:1 (both hearts).
- Push 22 (optional): pays 11 times the stake if the bank reaches 22 points.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Poker came to Bad Homburg in 1995, and in 2013 the casino brought Ultimate Texas Hold’em to Hesse. It is played daily from 19:00 at tables with seven boxes against the bank, not against other players.
You bet on Ante and Blind (minimum €4), then receive two hidden cards. You may check or make a Play bet of three or four times the Ante. After the first three community cards a checked player may bet twice the Ante, and after the last two a player must bet once the Ante or fold. Only one raise is allowed per hand. You build the best five-card hand from seven cards to beat the bank, which must have at least a pair to qualify. If it does not, the Ante is returned unless you folded.
- Trips (optional): paid from three of a kind, even if your cards do not beat the bank.
- Ultimate Jackpot (optional, from €2): a Royal Flush wins 100% of the jackpot; a Straight Flush pays €600, Four of a Kind €200 and a Full House €20.
The casino gives a payout rate of 96.5% to 99.14% for the game, depending on how you play, and 89.89% for the Ultimate Jackpot. The highest payout rate is 500:1. The casino also lists a tournament calendar on its website, which changes too often to reproduce here: see the official tournament page.
Slot machines
The slot area, introduced in 1981, now has more than 160 machines on three floors, from the one-armed bandit to new releases. Stakes start at 1 cent, and admission is free. The area is open daily from 12:00 to 04:00. The casino quotes an average payout rate of 90% to 98.65% across its games.
There are no coins. You can insert banknotes at the machine or load credit onto a player card from the cash desk, and a personalised card also earns bonus points with every stake. The largest jackpot is called “Homburger Glück”, and every machine gives a chance at one of four jackpot wins. Current jackpot amounts are on the official jackpot page. A Jackpot Bar in the slot area is open around the clock.
Tipping, questions and online play
Tipping is voluntary and makes up part of the staff’s pay. Winners traditionally hand the croupier a chip with the words “Für die Angestellten”. Questions are best put to employees away from the tables, because the table staff are often too busy. And there is no online play: the casino states that it offers none.
Frequently asked
Which roulette is played at Spielbank Bad Homburg?
American Roulette, introduced in 1989, and Touchbet-Roulette, a touchscreen terminal linked to two automatic and two regular roulette tables. The casino says that only the look of the tables distinguishes American Roulette from French roulette.
What does a roulette win pay?
According to the casino: 35:1 on a single number, 17:1 on two numbers, 11:1 on three, 8:1 on four, 5:1 on six, 3:1 on the Viertelchance (nine numbers), 2:1 on dozens and columns and 1:1 on the even chances such as red or black. The average payout rate is 97.30% to 98.65%, depending on the chance played.
What is the minimum bet for Ultimate Texas Hold’em?
The minimum bet is €4 on Ante and Blind. The optional Ultimate Jackpot side bet starts at €2. The game is offered daily from 19:00.
How many slot machines are there?
The casino says it has more than 160 modern machines on three floors, playable from a stake of 1 cent, with free admission.
Do the slot machines take coins?
No. According to the casino, the machines no longer need coins. You can insert banknotes at the machine or load credit onto a player card at the cash desk (Spielkasse). A personalised card also collects bonus points.