Guzzling and gambling usually make bad bedfellows. But at two local drinkeries, games of chance are half the fun. Back Bay's Bukowski Tavern and the upstairs bar at Davis Square's Redbones are twin utopias for beer lovers. Bukowski boasts 99-plus on draught and in bottles, while Redbones' 24 taps are in near-constant rotation with some of the best and most hard-to-find craft brews. But for the imbiber with catholic tastes, both bars pose a dilemma. How to decide?

Just spin the wheel. At Redbones, the giant "Dial a Draft" disk hangs menacingly on the wall. When indecisive customers opt to try their luck, a heavy wooden arrow spins around two dozen demarcations, each representing a tap.

At Bukowski, patrons spin the "Beer Wheel," which is constructed from bicycle parts. The loving renditions of beer labels were painted by bartender Catherine, who estimates that the wheel takes a turn at least a dozen times a night. She also says patrons on the whole are "more disappointed than not" with what they end up drinking. The two most accursed selections: Old Milwaukee (which, of course, tastes like dishwater) and Orval -- a potent Belgian Trappist ale that sells for a whopping $10 per pint.

So why would people willingly subject themselves to such a risk? Simple. "It fulfills the gambling urge."

And bettors should know better than to ask for do-overs when things don't go their way. "Oh no," says Catherine. "No second tries. We've taken to explaining that in great detail."

Bukowski Tavern, 50 Dalton Street, Boston, (617) 437-9999; Redbones, 55 Chester Street, Somerville, (617) 628-2200.