Okay, this is a bit of departure from social, economic or business thoughts – but heck, it is my website so I get to post whatever I like!

Dice as a Means to an End

I recently taught the dice game twice in the past few weeks. I had to remember the rules so I thought I would jot them down for future reference. My good friend Darryl N. taught my family this game decades ago and we have evolved the rules since then.  Many families I have come across have played variations which I have incorporated.

I like this game primarily because the play is simple and it can be scaled up or down to the either children or adults.  It is both competitive and cooperative and for younger players, it teach strategy, decision making a rudimentary statistical calculations.

Objective:

• Be the first player to get more than 10,000 points.
• Variation, if played exact, the winner must get exactly 10,000 points.
• The amount can be adjusted to accommodate short play times (e.g. play to 5,000).

Equipment and roles:

• Five die
• 1 scoring sheet divided into the number of players.
• 1 Score keeper.
• 2 or more players.
• Optional: mulligan markers (see below for Children’s variations).

Scoring:

• 1 and 5’s score 100 and 50 respectively.
• Three Of Kind (e.g. 3 Twos) score the number X 100 (e.g. 3xTwo’sx100 = 200).
• Four of a kind = double three of kind (e.g. 4xTwo’sx100x2 = 400).
• Five of a kind = double four a kind.
• A five die straight in one role = 450 points.
• Five ones in one roll = 10,000 points and automatically wins the game.

Rolls:

• On the Board: 500 points is required to be on the board
• Once a player is on the board, they can accept lower point rolls.
• A roll must have at least one scoring die to be counted (e.g. a 1, 5, of-kind or straight)
• A roll without a scoring die is a bust.
• If all dice are scoring, the player must roll all five.
• If there are non-scoring dice left after a player has taken their points, the next player can roll these dice and build on the previous points.
• A straight must be immediately scored and then passed on to the next player who will roll all five dice. A straight cannot be used to get on the board.

Rule Variations:

• If playing exact to 10,000 then the following variation is used to manage rolls that are passed on:
  • If a player rolls at least 500 points and the next player needs less than 500 points to get exactly 10,000, then the roll pass by the second player to the next player.
  • If the next player similarly needs less than 500 points, it pass on to the next player.
  • This continues potentially around the table to the original player.
  • If no player can build on the dice because they all require less than 500 points, it is considered a bust and the natural next player rolls the dice.
• If playing with children, mulligans can be used:
  • Based on the age of the children, mulligans can be provided.
  • For example, six and under perhaps 6 mulligans, older than six, one less mulligan per age until zero mulligans at age twelve.
  • Mulligans can be used either at any time or only on a single die roll per house rule.
  • A mulligan can be a chip or a piece of candy.
  • If candy, if the mulligan is taken, the player gets to eat the candy.  Any mulligans not used, either the player gets the remaining candy or they must be given to the winner as their prize.
  • The overall intent of the mulligans is to get younger children engaged in the game, teach them strategy and the value of delayed gratification.  Adjust the above rules as required.
• If playing with adults, a gambling element can be used:
  • Each player must pay for a bust.
  • If they have not reached the minimum 500 points to get on the board, they pay the pot a fixed amount (e.g. a penny or nickel).
  • Similarly if they bust, even after being on the board, they must buy the roll.
  • When a player is down to a single die and wishes to roll that die, they and the other players can bet against the pot.
    • This is done by putting one or more bets in.
    • If the resulting single die is a one or five, the bettors keep their bet plus a payout equal to their bet.
    • E.g. if they bet two nickels, they keep their nickels and draw out two other nickels from the pot.
    • If the resulting roll is not scoring, all players contribute their bets to the pot.
    • They player who wins (e.g. past 10,000 or exact), receives the pot.

Has your family ever played Dice or do you have a variation that you want to share?  If so, drop me a note and I will list them here.

Other Links and Variations

• Wikipedia, note played with six die.
• Google, (rules+dice+game+10000) expect a half million results.