Casino and betting dice games

These are the games of casinos, taverns and street corners, explained so you can play them at the kitchen table with chips instead of cash. Craps is the flagship, and its medieval ancestor Hazard shows where it all came from.

Casino and betting dice games

Three dice, endless variants

Sic Bo and Chuck-a-Luck let everyone bet on the same three dice, while Cee-lo ranks the results in a fast banker duel. Simpler still are Under and Over Seven and Cho-Han, decided in a single roll.

A note on stakes

All of these games were made for gambling, which is why they carry an 18+ label here. The rules describe them with chips and points, and they lose none of their tension that way.

The casino games

Twenty-Six

Pick a number from 1 to 6, roll ten dice thirteen times and count the hits. A score of 26 or more pays out.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Forty-One

Roll six dice and set one aside per roll. You must keep a 4 and a 1, and the other four dice count as your score.

2-8 players
15-25 minutes
18+ years

Barbudi

Shooter and fader stake the same amount, then roll two dice: 3-3, 5-5, 6-6 and 6-5 win, 1-1, 2-2, 4-4 and 1-2 lose.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Boss Dice

A two-player duel of poker hands and hidden rolls, where the boss decides whether the round counts at all.

2 players
10-15 minutes
18+ years

Buck Dice

Roll three dice and count hits on the point number. Land on exactly 15 points to step out, and the last player left loses.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Cee-lo (alias Four-Five-Six, 4-5-6 or Three Dice Game)

Roll three dice until you hit 4-5-6, triples or a point, and try to beat the banker's result.

2-6 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Cho-Han (alias Cho-Han Bakuchi)

The dealer shakes two dice under a cup, and you bet on whether the total comes up even or odd.

2-10 players
5-10 minutes
18+ years

Chuck-a-Luck (alias Bird Cage)

Bet on a number from 1 to 6, let the banker roll three dice, and get paid for every die that matches.

2-8 players
5-15 minutes
18+ years

Craps

Roll two dice, bet pass or don't pass, and follow the shooter from the come-out roll to the point.

2-8 players
10-60 minutes
18+ years

Cubilete

A Cuban cup game where aces count the most, and five aces (a carabina) wins the entire match on the spot.

2-6 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Hazard

Name a main, roll two dice, and win with a nick or by hitting your chance before the main comes back.

2-8 players
15-30 minutes
18+ years

High Dice (alias Beat the Bank)

The banker rolls two dice, and you get one roll to beat the total. A fast banking game also known as Beat the Bank.

2-8 players
5-10 minutes
18+ years

Hoo Hey How (alias Fish-Prawn-Crab)

Bet on one of six symbols, let the banker roll three dice, and get paid for every die that matches your pick.

2-8 players
5-15 minutes
18+ years

Hooligan

Seven rounds with five dice where you call the row you are going for, and rolling a hooligan scores 20 points.

2-8 players
15-25 minutes
10+ years

Klondike (dice)

The banker rolls five dice into a poker-style hand, and each player gets one roll to beat it. Aces rank highest.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Macao

Roll a single die towards 9, stop in time and try to beat the banker without going bust.

3-6 players
10-15 minutes
18+ years

Poker Dice (alias Indian Dice)

Roll five dice up to three times and build the best poker hand at the table, no cards required.

2-6 players
10-20 minutes
10+ years

Pursuing Sheep

A Chinese dice game where three of a kind is the shepherd and the rest is the flock. Six of a kind takes the pot.

2-6 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Qualify

Five throws where the highest die is set aside each time. Reach a total of 25 or more to qualify and beat the banker.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Sic Bo

Bet on small, big, single numbers or triples, then let the banker reveal three dice from under the cup.

2-8 players
10-30 minutes
18+ years

Threes (alias Tripps)

Set at least one die aside per roll and chase the lowest possible total, where every three counts as zero.

2-8 players
10-20 minutes
18+ years

Under and Over Seven

Bet on whether the sum of two dice lands under seven, over seven or exactly seven, which pays the most.

2-8 players
5-10 minutes
18+ years

Zanzibar

Three dice, three rolls and a strict ranking where 1-2-3 beats everything. The loser pays the winner in chips.

2-8 players
15-25 minutes
10+ years