Bunco

Bunco

Bunco is a social dice game for 12 players (or any multiple of 4), organised into 3 tables of 4 players each. It is fast-paced, requires no skill, and is designed for social gatherings — parties, charity events, and group outings throughout North America.

Setup

• 12 players at 3 tables: Head Table, Middle Table, and Losing Table
• Each table has 2 teams of 2 — partners sit across from each other
• Each table has 3 dice and a scorekeeper

The Six Rounds

The game has 6 rounds. The target number for each round matches the round number: Round 1 targets 1, Round 2 targets 2, …, Round 6 targets 6.

Rolling

Players take turns rolling the 3 dice, and each roll scores for the roller’s team. Each die showing the target number scores 1 point. Three of a kind of any other number scores 5 points. A player who scores keeps rolling; a roll that scores nothing passes the dice to the next player.

Bunco: Rolling all 3 dice showing the target number scores 21 points, and the player records a Bunco.

Winning a Round

The round ends when a team at the Head Table reaches 21 points. At every table, the team with more points at that moment wins the round. At the Head Table, the winning team stays; the losing team moves down. At other tables, the winning team moves up and the losing team moves down.

Scoring

After all 6 rounds, each player totals:

• Number of round wins
• Number of round losses
• Number of Buncos

Typical prizes: most wins, most Buncos, and a booby prize for most losses.

Winning the Game

The player who won the most rounds wins the game; a tie is broken by the most points scored.

Attribution

Bunco. A traditional parlour dice game, popular in North America. Rules checked against Wikipedia, Bunco, which is the source for three of a kind, the end of a round and the winner.

Notes

Bunco requires no strategy. The table rotation ensures players interact with all participants over the course of the game.