Dice games involving skill
While most games rely on simple luck to be played successful, there are dice games that involve a level of skill. If you are looking for a challenging game to play here are a couple of great examples of dice games involving skill:
* Yacht – This game accommodates any number of players and uses five dice. Each player, in turn, may cast the dice three times per round and twelve rounds make a complete game. After his first two casts in each round a player may pick up and cast over as many of the dice as he wants to. The faces of the five dice showing on the table at the end of his third cast, or at the end of a previous cast, if he chooses to stand on what he has, must be scored in whichever of the following categories the player chooses:
Yacht, or five of a kind, scores 50.
Big Straight, 5 numbers in a row, scores 40.
Little Straight, 4 numbers in a row, scores 30.
Full House, three of one number and two of another, scores 25.
Four of a Kind, 4 of same number, scores total of all dice cast.
Chance, any five dice, scores the total of all dice.
Sizes scores as many times six as there are sixes among
the five dice; likewise with Fives, Fours, Threes, Twos and Aces.
With each turn a player must select a category not previously selected; so at the end of the game he will have selected each category once. He may select a category even though it will make his score zero for that turn; thus, having tried for Little Straight and missed, he may select Aces even though his dice show 2-2-3-4-5, because the most he could ever score for Aces would be 5 and it is the cheapest category to forego. Having wound up with 6-6-5-4-3 when trying for Big Straight, he may select Choice and score 24, which is close to the maximum he could make with five dice in any case. A special score sheet is usually ruled off, to keep track of the categories each player has previously selected and the scores he has made. The maximum scores possible are:
Yacht 50 Full house 28 Fours 20
Big Straight 30 Choice 30 Threes 15
Little Straight 30 Sixes 30 Twos 10
Four of a Kind 29 Fives 25 Aces 5
* Six-Six-Six – This is a game of bluffing that enjoyed lots of popularity on college campuses in the 1960’s. “Six-Six-Six” may be played as a gambling game, but is also
a great party game.
Playing Time: About 5 minutes for each round.
Keep in mind, though. that some rounds take only a minute or two while others may last up to 10 minutes.
Number of Players: Two will work but four or more are best.
Number of Dice: Three
Other equipment needed: Two dice cups and chips, if gambling.
Object of the Game: You want to play the game in a way to induce an opponent to challenge an honest call and allow bluff calls to pass unchallenged.
To Start: Each player casts the dice. The highest roller begins the game. Play proceeds clockwise.
Game Play: The first player casts the dice by shaking them concealed in the dice cup and then turning the cup over on top of the playing surface, thus concealing the result of the cast. The player then checks the dice by tipping the cup back and shielding the dice from the view of his opponents. He then makes a “call.” The highest possible call is 666, the lowest is 111. Keep in mind that the dice are always read in descending order. The bluffing aspect of this game means that a player may make any call he chooses, regardless of the dice he actually has or sees under his cup. After the player has made his call he carefully slides the hidden dice to the player on his left without upsetting how the dice lie. The player receiving the cup must decide to accept or challenge the call of the previous player. If he accepts the call he is allowed one throw of the dice on his turn. He can recast as many dice as he wants to. The process continues with each player’s call being higher than the player before. Any player receiving a pass of the dice may challenge the previous call. He does so by announcing his intention to challenge, then lifting the cups to reveal the dice. The challenge is successful if the three dice do not read at least as high a number as the number called. The player who made the call, having lost the round, begins the next round with a fresh throw of all three dice. If the three dice read as high, or higher than, the call the challenger loses the round and begins the next. When a player calls 666, the player on his left must challenge, since he cannot make a higher call on his turn. Players may also change seats every so often to provide a variety of caller-challenger conflicts during the course of a game.
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