How to play the dice game Bunco

How to play BuncoIn a world where most games are complicated, Bunco is the opposite. It’s so simple to play and yet provides hours of fun. It’s also quite unusual in that it’s a dice game where up to 12 players can take part, so perfect for a party or family get together.

Seating arrangements for Bunco

Start by arranging three tables (or seating areas if no tables) where four people can sit. One table is named the High Table, the next the Middle Table and the third, the Low Table. Each table should have three dice and a pencil placed on it. There are twelve score cards prepared, four named High, four named Middle and four named Low. One scorecard is chosen at random by each player and they sit at the corresponding table to the scorecard they have picked. Once there are four people on each table, those four players split into two teams of two players.

Playing Bunco – the rules and gameplay

The players who sit at the High Table are in charge of the game and in addition to the pencil and dice, will also have a bell on their table which they ring to start and end a round.

At round one, the aim is for every player to throw all three dice and try to throw as many ones as possible. In round two, the number two is the number to aim for and so on up to round six, which is the last round.

If the number specified doesn’t appear the go is forfeited and play is passed to the next team. If however in every go the correct number is thrown, play continues with that team until they miss. Each correct number thrown scores 1 point. If three of the correct number are thrown at the same time, this is called Bunco and scores 21 points. If at any time three of any number are thrown, then this scores 5 points.

The aim of Bunco is to reach a score of 21 points, however only the High Table can stop the game, and they will do so only when they reach 21 points. If another team reaches 21 points, they simpky carry on playing and adding to their score. Once the High Table rings the bell for the end of the game, the scores are totalled up and the team with the highest number wins. The team from the Middle and Low Tables that have scored the highest points move to the High Table and the team on the High Table with the lowest score swaps places with them.

Play continues until everyone agrees to finish.

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