Dice

Dice can be played just for fun or for money. In casinos, you will most often find gambling variants of the game under the names Sic Bo or Craps (source: unsplash.com)

Dice can be played in various ways. There are also several types of dice, which differ in the number of sides and the values marked on each side. The most popular ones are Game with 6 dice, Backgammon, Low/high dice, Sic Bo, or Craps. If you are a fan of dice games, you should definitely try one of these variants. Find out if luck is on your side and if you can strategize in a game where chance is the main driver.

History of dice

The oldest preserved dice similar to those of today allegedly come from the Stone Age. Later, they also appeared in ancient Egypt, but their greatest boom awaited them in the Roman Empire, where the first casino was allegedly established. Here, they were eventually declared illegal due to growing popularity. The oldest game dice made of clay were found near the Indus River. They are estimated to be 5,000 years old. Besides clay, they were also made of wood, bone, alabaster, iron, or even precious metals.

Dice – shape and differences

Most often, it is a small cube with sides usually numbered from 1 to 6 so that opposite sides add up to 7. Their edges are rounded for the greater safety of young players. Dice sets for adults or professional players can have significantly sharper edges and corners. When throwing, there are so many variables that it is practically impossible to predict the final value of the throw. However, the probability of landing on a certain side is influenced by how well the dice is balanced. Therefore, dice used in casinos and gaming rooms are very precisely crafted, and as soon as they leave the playing surface and fall to the ground, they are immediately removed from the game. Depending on the type of games, you can encounter:

• Colored dice
• Poker dice
• Dice with letters
• Double dice
• Dice with arrows or other symbols

Polyhedral game dice

Such dice usually have more or fewer than 6 sides. They are most often encountered in various board games or occult practices. Some disciplines use them to predict the future or read fate. Numbers 4, 7, 12, or 20 most often carry the so-called Platonic solids. However, there are also shapes with 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 16, 24, 30, 34, 50, or 100 sides.

Dice game rules – 6 dice

This game can be played by any number of players who take turns throwing 6 dice. They only need paper and a pencil. According to the thrown combinations, the values of the dice are calculated and then subtracted. If the player manages to gradually use all 6 dice with their throws, they take them all back into the game and throw the full number again. If a combination summing all 6 dice is rolled on the first throw, the player must throw at least once more. When throwing, only dice with a value of 1 and 5 can be removed one at a time. In other cases, the dice must form at least three of the same numbers (or three pairs on the first throw). The player plays as long as they want and can remove dice from the throw to score points. The minimum value that the player can have recorded is 350 points (usually declaring “I’ll stop/take/enough”). The goal is to get the highest number of points per throw and to reach the winning value set at the beginning of the game (usually 10,000 or 20,000 points) as quickly as possible. If the player cannot remove any dice after a throw, their turn ends, and they lose all the points they accumulated in that round.

Dice scoring

Individual values and their combinations are counted differently, so it is good to have this table in front of you at least at the beginning, which will help you calculate the final result of the throw:

* Only on the first throw (e.g., 11+44+55)

Backgammon – dice game

Compared to the previous variant, backgammon mainly differs in that it uses only 5 dice. Again, several players can participate, taking turns rolling and having 2 retries each round. Each player can roll up to three times per round. The goal is to roll certain combinations and gradually play them all out with the highest possible score. At the beginning of the game, players create a table on paper with all the combinations, where they will continuously record the score of each player.

In the table, the sum of the dice values from a total of 3 rolls of the player is recorded:

• Ones: sum of all ones (each 1 = 1 point)
• Twos: sum of all twos (each 2 = 2 points)
• Threes: sum of all threes (each 3 = 3 points)
• Fours: sum of all fours (each 4 = 4 points)
• Fives: sum of all fives (each 5 = 5 points)
• Sixes: sum of all sixes (each 6 = 6 points)
• Three of a kind: sum of three of the same values (e.g., 333 = 9)
• Four of a kind: sum of four of the same values (e.g., 4444 = 16)
• Full House: combination of any pair and three of a kind (25 points)
• Small straight: straight made of four dice (30 points)
• Large straight: straight made of five dice (40 points)
• General (backgammon): all dice with the same value (50 points)
• Chance: any combination (sum of all dice points)

If a player manages to score more than 63 points in combinations of ones to sixes, they usually get an additional bonus of 35 points. After the first throw, the player decides which combination they are aiming for and sets aside the dice corresponding to that value. With the remaining dice, they can roll up to 2 more times, gradually setting aside the played value. If they fail to play the combination, they record 0 points in the table. The winner is the one with the highest score at the end of the game.

Maroko – game with 3 dice

For this game, besides dice, you only need paper and a pencil. The game begins with the player starting a round by rolling three dice, aiming to roll a “Maroko” (two identical dice) or a “Big Maroko” (three identical dice). After the first roll, the player may set aside one or two dice and in the third round roll the remaining dice, or roll all dice together in the second and third throws. The game is played in rounds, with the winner being the one who rolls the highest “Maroko.”

Oko (Twenty-One) – game with 1 dice

Dice can also be used to play a modified version of the card game Blackjack. In this case, players use only one die, but can roll up to 5 times in one round. The aim is to get as close to the limit of 21 points with the rolled values without exceeding it. Anyone who exceeds the 21-point limit automatically loses.

General – game with 1 dice

At the beginning of the game, players agree on a specific number of rounds (e.g., 10), and then take turns rolling one die. In each round, the player rolls three times, announcing after each roll which rank they are aiming for – units, tens, hundreds. The goal of each player is to roll the highest number in three rolls – i.e., 666. The first player to achieve this becomes the winner of the entire game.

Dice – lower/higher

This game is mainly popular online. The player sets a specific number and then bets whether the result of the roll of two dice will be higher or lower than this value. It is a popular gambling game with very simple rules. Its better-known version is called Under and Over 7, where the player bets that the sum of the dice roll will be lower, higher, or equal to 7.

Sic Bo

Originally a Chinese game, it has now spread worldwide due to its popularity. It is also known under the names Grand Hazard, Chuck-a-Luck, or Birdcage. Although the rules of individual variants may slightly differ, the basic principle of the game remains the same. The game is played with three dice and a game board. Players bet on various combinations of the three dice similar to roulette.

Craps

This game is based on two dice and a gaming table with a backboard against which both dice must bounce with each throw. The game can be played by one or more players at the same time. There are American and British versions, which differ in terminology and betting ratios. However, both versions are based on four basic types of bets, but players have many more options as the betting offer is really wide. The basic bets are:

• Pass Line: the bet wins if the player (shooter) rolls a sum of 7 or 11 points on the first throw and loses if the sum is 2, 3, or 12 points. Conversely, with any other sum, the result becomes the target for subsequent throws (usually marked on the game board). The bet then wins if the specified sum appears before the value of 7 points.
• Don’t Pass Line: the opposite of the previous bet – the bet wins with a sum of 2, 3, or 12 points and loses with a sum of 7 and 11. Unlike the previous type, the bet also wins if the value of 7 appears before the target (first) sum.
• Come: same principle as in the case of Pass Line, but this bet can be placed by players after the first throw.
• Don’t Come: same principle as in the case of Don’t Pass Line bet, which can also be placed by players after the first throw.

Where to play dice games

Depending on your preferences, you can enjoy classic dice games in a pleasant atmosphere with family or friends. Their rules are usually simple and fast-paced, so you are guaranteed not to get bored. The most popular ones are classic Dice with 6 dice, Backgammon, Maroko, Twenty-One, or General. If you are tempted by the thrill of gambling, you can choose the simple variant Lower/Higher Dice (or also Under and Over 7), Sic Bo, or Craps, which you can enjoy in land-based gaming rooms, online casinos, and online environments where you can play just for fun or for money.

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2️⃣ What do you need to play dice games?

If you are planning to play Dice with 6 dice or Backgammon, you only need dice, a pencil, and paper. In the case of Sic Bo or Craps, you also need a special game board.

3️⃣ Where can you play dice games?

You can encounter certain types of dice games only within family or friends’ settings. However, others can be found in casinos and gaming rooms. Various dice games can also be played online, where you can enjoy the game for free or for money.

Kristyna Baranova

Article author – casino and gambling expert
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Email: kristyna@slothbet.com

I have been active in the world of online casinos since 2019, when I started visiting Czech casinos with friends. I fell in love with the environment and worked as a croupier for a while. After some time, I discovered a liking for online platforms and have already stayed with them. I try to comprehensively review all online casinos for you, one hundred percent objectively, so that you always have the gambling field perfectly mapped out before you jump into it. You can also look forward to lots of news, bonuses and tips. You can find all my articles here.

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