BAR DICE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Alan Dundes
Department of Anthropology
University of California
Berkeley, California
and
Carl R. Pagter
INTRODUCTION
Games involving the use of dice are among the
oldest forms of organized human play. Dice games
have been widely reported from many different
cultural areas. In the United States, dice games are
commonly associated with gambling, and in Neva-
da, where there is legalized gambling, one may find
a variety of such traditional games as craps. Dice
are not associated solely with professional gamblers
inasmuch as they are employed as an integral part
of numerous children's board games, e.g., Par-
cheesi, Monopoly, etc.
One of the most flourishing groups of dice
games in contemporary America consists of those
commonly played at bars. The stakes are usually a
round of drinks, although bar dice games may be
played for lunches, bar snacks (e.g., peanuts), or
money. A particular bar dice game may be re-
peated until one player wins two out of three, or
occasionally three out of five, games. Once in a
while, the winner may be determined after a single
roll of the dice.
Bar dice games are usually played by males who
are friends or at least acquaintances. Strangers are
virtually never invited to participate and even
someone who would like to play would not do so
unless he were known to one or more players.
Within a group of friends in a bar, certain individ-
uals may elect not to play. Someone who has had
the misfortune to lose repeatedly may be reluctant
to play or may avoid play altogether. Losing may
entail anything from the price of a drink to the
cost of meals for the entire party to several hun-
dred dollars. Most players are prepared to lose, but
few expect to lose consistently. A player who does
lose continually may therefore be a desirable or
sought-for opponent.
At some bars, the bartender will "roll" with an
individual patron "double or nothing" for the cost
of the drink. If the bartender wins-two rolls out
of three-the customer is obliged to pay double the
normal price of the drink; if the bartender loses,
the customer gets a free drink.) Of the more than
20 bar dice games reported here, Boss Dice-with
nothing wild-is by far the most common game be-
tween customer and bartender.
Bars which permit dice games normally have
multiple sets of dice cups and dice, which are pro-
vided to partrons upon request. It is not uncom-
mon for such bars to be sought out by devotees
of bar dice games. Even if these bars are not con-
sciously sought out, they may well have achieved
the popularity they possess in part because of the
ambiance of dice play. On the other hand, the
noise of numerous dice cups being banged down on
the bar does prove annoying to some customers.
Not all bars permit dice games. Generally speaking,
bar dice seems to be associated with more informal
or neighborhood bars frequented by relatively
stable groups of players. More formal bars such as
those located in hotels or with restaurants tend not
to have dice playing.
Bar dice games are almost always played by two
or more males. The games seem to be enjoyed by
individuals of diverse economic backgrounds, e.g.,
businessmen, college students, laborers. The games
are passed on from person to person and are rarely
if ever learned from print. (There are several small
printed collections of bar dice games, e.g., Giesecke
[1960], Smith [1971], Frey [1975], andJacobs
[1976], but most bar dice players did not learn to
play from these sources.) New games or variations
on old ones are frequently exchanged within the
group. If there is a newcomer or a visitor, it may be
necessary to agree upon the basic rules of known
games. Without such initial agreement, regional
variations in the rules may produce disputes in the
middle of the game. These bar dice games are thus
transmitted the same way as are all folk games.
Bars on military stations inevitably offer bar
dice facilities. This holds for officers' clubs all over
the United States and overseas. The popularity of
bar dice games among the military may account in
2
part for a large body of common games found
throughout the country, e.g., games such as Ship,
Captain, and Crew, Liars' Dice, and Horse, or
Razzle Dazzle. Military bars may have special tra-
ditions. For example, if a player rolls five aces
(ones) in a single roll, he is required to buy every-
one in the bar his choice of a drink. In some cases,
there may even be a wooden plaque on the wall
where the name of the player will be inscribed. The
plaque may be captioned "Five Aces Club." In
some military bars, it is also traditional for the
roller of five sixes in a single roll to buy drinks for
all those in his party (as opposed to everyone in
the bar). Obviously such rules increase spectator
interest and involvement in bar dice games. (We are
reminded of the tradition in which it is required
for anyone entering a Navy Officers' Club wearing
a cap or hat to buy a round of drinks for the
house. It is clearly in the bartender's interest to see
such traditions enforced, and in some cases he will
even ring a bell kept behind the bar to signal the
round of drinks. There may even be a warning plac-
ard announcing, "He who covered enters here/shall
buy the house a round of cheer.")
The versions of the bar dice games reported here
come from bars in Oakland and San Francisco.
They were collected between 1973 and 1975. We
believe, however, that many of the games are to be
found in essentially the same form elsewhere in
the United States. Although there is little question
of the widespread distribution of individual bar
dice games and no doubt whatsoever of their tra-
ditionality, it would not appear that these games
have hitherto attracted the notice of folklorists and
ethnographers (but cf. Tamony [19641). Yet the
vitality of traditional bar dice games makes them
worthy of study as well as evidence to be used
against those who argue that folklore is dying out
in the modern world.
Bar dice games may be played with just one die
or with up to six dice in a single dice cup, or dice
box, as it is sometimes called. Dice cups are
usually heavy brown leather-bound cylindrical
cups. (There are less expensive varieties made of
rubber, vinyl or other material.) The cups are
approximately four inches deep and three-and-one-
half inches in diameter. The inside surface of the
cup has a series of grooves or rifling similar to that
found in gun barrels. Supposedly, the rifling of the
cups imparts spin to the dice-depending upon how
the dice are thrown. Some players purposely bring
the dice cup down straight, perpendicular to the
surface of the bar, perhaps to keep the dice hidden
from view of the other player, e.g., in Liars' Dice.
With such technique, there is relatively little spin.
However, with this technique, dice will often be
"cocked" (one on top of another) requiring an-
other roll. Dice cups are readily available in game
sections of large department stores.
The dice may vary in size and color. They may
be one-half-inch cubes with numerals all black, or
multicolored, e.g., black, red, and blue. Several bar
dice games depend upon the different colors, e.g.,
Big Red and Red All Day, but the majority do not.
Some games involve just one dice cup, while others
require that each participant have his own dice cup.
In most games, it may be either an advantage or
a disadvantage to go first. Thus there are tradition-
al ways of determining playing order. One of the
more common techniques of establishing playing
order is called "pee-wee." It may also be called
"piddle" or "tiddle" (Smith 1971: 1 1). (In the Mil-
waukee area, what we call "pee-wee" is better
known as "ante out.") Pee-wee consists of tum-
bling a single die from one's palm. High die has the
choice of going first or last, depending upon which
is deemed most advantageous. An alternative form
of pee-wee entails placing a single die on the bar
with a one showing on the top surface of the die.
The player pushes down with his index finger on
one side or corner of the die, an action which
causes the die to spin. Again, high die wins the
choice of playing order.
Pee-wee may be used to determine who shall
choose the particular bar dice game to be played.
The two or more players may of course agree upon
a game without recourse to pee-wee, but if there is
disagreement about which game to play, pee-wee
may be employed. (Or one particular dice game,
e.g., Horse or Boss Dice may be agreed upon for
the purpose of determining who has the right to
select the principal game to be played.) Once the
principal game has been chosen, then pee-wee may
be used to establish the order of play as discussed
above.
Sometimes in order to reduce the number of
players to two (from five or six), a series of elim-
ination rounds will occur. Each player rolls five
dice once and after all have rolled, the player with
the highest poker hand is eliminated from play.
The process is repeated until only two players re-
main. The two losing players then play a bar dice
game agreed upon or chosen by pee-wee. The final
loser may buy the round of drinks for all the play-
ers. If there is a tie in any elimination round with
two high hands, that round is played over with the
same players for that round participating. This rule
is called "High Tie, All Tie" (cf. Jacobs 19 76:7).
In order to demonstrate the richness of the tra-
dition of bar dice games, we shall describe a num-
ber of some of the more popular ones. Like so
many forms of folklore, there are often varying
names for these games. The names used in this re-
port are those employed in the Bay Area, though
3
many, e.g., "Boss Dice," "Ship, Captain and
Crew," and "Liars' Dice" appear to be in common
use throughout the country (cf. Giesecke, Smith,
Scarne, and Frey).
BAR DICE GAMES
(1) Boss Dice
(2) Horse, or Razzle Dazzle
(3) Liars' Dice
(4) Ship, Captain and Crew
(5) IBM, or Computer Dice, or Engineers, or
Mechanics
(6) Beat It You Bastard, or Beat That (You
Dirty Bastard), or Pass the Trash
(7) Aces Away
(8) Acey-Sixey
(9) Qualifying Games
(A) Two Dice to Ten
(B) Three Dice to Ten
(C) Shotgun High or Low
(D) Any Two Pair
(E) Monterey, or Middle Dice
(F) Single Reno
(G) Double Reno
(10) Low Ball
(11) Threes All Out, or Fours All Out
(12) Fours and Threes
(13) Red All Day
(14) Big Red
(15) Thirteenth Act
(16) Queen Bee
(17) Bears around the Ice Hole
(18) Pig
(19) Hi-Low, or 11-24
(20) Red Dog
(21) Yacht, or Yahtzee, or Yawkee
(22) Madu
(23) 5000, or 15 Hun, or Zilch
(24) Accept/Refuse
(25) Medley, or The World Series of Dice
(26) Four-Five-Six
(1) Boss Dice
Boss Dice is usually a two-player game. Each
player has a dice cup with five dice. The game can
be played "aces wild" which means that a one can
be designated any number the player wishes, but
normally it is played with "nothing wild." Both
players roll their dice out on the bar simultaneous-
ly with all dice in full view. The goal is to end up
with the best combination possible using five dice
and using no more than two rolls. The best com-
bination would be five sixes (remembering that if
aces are wild, they may be called sixes). The next
best would be five fives and so on down to five
twos. (Five ones would, if aces are wild, be called
five sixes. If aces aren't wild, then five ones would
rank below five twos.) Any four-of-a-kind ranks be-
low any five-of-a-kind. Any three-of-a-kind or a
combination of a three-of-a-kind plus a pair
(known as "full house," as in poker parlance) ranks
below any four-of-a-kind. Unlike poker, two pair
are not usually counted in Boss Dice. (There is a
dice game called Poker Dice in which two pairs are
counted. In fact, there are dice sets in which one
finds the faces of cards rather than the conven-
tional dice spots. The face cards represented are:
ace, king, queen, jack, ten, and nine.) Only the
higher of the pairs is used. Full houses are usually
counted-that is, three-of-a-kind plus a pair would
beat any three-of-a-kind standing alone, but some-
times full houses are not counted. (A roll with no
pairs and no wild dice, e.g., a roll of two, three,
four, five, ,six, which results in no scoring combina-
tion, is commonly termed a "stiff" [cf. Giesecke
1960:9].)
After the initial simultaneous roll, the player
with the highest (ranking) combination is said to
be "boss." The boss player then rolls alone, but he
will probably elect to remove part or all of his win-
ning combination before rolling. For example, if
his initial roll included one or more wild aces, he
would certainly put them aside to be counted in
the final round (that is, to be tabulated in the
second and last roll). Let us say he had two aces.
He would then put the remaining three dice back
in his dice cup and roll the three dice. If he had
had a six in his first roll, he might well keep it out
with the aces, or he might have elected to keep any
pairs out with any aces. His decision about what to
keep out from the first roll is greatly influenced by
what his opponent has showing. Strategy is vari-
able. Some players prefer to save sixes, while
others, remembering the phrase. "Six savers never
win," prefer to roll the one or two sixes in the
hope of achieving a better combination on the
second roll.
The boss player keeps the results of his second
(final) roll hidden from his opponent. He may keep
the dice cup over the dice (after he himself has
seen what he has rolled) or he may block his op-
ponent's view by placing the dice cup on its side in
front of the remaining dice. At this point, the boss
player may exercise one of two options. If he be-
lieves his combination is not likely to win, he can
tell the other player to "pick 'em up" meaning that
both players will put all of their dice back into the
cups to start over. On the other hand, if the boss
player feels that his combination will be better
than anything his opponent will roll, he may signal
the continuation of play by calling his opponent
up, by saying "come up" or by making a "thumbs
up" gesture. In this case, the other player would
place in the cup whichever of his five dice he con-
4
siders to be of no value and roll them. The two
final "hands" are then compared, with one or the
other being declared the winner of the round. In
order to win a game of Boss Dice, one must usually
win two out of three rounds. (Boss Dice can be
three out of five, but it is much more common to
have two out of three.) The loser of the first round
of Boss Dice (and other games) is said to have a
"horse" on him. If each player loses a round, the
status of the game is said to be "horsey-horse" or
"Horse-horse. " (According to Giesecke [ 19 60:8 ],
Tamony [1964:117], and Smith [1971:24], there
are both positive and negative "horses." What we
have described is a negative horse. In games where
several throw sequences are required to win, the
winner of a throw or a "leg on the game" might
also be said to have a horse on him. This would be
a positive horse.)
If the boss player calls his opponent up and the
opponent's roll ties the boss player's roll, e.g., both
have four sixes or four fives-the fifth die is ig-
nored then the round may either be played over or
a special tie-breaking mechanism termed "flip-
flop" may be utilized. (In Milwaukee, flip-flop is
sometimes called "Sudden Death.") Flip-flop
which is used to break ties in many bar dice games
consists of a single roll of the dice with aces wild.
The highest hand wins. Typically, both players roll
at the same time.
The loser of the game of bar dice then buys the
winner a drink or a bag of peanuts, or whatever the
agreed-upon stakes were. If the game is played for
money, usually no money changes hands after in-
dividual games. Rather, there is a running tally kept
either on scratch paper or in the heads of the play-
ers. A final settlement occurs after the last game.
(For Boss Dice, see Giesecke 1960:12-13; Smith
1971:55-56;andJacobs 1976:11-16.)
(2) Horse, or Razzle Dazzle
While "Horse" is the more common name for
the game described below, there is evidence that
the name "Razzle Dazzle" was used for a dice
game in southern California at least as early as
1919. (See the California case of In Re Lowrie,
43 Cal. App. 565 (1919).) Another name for this
game reported from the Spokane, Washington, area
is "Quitem," evidently a shortening of "Quit
them."
In Horse, it is a definite advantage to roll first.
The two players pee-wee to determine who will
roll first. The object is to achieve a winning hand
on one, two, or three rolls. Aces are wild. Only one
dice cup with five dice is required. The player.
going first rolls the dice. If the roll results in a
high-ranking combination such as any four-of-a-
kind, he may keep this as his hand and pass the
dice to his opponent who then has one roll to tie
or beat the first player. If, however, the first play-
er is not satisfied with the combination after one
roll, he is free to roll a second time with one to five
dice. He might, for example, save two aces from
the first roll and roll the other three. After this
second roll, he may use this new combination as
his hand and pass the dice to his opponent who
must then tie or beat the first player in no more
than two rolls. Or if the first player is still dis-
satisified with his hand, he may elect to roll one
or more dice for a third (and final) time. If the
first player uses three rolls, the second player has
up to three rolls to tie or beat the first player. It
is obviously to the first player's advantage to use as
few rolls as possible. Thus, if the first player rolled
three sixes or three fives on the first roll, he might
well pass the dice to his opponent rather than
try to improve his hand with succeeding rolls to
four- or five-of-a-kind.
There is an additional restrictive rule which for-
bids "switching midstream," meaning that once
one has elected to retain the given die (other than
an ace), he is obliged to use that die in his final
combination. For example, let us say on the first
roll, a player elected to keep two aces and a six
with the hopes of getting a fourth six on the
second roll. If he rolled two fives on the second
roll, he would then have two aces, a six, and two
fives. Ideally, he would like to forget his six and
call "four fives" (the two fives and the two wild
aces would in theory equal four fives). But he can-
not do this. He cannot switch midstream. He must
either stay with three sixes (plus two fives for a full
house-if full houses are counted) or he may roll
the two fives on his last roll in hopes of getting an-
other six.
After the first player completes his one, two, or
three rolls, it is customary to announce to the
second player what combination he has to beat.
For example, "three sixes on one" means that
three sixes have been rolled in just one roll; "four
threes on two"9 means that four threes have been
achieved in two rolls. "All day" means that all
three rolls have been utilized. (cf. Smith 1971:103).
Thus, "four fives all day" means that the first play-
er has employed the maximum three rolls permit-
ted to obtain his combination of four fives. In the
event that more than two players are involved, a
player announces the highest-ranking combination
(not necessarily his own) to the next player to roll.
If a tie develops in a two-player game, either a
new game may be initiated, or a flip-flop can be
used to break the tie. If, however, there are three
or more players, the special "high tie-all tie"
(sometimes called "one tie-all tie") rule goes into
effect (cf. Smith 1971:104, Jacobs 1976:7). If
the two highest rolls in a round are the same, then
the round is to be played over and everyone is
5
given a chance to roll again. Thus, players with a
losing roll are hoping that one of the other players
will tie the leader so that he will have a second
chance. In a game of Horse involving three or more
players, the winner's prize, so to speak consists of
being eliminated from future rounds. Eventually,
everyone is eliminated except for two players who
then may play Horse two-out-of-three to determine
the loser, or they may play some other game
mutually agreed upon or determined by flip-flop.
The loser pays the stakes, e.g., a round of drinks
for all the players. The first player eliminated (that
is, the winner of the first round) is usually expect-
ed to order the drinks and to bring them to the
table if table service is not available.
A related game played in the Spokane, Washing-
ton, area is called "Beatem." As in Horse, each of
two players has his own dice cup with five dice.
After a pee-wee to determine who plays first, the
first player rolls. He may either stop after one roll
or continue to roll up to a maximum of three rolls.
There is an advantage in stopping as soon as one
has obtained a minimal scoring combination, such
as any three-of-a-kind. The reason for this is that
one has a maximum of three rolls, total, in any
round and one should not use them up necessarily.
If the second player rolls a higher scoring combina-
tion on this first roll, the first player has the oppor-
tunity to roll again, provided he has not already
used up his total of three rolls. The total rolls of
each player cannot exceed three, and of course, at
least one of the players-the loser-always uses his
three rolls. (For Razzle Dazzle, see Giesecke 1960:
15; Smith 1971:57-58;Jacobs 1976:73.)
(3) Liars' Dice
Liars' Dice is normally played with two or more
players, each of whom has his own dice cup with
five dice. Aces are usually wild. The player who
will go first is determined by pee-wee or by rolling
the high hand on a single roll of five dice. After the
first player is selected, each of the players rolls his
cup but keeps his dice hidden from the view of the
other players. The first player then makes a call,
such as "a pair of fours." He is thus asserting that
there are at least two fours in the total of all the
dice of all the players. The two fours need not be
among his own five dice. Indeed, it is common for
aggressive players to make a call which bears little
if any relationship to their own hands. The second
player (play proceeds in a clockwise direction from
the first player) may either call the first player a
liar, or he may make a new and higher call, e.g., "a
pair of fives." If he calls the first player a liar
(which is unlikely with such a low call), all players
reveal their hands. If there are two or more fours
(or whatever the first player called) among all the
dice, then the second player is the loser. If there
are not two or more fours, then the first player is
the loser. Each succeeding player has the right to
either make a higher call or call the immediately
preceding player a liar.
There are a number of variations and special
rules applying to Liars' Dice. For example, in one
variation, if the first player-and it is only the very
first caller who has this option-calls one or more
aces, then aces are not wild for the duration of that
round. Since it is more common for the first player
to make his call if he has no aces of his own-his
intent being to knock potential wild aces among
the other players, the second player will sometimes
call the first player a liar-if he, the second player,
has no aces in his hand. Another option at the dis-
cretion of the first caller, assuming the players have
agreed before hand that this is a permissible option
-is to call "bottoms." The first caller must, how-
ever, call bottoms before he looks at the results of
his roll. Bottoms means that the bottom rather
than the top exposed surface of the dice shall be
counted. The dice are never physically turned over
since all the players are aware that number of spots
on oppostie sides of dice always add up to seven.
Another variation in Liars' Dice play is called
"Chinese Liars' Dice" or "Push-Away Liars' Dice."
In this variation, a player making a call must select
one of his dice and expose it to the other players
by placing it in front of him. Still another variation
of Liars' Dice, especially if there are numerous
players and not enough dice cups or dice to go
around, entails playing with just one or two dice.
Each player shields his die or two dice from view
by cupping his hands. (Gamblers or players in
games involving strangers frequently prefer to
avoid the cupped hands or Chinese Liars' Dice vari-
ations because of the opportunity afforded dis-
honest players to alter their dice.) The first player
makes a call, although he has direct knowledge of
only his own die or dice. Play proceeds in a clock-
wise direction to the second player, who may chal-
lenge the first player's call (by calling him a liar) or
accept the call. If he accepts the call, he must make
a higher call which in turn may be challenged or
accepted by a third player.
One of the best known variations of Liars' Dice
is played with one cup and five dice. Nothing is
wild. The leadoff player rolls all five dice on the
bar, carefully concealing the results from all other
players. He then makes a call which can involve
from one to five dice. He might call "three fives."
However, in this variant of liars' dice, he may call
the remaining dice, e.g., "three fives and a six" or
"three fives and a sixty-four." In the former call,
the unnamed fifth die is presumed to be a one, that
is, the lowest possible number. The first player
6
then passes the dice (still under the cup) by sliding
the cup gingerly on to the second player. The
second player, without looking under the cup, may
either accept the call or challenge it by calling the
first player a liar. If the second player challenges
the first player, the cup is removed by the challeng-
er so that the five dice are exposed for all to see.
(It is considered poor etiquette for the challenger
merely to peek at the dice instead of allowing all
the players to see the dice.) The first player is
obliged to have at least the combination he called
or a higher combination; that is, if the first player
called "four deuces" and there were actually four
sixes under the cup, he would not be a liar-even
though there were no deuces under the cup.
Neither would he have been lying if he had called
"four threes," "four fours," or "four fives." (In
the first version of Liars' Dice, the caller was
obliged to have the specific dice combination
called. Thus, if "three fives" were called, and there
were three sixes and no fives, the caller challenged
would be a "liar" and would lose the round. In
the present version, the caller may have either what
he called or any higher combination.)
If the first player is successfully challenged, that
is, he does not have what he called or better, he
must pay each of the other players the agreed-upon
stakes, e.g., a drink for every player. (A Waupeca,
Wisconsin, variant has the loser pay the challenger
twice the ante, e.g., he must buy him two drinks
while buying all the others a single drink.)
If the second player accepts the first player's
call, he may then look at the dice. He then has
three distinct options. (1) He can make a higher call
and pass the dice (under the cup) without rolling
any of them. In other words, the dice are passed on
as received originally from the first player. (2) He
may expose one or more dice to the view of the
other players, and roll the remaining ones, keeping
them hidden under the cup. The roller looks at
these remaining dice after his roll and makes a call
(which must be higher than the preceding call). (3)
He may keep one or more dice hidden under the
cup and roll the others from his hands onto the
bar, after which he makes his call. After the second
player exercises one of these options, he passes the
dice to the third player, who similarly has the right
to accept or challenge the call.
If all five dice remain unexposed under the cup,
the third player has exactly the same three options
that the second player had when he received the
dice from the first player. If, however, one to four
dice are exposed in the combination presented to
the third player, the third player may choose from
the following four options. (1) The third player
may pass the dice intact to the fourth player and
make a higher call. (2) The third player may roll
one or more of the exposed dice on the bar and
make his call. (3) He may roll one or more of the
dice under the cup, after exposing those he does
not elect to roll and adding them to the dice al-
ready in view on the bar. The newly rolled dice
remain hidden and are passed under the cup to the
next player when the call is made. (4) He may pick
up all the dice and roll them, keeping all five dice
concealed under the cup. This is a sometimes nec-
essary but risky procedure inasmuch as the player
is essentially starting from scratch to produce a
relatively high combination. It is normally easier
to improve upon a previously passed combination
than to take a chance of starting anew. Succeeding
players have the same options as earlier players.
Play proceeds until a challenge occurs.
It is difficult to convey the various strategies
employed in selecting one call rather than another.
Generally, one tries to make a higher rather than a
lower call hoping that a challenge will take place
before the dice pass completely around all the
players. A player who calls "three fives and a sixty-
four" forces the following player to call either a
full house (e.g., three fives plus any pair) or four-
of-a-kind. Both of these are high calls likely to be
challenged and difficult to achieve by rolling to
improve the combination passed to the roller.
In yet another variation of Liars' Dice, each
participant shakes a single die in his cupped hands
and places it (without looking at it himself) against
his forehead, cyclops fashion. The first player to
call announces a number representing his estimate
of the spot total of all players' dice, including his
own, which he cannot see. The next player may
either deem the caller a liar or accept the call. If
he challenges the caller, the spot total is counted
and the challenger loses if the total equals or ex-
ceeds the call, or wins if it is less than the call. If a
player accepts the call of a previous player, he
must himself make a higher call which in turn can
be accepted or challenged by the next player in
rotation. For example, if the first player showed a
six, the second a two, and the third a one, the first
player might call "six"-since he can see only a
total of three on the two dice exposed to his view,
he might assume that his own die had a value of
three or four. In this case, the second player, since
he could see a total of seven on the exposed dice,
would not hesitate to accept the call and announce
a higher number. If he called seven, the third play-
er would accept the call and make his own call of
eight or nine inasmuch as a spot total of, eight
would be visible to him. A superior call would be
nine, a safe call since his own die must be at least
one which would add up to nine (the eight showing
plus his assumed one). The first player might well
challenge a call of nine since he can see only a spot
7
total of three and knows he must have a six for
the caller not to be lying. Furthermore, he knows
that his next call will lose for him if challenged
because he cannot have a seven (which would be
needed to add up to ten, the next highest call).
An interesting alternative way of playing the
popular game of Liars' Dice utilizes dollar bills
instead of dice (cf. Jacobs 1976:26). In this vari-
ant, each participant takes a dollar bill and uses the
green serial number as his hand, looking for pairs.
Zeroes are often wild. The caller calls out his esti-
mate of the total number of occurrances of a given
digit within the combined dollar serial numbers of
all the participants. For example, if there were
three players and six eights were the call, the caller
would be a liar unless there were in fact a minimum
of six eights in the combined serial numbers of the
three one dollar bills. Devotees of this variant of
Liars' Dice have been known to carry with them at
all times a dollar bill with a particularly advanta-
geous serial number. A way of guarding against this
gambit is to require all players to deposit their
dollars in a hat and allow each player to draw a
bill with which he will play the game. A set of
dollar bills would normally be used only once,
since the serial numbers would be revealed in the
course of play. (For Liars' Dice, see Giesecke 1960:
18-21; Smith 1971:67; Scarne 1974:386-387;
Frey 1975:114-119; andJacobs 1976; 17-26.)
(4) Ship, Captain, and Crew
Ship, Captain, and Crew is played with one cup
and five dice. It is best suited for two or three
players. In this extremely popular and widely
known bar dice game (Giesecke 1960:32-33; Smith
1971:58-59; Scarne 1974:369; Frey 1975:11-14;
Jacobs 1976:27-33), a six is equivalent to a ship,
a five is a captain, and a four is a prerequisite to
counting the number of crew members. The first
roller must roll a ship prior to (or at the same time
as) he rolls a captain; he must roll a captain before
(or at the same times as) he rolls a four. In the
most common version, the first player may stop
after one, two, or a maximum of three rolls. If
the first player rolls a six, he removes his "ship"
and places it on the bar. (If no six is rolled, all five
dice must be picked up and rolled again.) If he did
not roll a five in the same roll, he rolls again hoping
to get a five and perhaps also a four. If he rolled a
four before obtaining a five, it would not count,
inasmuch as the six, five, and four must be obtain-
ed sequentially-or simultaneously. Once the six,
five, and four have been removed or obtained
(within the maximum permitted three rolls), the
remaining two dice are totalled to determine the
number of crew. Thus the object is to get a six,
five, and four and as many spots on the remaining
two dice as possible in the fewest rolls.
If a player on his first roll were fortunate enough
to roll a six, five, four, plus a six and a three, he
would be said to have a ship, captain and crew of
nine. He could in theory roll the two crew mem-
bers (the six and the three) in the hopes of attain-
ing a larger crew (i.e., any combination equaling
ten, eleven, or twelve). However, inasmuch as the
second player is normally obliged to equal or
better the first player's tally using no more rolls
than the number of rolls made by the first player,
the first player would almost certainly pass the
dice after a first roll of ship, captain and crew of
nine or comparable score.
If the second player is able to better the first
player's score in the same or fewer number of rolls,
he wins the agreed-upon stakes. If he equals the
first player's score, it is a tie. If he fails to equal the
score, he has lost. It may happen that the first
player fails to achieve a complete ship, captain, and
crew. He might succeed only in rolling a ship,
ship and captain within his allotted three rolls. In
such an instance, he is said to have a ship or a ship,
captain "all day" (meaning that he has used all of
his three rolls).
In one variant, a second player is always entitled
to a maximum of three rolls, regardless of whether
the first player has stopped after just one or two
rolls. In another variation, the players may agree to
count one, two, and three as a ship, captain, and
crew either in addition to or instead of the far
more common six, five, and four. Similarly, it may
be agreed that the lowest number of crew rather
than the highest wins. Another name for Ship,
Captain, and Crew, occasionally encountered is
"Up & Down Stop."
(5) IBM, or Computer Dice, or Engineers, or
Mechanics
This game involves one cup and five dice. Each
player will have the opportunity of attaining the
highest possible score with five successive rolls,
setting aside one die after each roll. The highest die
is selected as a base die from the initial roll of five
dice. This base die is then set aside. In the follow-
ing four rolls, the player must perform each of the
four functions of addition, subtraction, multipli-
cation and division (in any order he wishes). The
division function is the most critical, and the astute
player will always perform the division function as
soon as he has obtained a roll including a one. If a
six were included in his initial roll, he would select
it as the base die and removed from play. If a one
turned up in the second roll, the player would elect
division as the operation for that roll. The one die
would be set aside and the player would have a
score of six at that point (the base number six,
8
divided by one, would be six). If a one did not turn
up in the second roll, the player might elect to add
the highest die to his base number. Assuming a one
is rolled on the second roll, then on the third roll
(of three dice), the player might select the highest
die to be used in addition. If it were six, the total
would be twelve (six + six). If the player had a high
die on the fourth roll (of two dice), a six, for ex-
ample, he might elect multiplication. His total
would then be 72 (six X twelve). The last die, of
necessity, would be rolled and then subtracted
from the total. If it were one, the player would
have achieved the highest possible score obtainable,
namely, 71. (The theoretical lowest score possible
is -4, in the unlikely event that one rolled nothing
but ones for the first four rolls, and a six on the
last roll.)
The second and succeeding players seek to equal
or better the score obtained by the players rolling
earlier. The individual with the lowest score may
be the only loser and may be required to pay for
the round of drinks or lunches. On the other hand,
the individual with the highest score may collect a
penalty (e.g., a penny a point) from all the other
players. The payment to be made by each individ-
ual would be calculated on the basis of the differ-
ence between his and the winner's score. (For ver-
sions of this bar dice game, see Giesecke 1960:17,
and Smith 1971:59-60. The latter lists such alter-
native names of the game as "Actuaries," "Archi-
tects," and "Math Dice.")
(6) Beat It You Bastard, or Beat That (You Dirty
Bastard), or Pass the Trash
The name of this game suggests the aura of male
conviviality which surrounds bar dice play. As bar
dice is typically played among friends and acquain-
tances, the name suggests a mock challenge rather
than a serious insult. The game is played with one
cup and five dice. Going first is advantageous, so
the order of play is determined by pee-wee. Noth-
ing is wild and, as in poker, there are a number of
possible scoring combinations. In ascending order,
these combinations are as follows: a pair, two pair,
three-of-a-kind, full house, four-of-a-kind, five-of-a-
kind. (Straights, that is, a sequence of one through
five, or two through six, do not count in this bar
dice game.)
The first player rolls the dice out in plain view.
He may elect to stop after one roll or he may
choose to roll again. For the second roll, he may
use from one to all five dice. The only requirement
is that he beat or improve upon his previous roll. If
he fails to do so, he loses. There is no limit to the
number of rolls one may attempt other than the
restriction of having to better one's previous roll.
If the first player passes the dice after his initial
roll (or after having improved upon a previous
roll), the second player is obliged to roll one or
more of the dice to achieve a higher ranking com-
bination than the first player. If he fails to do so,
he loses. Normally the spots on dice not employed
in poker combinations (pairs, three-of-a-kind, etc.)
are totalled and the total becomes part of a play-
er's score. For example, if a player on his first roll
had a pair of fives, a six, a two, and a one, he
would have a pair of fives and a total of nine. If he
passed the dice, the second player would most
likely elect to leave the pair of fives intact, and
probably the six as well. He would thus attempt to
roll just the one and two in hopes of rolling an-
other five (to make three-of-a-kind), a six (to make
two pair: two fives and two sixes), or a higher
number of spots than three (the number he started
with). The secret to success in this game is said to
consist of passing the dice as soon as possible,
never trying to improve upon one's own roll
(which could result in the roller "beating himself").
(For other versions, see Giesecke 1960:34; Smith
1971:57;Jacobs 1976:24-25.)
(7) Aces Away, or Aceway
This game requires two dice cups, one for each
player. In this game, sometimes called "Low-Ball",
it is considered to be an advantage not to play first.
After pee-wee to determine who goes first, both
players roll their five dice, keeping the results of
the roll hidden. The loser of the pee-wee roll, that
is, the first player, selects his lowest die, ideally an
ace, exposes it to his opponent's view and pushes
it out in the center of the playing area. The second
player must then select his lowest die and do like-
wise. The first player then has an option. He may
simply select another die from his remaining four
to expose or he may elect to roll these four hoping
for at least one ace or low dice. If he had an ace
left over from his initial roll, he would expose it
rather than roll. If his lowest die were a two or
three, he might have to consider carefully whether
to roll or not. If he does roll on his second turn, he
is obliged to expose a second die no matter what
the results of the roll were. The second player then
has the same options. Play passes back and forth
until all the dice have been exposed. The player
with the lowest total of dots or spots is the winner.
(8) Ace-Sixey
In this bar dice game reported from the Spo-
kane, Washington, area, two or more players, each
with his own dice cup and five dice, pee-wee for
first. It is an advantage to go first. In this unusual
game, the object is to eliminate all dice from one's
possession. First player rolls and sets all aces aside
out of play. Sixes are passed to one's opponent (or
9
to the left if there are more than two players). Re-
maining dice are retained. Second player rolls and
likewise puts any aces aside and passes sixes. The
first player to have no dice remaining is the winner.
The losing player or players then roll their remain-
ing dice and pay the agreed-upon stakes, e.g, five
cents per spot, multiplied by the total number of
spots rolled. (This game is reportedly played in the
Bay Area under the name "Mafia" [cf. Jacobs
1976:81-82].)
(9) Qualifying Games
There is a whole series of similar bar dice games
employing the principle of rolling a special qualify-
ing combination of dice before scores are permit-
ted to be counted. (In this respect, these games are
similar to Ship, Captain, and Crew.) Each player
has a dice cup with five dice. It is an advantage not
to go first. Each player rolls his dice in full view.
(A) Two Dice to ten. In two dice to ten, the play-
er must have two dice whose spots total ten be-
fore he can roll the remaining three dice for score.
If he fails, he must roll all five dice again. Once he
has rolled two dice whose total is ten, the total of
the other three dice constitute his score. The game
may be played with low score winning or high
score winning, whatever the players have agreed to
prior to starting play. There is a maximum of three
rolls in all, including qualifying rolls. Let us say
that the first player rolls two sixes, a five, a two,
and a one. He has failed to qualify, since no com-
bination of any two dice totals ten. He rolls again
and this time he has two sixes, a five, a four, and a
three. Since a six and a four total ten, he has
qualified. The qualifying two dice are set aside and
he has a score showing of fourteen (six + five +
three). However, he has one more roll of the three
dice if he wishes to try to improve his score. If
low score were the object, the player almost cer-
tainly would roll the six, the five, and the three
hoping for a lower score. If high score were the
object, he might well elect to stand pat with a
score of fourteen-unless his opponent had already
rolled a higher total. A player is entitled to the
maximum of three rolls even if his opponent has
not used all three rolls to achieve his score. (For a
version of this game, see Smith 1971:77.)
(B) Three Dice to ten. This game is almost identi-
cal to the preceding game except that three dice
totalling ten are required to qualify with the re-
maining two dice counted for high or low score,
again with a maximum of three rolls permitted.
The game is sometimes called "Ten and ten" or
"Chinese." (Giesecke [1960:30] calls it "Chinese
Dice" while Smith [1971:77] discusses it under
the labels of "Three-Ten High" and "Three-Ten
Low.")
(C) Shotgun High or Low. In this game, one must
use four dice to make the qualifying total of ten.
The spot total of the fifth die determines the score
(cf. Smith 1971:78).
(D) Any Two Pair.   This game requires a qualify-
ing roll of two pairs with just the fifth die being
counted for high or low score. Note that if a play-
er rolls only one pair, he does not qualify and he is
obliged to roll all five dice again. (He cannot, in
other words, set aside or "save" a single pair.)
(Smith 1971:78-79 terms this game "Two-Pair
High" or "Two-Pair Low".)
(E) Monterey, or Middle Dice.   In this game, a
player must have a two-three-four or three-four-
five sequence to qualify. The spots on the remain-
ing two dice are counted for high or low score.
Either sequence is sometimes called a "Monterey."
It is not clear what the origin of this designation
might be. Possibly it is an allusion to the fact that
the city of Monterey, California, is approximately
halfway between the northern and southern
boundaries of the state (cf. Smith 1971 :7 8).
(F) Single Reno.   A player rolls all five dice. He
qualifies if two of the dice total either seven or
eleven. (Either a seven or an eleven is called a
"Reno," presumably because of the desirability of
these numbers in the "come-out" roll in the game
of craps as played in Reno and elsewhere.) The
total of the remaining three dice represents the
player's high or low score. He has a maximum of
three rolls to qualify and to improve his score. (For
a version called "Reno/Keno," see Jacobs 1976:
78-80.)
(G) Double Reno.     In this game, a player needs
two separate combinations of two dice, each com-
bination totalling 7 or 11. (One can have two
combinations of seven, two combinations of eleven,
plus one seven.) The fifth die is used to determine
the high or low score (cf. Smith 1971:79).
(10) Low Ball
This game is derived from poker. The object is
to put together the lowest-ranking poker hand.
This means that pairs and three-of-a-kind are
undesirable inasmuch as they are relatively high-
ranking combinations. There are six possible
combinations (assuming that one does not have a
pair). These are as follows: one-two-three-four-
five, two-three-four-five-six, one-two-three-four-six,
one-two-four-five-six, one-three-four-five-six, and
one-two-three-five-six. The best low hand is one-
two-three-four-five. (This is not counted as a
straight in most Low Ball dice games, but occasion-
ally local rules may require that it and the combi-
nation two-three-four-five-six be counted as a
straight. In such an event, a six-four-three-two-one
I (
would be the lowest possible hand.) Note that five
aces are not low but count as five-of-a-kind.
The player who goes first-it is an advantage to
go second-has a maximum of three rolls to put to-
gether his hand. Normally, if the first roll is not
satisfactory, the player is required to roll all five
dice on any subsequent rolls. In some versions, a
player may select one or more dice to be set aside
from his first roll. He then rolls the remaining dice
hoping to avoid pairing. On the second roll, he is
free to roll all the remaining dice again if necessary,
or he may take out one or more. He is, however,
bound to use the combination rolled on this third
and last roll to determine his overall score (cf.
Smith 1971:79;Jacobs 1976:48-49).
(11) Threes All Out, or Fours All Out
In this game, threes (or fours in Fours All Out)
are removed from play, if rolled, and counted as
zero. The remaining dice, if any, may be rolled
again in the hope of turning up additional threes
(or fours) to be eliminated, or if not threes, then a
low score. A player has a maximum of three rolls
to achieve the lowest possible score. A player nor-
mally takes his three rolls and then passes the cup
and five dice to the next player. (Both Giesecke
[1960:25-26], and Smith [1971:75-76] refer to
the game as "Threes Away" and indicate an alter-
native name for "Fours Away" is "Alaska".)
(12) Fours and Threes
In this game, fours count four, threes count
nothing, and all other dice count minus their face
value. The object of the game is to achieve the
highest possible score. (Maximum score is 20, that
is, five fours.) Each player has his own dice cup
and five dice. He rolls the dice and keeps them hid-
den from view. First player must expose one or
more (his option) dice. The other player must put
at least one die out in front of him. If the first
player has put out two or more dice, the second
player is not required to put out more than one die
(though he may put out one to five dice). If the
second player puts out only one, he may either
keep the remaining four intact or he may elect to
roll the four dice to await his next turn. The first
player must also put out at least one additional die
either from those remaining under the cup from his
previous turn or after a new roll of his remaining
dice. After one of the players has exposed all five
dice, the other player has one final turn in which
he puts out his remaining dice or rolls and ex-
poses his remaining dice. High score wins. A variant
of this game is called "Threes and Fours". In this
variant threes count three, fours count zero, and all
other dice count minus their face value. The same
rules apply as for Fours and Threes.
(13) Red All Day
This game and the following game of Big Red
are played only with multi-colored dice. While the
spots on some dice are all black, many dice sets
use three colors for the dots: blue, black and red.
Sixes and ones are black; fours and threes are blue;
and fives and twos are red. In Red All Day, red
dice are counted as zero and all other dice are
counted at face value. The object is to get the low-
est possible score (the ideal would be zero). A play-
er may continue to roll so long as he has rolled at
least one red die on the previous roll. After each
roll, he can select one or more dice to be set aside
to count for his score. (Normally, one would set
aside fives and twos since they are red and count
zero. One might also elect to set aside ones.) If no
red die turns up on the first roll, the player's score
is computed by totalling the face value of the dice.
(Smith [1971:76] calls the game "All Red".)
(14) Bed Red
In this game, only fives and twos are counted at
face value, that is, only the value of the red dice
counts. All other dice count zero. The object is to
achieve the highest possible score (the ideal would
be twenty-five, that is, five fives). A player keeps
rolling so long as he gets at least one red die. Fives
are usually set aside to count for score, but a play-
er might elect to roll a two again to improve his
chances of rolling a five on the next roll. After a
player completes his turn (either by setting aside
five red dice or by having failed to turn up at least
one red die), the second player rolls. The second
player tries to beat the total achieved by the first
player (cf. Smith 1971:76).
(15) Thirteenth Ace
This game is primarily used to pick one or more
persons in a large group to pay for a round of
drinks. A single dice cup and five dice is passed
along the bar from one player to another. The lead-
off player rolls the dice and sets aside any aces.
The remaining dice are rolled again by the same
player and if one or more aces are rolled, they are
added to those already removed. If five aces are
set aside, the player picks all the dice up and con-
tinues rolling. He rolls until he fails to turn up one
or more aces. He then passes the cup with five dice
to the next player, announcing as he does so the
cumulative total of aces rolled thus far. The player
who has the misfortune to roll the thirteenth (or
eleventh or twenty-first or any other designated
number) ace buys the round of drinks. (In a large
crowd, there may be two numbers selected in ad-
vance to split the cost of the round.)
In a variation of this game, a special rule goes
into effect after the sixteenth ace has been rolled
11
(in a game where the twenty-first ace buys the
drinks). After the sixteenth ace, each subsequent
ace rolled is permanently set aside for the duration
of the game. This means that after the twentieth
ace, there is only one die left in the cup. If an ace
is not rolled by a player, he passes the cup and one
die to the next player. This often results in the cup
moving quickly down the line of players at the end
of the game creating added excitement for all par-
ticipants.
In still another variation of this bar dice game,
sometimes called "Seven-Eleven-Twenty-one," the
roller of the seventh ace names a drink-it may be a
conventional drink or it may be a spontaneous con-
coction which may take wild and strange forms.
The roller of the eleventh ace is obliged to pay for
the drink. The roller of the twenty-first ace must
drink the concoction. It is said that more often
than not the person who rolls the seventh ace also
rolls the twenty-first. This tends to slightly control
the drink named by the roller of the seventh ace.
(For versions, see Giesecke 1960:31; Smith 1971:
60-61; Frey 1975:124-126;Jacobs 1976:75-76.)
(16) Queen Bee
The individual who has been selected (usually by
a previous bar dice game) to buy the round of
drinks or lunches for the group assembled is called
the "Queen Bee." Most commonly, the Queen Bee
is the "loser" of Thirteenth Ace (but it could be
Liars' Dice or some other appropriate game). The
game of Queen Bee affords such an individual a
chance to recoup his losses and in fact an oppor-
tunity to become a "winner." The Queen Bee rolls
each of the other players for the total cost of the
round of drinks or lunches. Queen Bee, for ex-
ample, may play any two-player bar dice game sep-
arately with each member of the party. If he wins
one such game, he has recouped the cost of the
round of drinks. In theory, if he were fortunate
enough to beat each of the other players, he could
win several times the cost of the round. The most
the other players can gain by beating the Queen
Bee is to avoid the obligation of paying for the
round. The more players there are, the more desir-
able it is to be the Queen Bee.
(17) Bears around the Ice Hole, or Polar Bears
around the Icecaps, or Hair Around or Hairs
Around, or Hairs around the Hole, or Petals
around the Roses
This game is known by a variety of traditional
names, the names themselves demonstrating the
folkloristic nature of bar dice games. (Smith
[1971:76-77] refers to the game as "Center Spots"
and "Bears around the Flag Pole," while Frey
[1975:35-37] calls it "Round the Spot.")
Two players, each with his own dice cup with
five dice, roll simultaneously. Only threes and fives
count because they are the only dice with spots
surrounding a center spot. The surrounding spots
may be called hairs or bears, or some such term. A
five die would count as four hairs (the center spot
or metaphorical hole does not count in the scor-
ing); a three die would count as two hairs. A per-
fect roll would be five fives, which would yield a
total of twenty (five times four) hairs. The player
with the most hair can, if he thinks his score high
enough, call up the other player without rolling, or
he can elect to roll some or all of his dice and
either call the other player up (as in Boss Dice) or
cancel the round (because of his failure to improve
his score).
This game often functions as a catch with either
a bartender or experienced bar dice player tricking
a novice. The bartender (or the novice) rolls the
dice, and the bartender asks, "How many bears
around the ice hole?" Unless the novice knows the
rules for counting bears or hairs, or petals, he is
unlikely to be able to guess the correct total.
Sometimes there may be a bet involved, or the bar-
tender may disclose the secret in return for the
dupe's buying him a drink. In one version called
"Petals around the Roses," the participant is given
two dubious clues and an admonition: (1) Children
get it first; (2) The ship sinks in the Norwegian
fjords; (3) Once you get it, you cannot tell any-
one.
In a similar catch called "Asshole" or "Hole,"
only the center spot is counted. Thus, ones, threes,
and fives each count as a single hole. In yet another
catch game, the trickster takes advantage of the
fact that the spot total of opposite sides of the five
dice always equals thirty-five. With this knowledge,
one can count the total spots showing on a roll of
five dice and subtract this total from thirty-five.
The difference will be the total spots on the under-
sides of the five dice. A bartender may boast that
he can tell the total spots on the sides of the dice
opposite the sides in view, or he may challenge the
dupe to do so. The game is sometimes referred to
as "Reciprocals," although the name is rarely
mentioned to propsective dupes because it could
give away the secret.
(18) Pig
Pig is played with a dice cup and just two dice.
The object of the game is to score 100 points in a
minimum number of rolls. The first player rolls the
dice and if no ace appears, the total of the spots
showing constitutes his score up to that point. The
player may stop after one roll and have the score
entered on a scoresheet (usually a bar napkin) or
he may elect to continue rolling. His score cumula-
1 2
tively increases so long as no ace is rolled. If a
single ace is rolled, the score accumulated in that
player's series of rolls is completely lost, and the
dice must be passed to the next player. If a player
rolls an ace-deuce (a one-two combination), he not
only loses all of his score accumulated in the series,
but his entire recorded score is halved. If two aces
are rolled, the entire recorded score is reduced to
zero.
While the winner of the game may collect a
drink from each of the losers, Pig is normally play-
ed for money, e.g., a penny a point. The winner
subtracts each loser's score from his winning score
and collects that number of pennies from each
loser. If a loser has zero, the agreed-upon stakes
may be doubled. In addition, tally is also kept of
the number of aces rolled by each player. The play-
er (not necessarily the winner) who has rolled the
fewest aces collects an agreed-upon penalty times
the difference between his total number of aces
and those of each of the other players. (For ver-
sions of Pig, see Giesecke 1960:40-41; Smith 1971:
100, Scarne 1974:362-363; Frey 1975:19-21, and
Jacobs 1976:67-68.)
(19) Hi-Low or 11-24
This game is always played for money. There is
one dice cup with five dice and any number of
players. One player (there is no advantage to any
particular order of play) rolls the dice. After the
roll is exposed, the player must elect to go high or
low. If high is elected, the player's goal is to roll a
spot total of at least twenty-four within the per-
mitted number of rolls. If low is elected, the play-
er seeks to roll a spot total not greater than eleven.
In the most common version of the game, players
are permitted between one and five rolls to achieve
their high or low. The player must keep at least
one die out after each roll, such die counting to-
wards the total. There is no restriction as to the
maximum number of dice a player may keep out.
For example, if a player rolled three twos and two
aces on his first roll, he would elect to go low and
could remove all five dice to stand on his total of
eight which would be three under the prescribed
target of eleven. The lower the player's total under
the target of eleven, the more he stands to win. If
his total were ten, he would be one under the tar-
get. This means that he would roll again with all
ones to be set aside and counted for him. So long
as one ace is rolled, the player removes the ace or
aces and continues to roll. If he is fortunate
enough to roll five aces, he has succeeded in "turn-
ing the corner" and he may pick up all five dice
and continue rolling until he fails to roll an ace.
All aces he has accumulated in this latter series of
rolls are multiplied by the agreed-upon unit stakes,
e.g., a nickel, a dime, a quarter, and he receives this
amount from each of the other players in the
game. If his "low" total were seven, he would be
four under and he would roll with all fours count-
ing for him. If, on the other hand, having elected
to go low, the player exceeds the target, the dif-
ferential becomes a number to be used againt him.
For example, if he rolled a total of sixteen, that
would be five over. The player would then roll and
set aside all fives. He would keep rolling as long as
at least one five appeared. The spot total of all the
fives rolled would be multiplied by the unit stakes.
Thus if four fives were rolled, and the stakes were a
nickel a point, the player would have to pay each
of the other players one dollar.
If after the initial roll, the player elects to go
high, he tries to get above twenty-four. If he
achieves twenty-seven, then he rolls for threes,
each three rolled to be multiplied by the unit
stakes. For example, if a total of four threes were
rolled and the stakes were a dime, the player would
collect $1.20 (4 X 3 X 10 cents) from each of the
other players. If a player going high falls short of
the twenty-four target, he must roll again and
count each instance of the differential. For ex-
ample, if he rolled a total of eighteen, he would be
six under. He would roll and set aside all sixes. The
number of sixes times six times the unit stakes
must then be paid to each of the other players.
If a player elects low and rolls eleven or if he
elects high and rolls twenty-four, he passes the dice
and no money changes hands. Rolling a total of
either eleven or twenty-four is called a "push,"
"wash," or "tie." In a variation of Hi-Low, ten dice
rather than five are used with a single cup. The
target totals becomes twenty-two and forty-eight
instead of eleven and twenty-four. (cf. Smith
1971:85-86. According to Jacobs 1976:68-72, the
game in Sacramento is known as "Scrod.")
(20) Red Dog
This game is also played for money. Two or
more can play, but in general the more players the
better. Two cups, each with a single die, are used.
The game starts with each player contributing an
agreed-upon ante (e.g., a dime or a dollar) to a pot.
A single die is shaken in one of the cups and placed
unexposed in the center of the table or bar. Then
the player going first takes the other cup and die
and rolls it, exposed to everyone's view. He then
has the option of betting any amount up to the
total contained in the pot that the number of his
die is higher than that hidden under the other cup.
If he has rolled a low number, he may elect not to
bet but rather to pass the dice to the next player in
rotation. He may lose his original ante-in the
event the pot is won by one of the other players.
1 3
In some versions of Red Dog, there is a pass penal-
ty equal to half or the full amount of the ante. If
he elects to bet that he can beat the hidden die,
then the other die is exposed. Ties count as losses.
Therefore, if the number on his die is the same as
or less than the number of the exposed die, the
bettor must pay the amount of his bet into the
pot. If the bettor's die is four, he might bet a small
fraction of the pot, whereas if he has a five or six,
he might choose to bet all or a substantial part of
the pot. If the pot is won, the players ante once
again, and play resumes. (For versions, see Giesecke
1960:28-29, Smith 1971:89-90;Jacobs 1976:76.)
(21) Yacht or Yahtzee or Yawkee
This bar dice game is one of the best known to
the general public, perhaps in part because there is
a commercialized version of it (cf. Giesecke 1960:
38-39; Smith 1971:96-98; Scame 1974:372-373;
Frey 1975:95-99). It is also one of the more com-
plex games and it requires keeping score on a nap-
kin or on one of the commercially printed (and
copyrighted) scoreboards. The object is to achieve
the highest score possible. Score is determined by
rolling one and only one example of each of twelve
(or some other number of) different combinations.
The combinations are as follows: aces, twos,
threes, fours, fives, sixes, three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-
kind, full house, small straight (one, two, three,
four, five), large straight (two, three, four, five, six)
and a yacht, which is any five-of-a-kind.
The game is played with one dice cup and five
dice. Each player has a maximum of three rolls in
which to achieve one of the twelve combinations.
For example, if he rolled a pair of fours on the first
roll, he might elect to take out the two fours and
roll the remaining three dice. If he rolled a third
four on the second roll, he would remove it and
roll the remaining two dice. If he rolled a fourth
four on the third roll, he would score a total of
sixteen in the fours category. (If he had been lucky
enough to have rolled two fours on his final roll,
he would have elected to score his combination as
five-of-a-kind or Yacht rather than counting fours.
A Yacht counts fifty points. If he had rolled two
sixes or any other pair on his final roll, he would
have elected to score a full house which may count
either a flat number of points, e.g., 25, or the spot
total of the five dice (or the spot total plus an
agreed-upon number, e.g., fifteen).
After a player has scored what he can for a
particular category, the dice are passed to the next
player who tries one of the twelve categories. Cate-
gories may be scored only once in each complete
game. Some of the categories are extremely diffi-
cult to achieve. Especially difficult are straights,
full house, and Yacht. The scoring consists of the
face value or spot total of the dice thrown in the
category chosen. Four fives would score twenty in
the five category; three fours would be twelve in
the four category or twelve in the three-of-a-kind
category, depending upon which category was
chosen. Straights are normally scored at an agreed-
upon amount, eg., thirty. In some cases, a small
straight scores less than a large straight, e.g., small
straight, thirty; large straight, forty. A player may
fail to get any kind of good scoring combination.
Assume, for example, that after a third roll,
a player has achieved a combination of one-two-
three-five-six. He would then elect to count this
combination in the lowest number category not
yet filled, e.g, in the one category, so as to mini-
mize the effect of his unsuccessful roll. A player
must put something in one of the remaining twelve
categories after each roll even if it is zero. After
each player has made an entry in each of the cate-
gories included in the game, the entries are totalled
and high score wins.
(22) Madu
This game has been described as Yacht played
upside down and backwards, but with ten dice. As
in Yacht, the number and types of categories can
vary. In a common version, the ten categories are
as follows: aces, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes,
low straight, high straight, full house, and "madu,"
which is five-of-a-kind. However, unlike Yacht, it is
low score in Madu which wins. Moreover, with ten
dice, two categories rather than one category must
be scored in each turn. Players have a maximum of
three rolls per turn to score their two categories.
In the one through six categories, the ideal is to
achieve five-of-a-kind. Thus, in the threes, one
would in theory seek to have five threes. If one
rolled only three threes for that category, a penalty
of six, that is, the maximum score (15) minus what
was scored (9) would be incurred. A six would be
entered on the scoresheet in the threes category. If
a player rolls a straight, he earns a zero for that
category. If he fails to roll and score a low or high
straight at some point in the game, he is penalized
twenty or thirty points respectively. Since the ideal
full house consists of three sixes and a pair of fives
(for a spot total of twenty-eight), the spot total of
any other full house is subtracted from twenty-
eight and the difference is entered as a penalty in
the full house category. If one rolled three sixes
and a pair of fives, he would earn a zero in that
category. Similarly, a perfect madu is five sixes, or
a spot total of thirty. Any lesser five-of-a-kind
results in a penalty consisting of the difference be-
tween its spot total and thirty. Thus, if five fives
were selected to fill the madu category, a penalty
of five would be assessed. If five threes were rolled,
the penalty would be fifteen. After entries have
been made in all ten categories, that is, after each
1 4
player has rolled five times, the scores are added
and the winner (low score) determined. (Madu is
similar to what other writers have called "Double
Cameroon" but both Scarne [1974:373] and Frey
[1975:100-103] indicate that high score wins.
Only Smith [1971:98-99] describes "Double
Cameroun" as a game in which low score wins.
Jacobs [1976:60-67] refers to the game as "Back
Yahtzee".)
(23) 5000, or 15 Hun, or Zilch
"Five thousand" is a gambling game, usually
played for money, but sometimes with additional
stakes such as a round of drinks. It is widely
known in the Bay Area. The score is kept on a
napkin or piece of scrap paper. The game is played
with one cup, six dice, and any number of players.
(The use of six dice is somewhat unusual in bar
dice games.) The object of the game is to score a
minimum of five thousand points. The scoring
combinations are as follows: a single five is 50
points; a single ace, 100; three-of-a-kind (but it
must be obtained on a single roll) depends upon
the "kind". Twos are 200; threes, 300; fours, 400;
fives, 500; sixes, 600; and aces, 1000. On any roll
in which all six dice are rolled, there are two other
possible scoring combinations: a straight (one, two,
three, four, five, six) is worth 1500 points (from
which the alternative name of 15 hun is derived);
three pairs is worth one quarter of the spot total of
all six dice multiplied by 100 (i.e., pairs of sixes,
fives and fours would score one fourth of 30 (71/2)
X 100, or 750 points).
It is a decided advantage in this game to be the
last to play. Accordingly, pee-wee is used to de-
termine who plays last. The player in this position
is said to have or to be "the hammer." Since play
always proceeds in a clockwise direction, the
person immediately to the left of "the hammer"
goes first. The first player rolls the six dice. If no
scoring dice or combinations are achieved, the
player loses his turn and passes on the dice. He
scores a "box" or a "zip" or "zilch," which is
usually indicated by drawing a short line under his
name on the scoresheet. (Smith [1971:95-96]
gives "Zilch" as the preferred name of the game.
Alternative names listed are "5000" and "Holland
Hash." See also Jacobs 1976:51-58.)
To begin scoring at all, a player must accumulate
on one series of rolls a minimum of five hundred
points. After this minimum has been scored, the
rules change for that player on succeeding rounds.
On the second round and thereafter, a minimum of
only three hundred fifty is required for the score
to count. If a scoring die or combination is rolled,
a player can elect to end his turn and score that
amount (provided it equals or exceeds the required
minimum) or he may elect to remove at least one
scoring die or combination out of the six dice and
roll the remaining dice once again. On the second
and each succeeding roll, at least one scoring die
or combination must appear, or all score accumu-
lated in that round is lost and a "box" is recorded.
If all six dice are used in scoring, the player is said
to have "turned the corner" and he is permitted to
pick up all six dice and continue rolling. Of course,
he must continue with each roll to get at least one
scoring die or combination to protect the score he
has accumulated in that round up to that point. (If
he were to lose the score accumulated in the
round, he would receive a box for the round. How-
ever, the score earned on previous rounds would
be unaffected.)
The game is five thousand, but score over that
amount in the last round of the game is recorded.
Furthermnore, each player is entitled to exactly the
same number of rolls per game. So even though a
player scores over five thousand, other players are
permitted to finish rolling and it is theoretically
possible for these other rollers to achieve a higher
score than the first player to exceed five thousand.
The player with the highest score over five thou-
sand points wins the game.
The stakes for the game vary. There may be a
specified amount for winning the game, a specified
amount the difference in boxes between the
winner and each losing player, and an agreed-upon
amount for the difference in numerical score be-
tween the winner and each losing player. Typical
stakes might be as follows: $3.00 or $4.00 for
game; $.50 per box; $.01 for each point difference
in score. Reduced or more nominal stakes might
be: $.25 for game; $.10 per box; $.02 per hundred
points difference in score. Sometimes a round of
drinks may be the stakes for the game, but the
financial stakes for boxes and differences in
numerical score would probably remain the same.
If a winning player goes out before one of the
other players scores anything, all the stakes with
respect to that losing player are doubled. (This is
similar to being "schneidered" or "shut out" in
Gin Rummy.)
It should be noted that the principal scoring
combinations are varieties of three-of-a-kind. If a
player rolls four-of-a-kind or five-of-a-kind on one
roll, he receives no bonus or score for the fourth or
fifth (unless it is a one or a five). Thus a roll of
four threes would count only three of the threes,
that is, as 300 points. However, a roll of five fives
would count 500 points for three of the fives and
fifty each for the remaining two fives for a total
score of 600 points. Five aces would count as 1200
points (1000 for three aces plus 100 for each of
the additional aces). If a player rolls four-of-a-kind
and a pair on a single roll, he has the option of
either using the three-of-a-kind rule plus any addi-
1 5
tional unit's values or considering the combination
as an instance of the three pair rule. For example,
if four aces and a pair of sixes were rolled, it could
be scored as 1100 under the three-of-a-kind rule
(three aces is 1000, plus 100 for the fourth ace) or
as 400 under the three-pairs rule. Clearly, it would
be more advantageous to use the three-of-a-kind
rule. However, if four sixes and a pair of twos were
rolled, it could be scored as 600 under the three-of-
a-kind rule, or 700 under the three-pairs rule. In
this case, the three-pairs rule would be the logical
option to elect. One key factor in the decision
would be the opportunity to roll again in the event
that all six dice are involved in the scoring option
selected.
(24) Accept/Refuse
This is a special game which depends upon a
combination of some of the bar dice games pre-
viously described. Usually there is a matrix or
agreed-upon set of games such as Boss Dice (Aces
Wild); Boss Dice (Nothing Wild); Ship, Captain,
and Crew; Liars' Dice; and perhaps Monterey. (The
set of basic games will vary depending upon the
knowledge and inclination of the players. Some
sets may include a dozen or more games.) Accept/
Refuse is played by two players for drinks, money,
or both.
Each of the players rolls his dice, keeping them
hidden from the view of the other player. The
player who has previously won the pee-wee has the
right to name a game of his choice within the
agreed-upon matrix. The player making the first
call, that is, selecting the game to be played, will
make his decision in part on the basis of what he
has rolled. After he has named the game, e.g., Boss
Dice (Aces Wild), the other player must either
accept or refuse the game. If he refuses the game
called, he is obligated to accept the next game
called by the first player. (No new roll is made, so
that the second game called is played with the
initial dice rolled.) The strategy is frequently such
that the first player may refrain from naming his
most preferred game so that in the event his
opponent rejects the first game called, he will be
forced to accept the first player's real preference.
After the call is made and accepted, both players
expose their dice and the game is played. The
games are played according to the rules described
in this report except that there may be minor
modifications to tailor the games to the Accept/
Refuse format. For example, in Ship, Captain, and
Crew, the player calling the game may elect to
stand with the roll revealed or roll once or twice
more (for a maximum of three rolls) in order to
improve his hand. The second player has the op-
tion of using up to three rolls regardless of the
number of rolls used by the first player. (If the
first player has stopped after one or two rolls and
the second player produces a winning combination
on his third roll, the first player ordinarily is not
permitted a third roll and he has lost that game.)
After the initial game called and accepted is
completed, the two palyers roll their dice, and this
time, the second player names a game and the first
player must accept or refuse. The second player
could elect to play the same game again, as there is
usually no rule prohibiting selecting a game more
than once. The player who succeeds in winning
two separate games is considered to have won a
round of Accept/Refuse. The stakes may be paid
or simply tallied. Then a new round of Accept/
Refuse may be initiated.
We might note that while many of the individual
bar dice gatnes previously described in our investiga-
tion can be played as independent games, they are
most commonly played as part of Accept/Refuse.
Examples include (8) the Qualifying Games, (10)
Threes All Out, (11) Fours and Threes, (12) Red
All Day, and (13) Bid Red. (Smith 1971:73 does
not mention the name "Accept/Refuse" but does
list a number of names including "Selection-
Rejection," "All Games", "Refusal", "Pee-Wee
Challenge" and "Razzle". Jacobs 1976:83-89 in
his extensive discussion calls the game "Acceptance
/Rejection" or "Refusals.")
(25) Medley or Around the World or The World
Series of Dice
This is a fixed sequence of seven different games
played by two players until one has won four
games. In one version of the Medley, the seven
games, in the order played, are: (1) Boss Dice (two
rolls maximum in this version); (2) Ship, Captain,
and Crew; (3) Liars' Dice (with aces wild unless the
first player to call decides to call an ace in which
case aces are not wild; (4) Razzle Dazzle (with
either the loser of Liars' Dice going first or a pee-
wee to determine who goes first and with play con-
tinuing until one player has won two games of
Razzle Dazzle); (5) Aces Away; (6) Beat That You
Bastard; and (7) IBM.
In playing the Medley, the loser of any game is
entitled to go first in the next game. (Or the play-
ers may simply alternate with respect to going
first.) In a variation of the Medley, there is a spe-
cial requirement in those cases where one player
has won the first four games, which is called an
automatic press. Although winning four games
would normally end play, in this variation play
must continue. If the player with the advantage
goes on to win the next three games (which would
make seven straight), the loser would be obliged to
pay quintuple stakes (five cups of coffee instead of
1 6
one, for example). If, however, the player who is
behind wins any one of the last three games, the
Medley is counted as a tie and a new Medley be-
gins. In another variation, the press (on to seven
games) is not automatic. When one player has won
the first four games in a row, the second player has
the option of either paying the stakes or requiring
the first player to press with the stakes being quin-
tupled as mentioned above. Frequently, if the press
is automatic, the player behind three games to
none may intentionally try to lose the fourth game
in order to force a press. The odds are greatly in
favor of the player who is behind winning one of
the last three games, which would thereby elimi-
nate an almost certain loss. (For a version of this
game called "Alternates" involving an agreed-upon
sequence of three different games, see Jacobs
1976: 89-90.)
(26) 4-5-6
This game is different from previous games in
two respects. First, it employs a single cup with
only three dice. Second, it is a banking game.
Banking games played with dice are the one kind
of bar dice game. specifically prohibited by section
330 of the California Penal Code. (Nonbanking bar
dice games while not unlawful under California
state law are subject to regulation by county and
local authorities.)
Scarne (1974:350) reports that "Four Five Six
or the Three-Dice Game" is so popular throughout
the northwestern United States, Canada, and Alaska
that it has replaced craps among servicemen. The
game is also reported by Giesecke (1960:47);
Smith (1971:86-87); and Frey (1975:51-54), who
claims the game is sometimes called "See-Low"
and is derived from a Chinese dice game called
"Strung Flowers." Jacobs (9176:76-78) calls the
game "Casino." Chemist Edward X. Anderson,
writing under a nom de plume, has made a prob-
ability analysis of "Four-Five-Six" (Payne 1947:
213-225).
First a banker must be selected. This is accom-
plished either by playing an initial round of the
game or by resorting to pee-wee. After a banker
has been designated, he announces a sum of money
(of his own) which is available in the bank. He
might say the bank is one hundred dollars. Each
player in turn (moving clockwise from the banker)
elects to bet a portion or all of the bank or pot not
already "covered" or spoken for by a previous
player. When the entire bank is covered, or when
each player has had an opportunity to bet, play
commences. (If the pot is spoken for by the first
several players, the remaining players must sit out
that round.)
The banker always rolls first, and this is a de-
cided advantage. The following combinations are
automatic winners: (1) four, five, and six; (2) any
pair and a six; (3) any three-of-a-kind. If the bank-
er rolls any of these, the round is over and he col-
lects all bets. The following combinations are auto-
matic losers: (1) one, two, and three; (2) any pair
and a one. If the banker rolls either of these, the
round is over and he must pay all bets against the
bank.
If the banker does not roll an automatic winning
or losing roll, he may establish what is called a
"point" by having rolled any pair plus a two, or a
three, or a four, or a five. The value of the pair is
not material, but the higher the number of the
third die, the higher the point. If the banker fails
to roll an automatic winner or loser, or to establish
a point, he rolls again until he does so. If the bank-
er establishes a point, he passes the dice to the
playeir on his left. This player rolls the dice until he
beats, ties, or loses to the banker. If he rolls an au-
tomatic winning combination, he collects the
amount of his bet from the banker. If he rolls an
automatic losing combination, he pays the banker
the amount of his bet. If he rolls a point, which is
higher than the banker's point, he also wins and
collects his bet. If his point is lower than the bank-
er's, he loses and must pay the banker the amount
of his bet. If his point is the same as the banker's
point, a tie has occurred and no money changes
hands. When the player has completed his roll, he
passes the dice to the next player to the left.
A player other than the banker who rolls a four-
five-six winning combination also wins the right to
be the banker on the next round. There are other
means of becoming banker. The bank can simply
pass to each player successively in a clockwise ro-
tation. Or the first player (other than the banker)
to roll an automatic winner is the next banker. An
interesting technique reported by Smith (1971:
87) is more complex. After the bank or a pot is
announced by the banker, each player has the right
to bet all of the pot still available (i.e., that part
which has not previously been bet by other play-
ers) if he wishes. A player who has closed out the
pot by betting the full amount remaining in the
bank is said to have "tapped" the pot. If when the
banker rolls, he rolls an automatic loser, the play-
er who had tapped the pot becomes the banker in
the next round.
As can be surmised from the above description,
each player is pitted against the banker and not
against other players. The banker, however, plays
against all the other players.
CONCLUSION
From this consideration of more than twenty
bar dice games, we hope it is clear that these games
represent an active tradition in urban folklore. The
1 7
wide variation in the names and rules of the games
attests to the inevitable results of folk transmis-
sion. In addition, the extensive lexicon of special-
ized argot (cf. Giesecke 1960:7-9; Smith 1971:
103-105; Frey 1975:7-9; Jacobs 1976:115-121)
surrounding the play of bar dice also points to the
richness of this hitherto unnoticed type of folk-
lore. The games are normally not learned from
print, but rather from a fellow player in a bar. We
know that bar dice games are played in U.S. mili-
tary establishments across the country and abroad.
They are also widely known in the San Francisco
Bay Area as well as in other regions of the country.
Without the benefit of reportings by other folk-
lorists, it is somewhat difficult to ascertain the
overall distribution of individual bar dice games.
Each game has its own history and it is quite likely
that many of the games can be shown to be related
to dice game traditions of Europe and Asia.
Bar dice games are also potential data for soci-
ologists and psychologists. Bar dice is almost al-
ways played by men. The games tend to provide an
occasion for comraderie and fellowship. They are
clearly competitive and they emphasize the values
of winning and financial reward. In view of bar
dice being primarily a male activity, one is remind-
ed of the conventional Freudian interpretation of
gambling as being in part a sublimated form of
masturbation (Freud 1959:240-241). Both mas-
turbation and gambling can be considered compul-
sive, repetitive acts (Lindner 1953:212). Although
the etymology of masturbation is disputed, it is
apparently derived from manu stuprare, to defile
oneself with the hand, or manu turbare, to agitate
or disturb with the hand (Klein 1967:946). Cer-
tainly there is a possible parallel between shaking
a dice cup with dice and male masturbation. Green-
son remarked (1947:64) on the probable symbolic
significance of referring to the rolling of dice as
"coming," a slang expression for orgasm. In the
present context, we might suggest that the term
"pee-wee" or "piddle" does tend to suggest urina-
tion which would obviously involve touching the
organ in question. The bar dice game typically
starts with a pee-wee which also implies smallness.
The phrase "rolling a stiff" or the admonition that
one should not "beat oneself" may also reflect a
possible onanistic symbolic component of bar dice
play. In one game, Bears around the Ice Hole, the
winner is the one with the most hair. The repeated
shaking of the dice and the constant play upon
concealing and exposing one's strength would also
not be inconsistent with a Freudian point of view.
In any case, regardless of the possible uncons-
cious symbolic meaning of bar dice idioms and
tion which has ancient roots. Bar dice is a form of
folklore which has been and continues to be ex-
tremely popular among groups of adult males. As a
viable part of American culture, it deserves to be
documented and studied.
play, there can be no question that bar dice in the
Bay Area and elsewhere is an active ongoing tradi-
1 8
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Freud, Sigmund
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Frey, Skip
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Giesecke, Al
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Greenson, Ralph R.
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77.
Jacobs, Gil
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Klein, Ernest
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Robert Lindner. New York: Julian Press.
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Scarne, John
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Books.
Smith, Jester
1971 Games They Play in San Francisco. San
Francisco: Tri-City Printing.
Tamony, Peter
1964 Poker Dice in San Francisco. Western
Folklore, 23:117.