How to Play Bunco, a Fun Dice Game

If you’re looking for a way to make new friends, why not start a Bunco group? Once you get a few friends together to start playing Bunco, you’ll be surprised at how fast your Bunco group will grow. Is it possible you’ve never heard of Bunco and don’t know what it is? Let me quickly explain – Bunco is a dice game that is played in rounds. Yet, it is so much more than just a dice game! Bunco is an excuse to get together with friends and have fun. It’s a fast-paced dice game that gets everyone involved at the same time, and it’s a great excuse to forget all your troubles and the stresses of everyday life. Even if just for a few hours. It’s also the perfect time to forget your diet and munch on lots of finger food! To start a Bunco group, you’ll need a total of at least four players. Obviously, the more people that join your Bunco group, the more fun you’ll have. Before we discuss how to start a Bunco group, let’s go over the rules of Bunco.

How to play Bunco – Necessary playing materials

You will need dice. Lots of them! Each person (or team) will roll a set of three die. To help keep things from getting confused, it’s best if each set of die is a different color. For example, three white dice. Three black dice. Three pink dice, and so on.

– You will need a bell.

– You will need a pencil and paper. (If you have multiple tables set up for a Bunco group, you’ll need pencil and paper for each table)

– You will a soft object that can be tossed. A very small stuff animal will work just fine. (If you have multiple tables set up for a Bunco group, you’ll need a soft object for each table)

How to play Bunco – The set up

– One player at each table is selected as the scorekeeper. This person will be given a piece of paper and pencil.

– A different player will be the bell ringer. Give that person the bell.

– If you’re playing with less than four people, each person is given their own set of three die. If you have at least four players, everyone will roll the same set of dice.

– Each table will sit four players. Thus, if you have more than four players, you’ll need to have at least eight. Then, you’ll have two tables set up with four players at each table.

– The soft object will be placed in the middle of the each Bunco table. Before play begins, players will agree on a set of three numbers that will set off ‘the toss’. For example, the combination could be 1-2-3, or 4-5-6, 1-3-5, etc. Whenever a player rolls that combination, the soft object will be thrown at them. (More on this later)

How to play Bunco – The rules

– Each game of Bunco consists of 6 rounds. Each dice has six sides, thus, each Bunco game has 6 rounds.

– Before the round starts, the bell ringer rings the bell. Play begins. The scorekeeper always rolls first.

– During the first round of play, players attempt to roll as many 1’s as possible. The goal is to try to get the most 1’s at your table. During the second round, you’ll try to roll 2’s, and so on. Each time the dice matches the number of the round being played, you get 1 point. Players (or teams) continue rolling until no points are scored. The dice is then passed to the player on the left.

– Continue rolling until someone scores over 21 points.

– If a player (or team) rolls all three dice the same number as the round being played, that means a BUNCO is scored! Each Bunco is worth 21 points! YOU MUST SHOUT ‘BUNCO!!!’ and the bell ringer rings the bell. The round is over. (NOTE – People get insane when they roll a Bunco. That’s what makes the game so exciting!)

– If a player (or team) rolls all three dice the same, but it doesn’t match the number of the round being played, they will receive five points.

– Don’t forget, if any player (or team) rolls the special combination that everyone agreed on ahead of time (ex: 1,3,5 or 2,4,6, etc) the soft object is tossed at them, and they keep it with them. When someone else rolls the combination, they get the soft object tossed at them. This continues through the entire six rounds. At the end of all six Bunco rounds, whoever has the soft object with them will receive a bonus.

How to play Bunco – Keeping score

– The scorekeeper will keep a record of each player (or team) name. There will be a column for each round played (6). Anytime a player (or team) rolls a Bunco, a ‘B’ will be marked next appropriately.

– Any player (or team) that score 21 points first, gets a “W” next to their name for that round. W stands for winner.

– Any player (or team) that did not win a round, gets an ‘L’ next to their name for that round.. L stands for loser.

– Anyone that is left holding the soft object at the end of a round will receive another “W’ next to their name.

How to play Bunco – Winning

– When all six rounds have been played, the bell ringer rings the bell several times to signal that the game is over. The scorekeeper will add up all the “W’s” and whoever has the most is the winner!

– If there is a tie, the scorekeeper then counts the number of “B’s” for the players that tied, and whoever has the most B’s is the winner!

– If, after adding all the W’s and B’s, there is still a tie, the tie can be broke by seeing which player can roll a Bunco first. That person is the winner!

** Remember, Bunco is all about having fun! If you host a Bunco party, it’s tradition to award small prizes to the winners. Usually, the person with the most Buncos wins a prize. The person who rolls the first Bunco wins a prize. Yet, Bunco prizes aren’t just for the winners! Make up your own rules about prizes and have fun with it. For example, give a prize to the first guest that arrives to the Bunco game. The person that has the most losses can also receive a prize. Hand out a prize to the person that goes to the bathroom first, etc. The prizes are meant to be a fun gesture and do NOT have to be expensive.

** To read more from this author, CLICK HERE.

Source:

Personal knowledge and experience