Wisconsin has a grand tradition of dice games in bars, most of which revolve around figuring out who’s buying the next round of drinks. Some are more common in certain areas, and many watering holes have their own house rules or even specific games found nowhere else. Some have names like Aces, Ship Captain Crew, or Threes. Some are just called “Bar Dice” and that can mean something different everywhere you go. It’s always best to ask when you’re somewhere new, but here’s how we do it at Layman Brewing.
Play order: Everyone rolls a die. Whoever rolls the highest goes first. If starting with three* or more players, begin with the “elimination phase.” Otherwise, read all instructions but begin play in the “sponsor phase.”
Elimination phase: Each player gets one roll (sometimes referred to as a “flop”) with all five dice and can only count the matching numbers on the dice if it includes at least one ace (1, or on our dice, the Layman logo). Aces are wild and can be used to represent any other number.
Elimination phase scoring: The goal is to roll as many of a single number as possible. That number becomes the “ones” place and however many dice show that number in a given roll are represented in the “tens” place. For example, if player A rolls four twos (one of which will be a wild ace) that is referred to as “forty two.” If player B rolls three sixes, (again, one of those will be an ace,) that’s “thirty six.” Forty two is higher than thirty six, so player A wins.
Game play: Continue passing the dice clockwise until everyone has rolled. Whoever has the highest score for the round is “out” and safe from buying drinks. The last person still in the game to roll becomes the “hammer” and “brings it back”, rolling first in the next round.
Sponsor phase: When only two* players remain, it’s best two rounds out of three. Each player may roll up to three times per turn, stopping when they want to challenge the other player.
Sponsor phase scoring: The hammer “sets the pace” for each round. The other player may take up to the same number of rolls in their turn, but not more. For example, if the hammer gets forty three in two rolls, they may stop there and their opponent only has two chances to match or beat that score. That score would be referred to as “forty three in two.” If the hammer rolls well enough on their first roll, they might choose to stop “in one” or take all three rolls and go “all day.” Once the hammer has completed all rolls in their turn, they pass the dice to their opponent. Like the elimination phase, whoever rolls last in one round “brings it back,” (rolls first) in the next round so everyone gets a chance to set the pace.
Farming: The player rolling sets aside, or “farms” the dice they want to keep. (Player must have at least one ace (wild) to begin farming, and may keep rolling up to three times to get an ace.) Once you farm a die you may not re-roll it that turn. If the hammer does not get an ace on their first (or even second) roll, they may continue to roll up to three times or until they get an ace and can begin scoring, but all their rolls count toward the number of rolls their opponent gets to beat their score.
Ties during the sponsor phase: When two players tie in the same number of rolls they each get an additional roll with all five dice to establish who wins that round. (Again, an ace must be part of the roll for it to count.) Players continue to roll back and forth until dice can be counted and someone wins the turn.
Determining the winner: Whoever loses the first turn has “a horse on them.” If after two turns each player has won a turn, that’s “a horse a piece” or “piece work” and they continue for a third turn. Whoever loses two turns becomes the “sponsor” and must buy a round of drinks for all the players.
Other rules to keep in mind:
One tie all tie: If two players match scores during the elimination phase, the whole round resets and everybody rolls again.
Dice etiquette: Never touch the dice when it’s not your turn, and always pass them separately from the dice cup (if using).
Butterfingers: Drop a die on the floor and you have to take a shot of well gin.
Too lucky: Roll five aces and you have to buy a shot for everyone playing, and it had better not be well gin!
Cocked dice: If any dice in your roll are stacked or come to rest at an angle, re-roll all the dice you just rolled.
*Layman house rule: We like rolling dice. If all players agree beforehand, players can go “all day” when the game is down to three (or more) players rather than two.