The goal of Bunco is to have a great time! That aside, Bunco parties usually award several winners for many categories, like Most Buncos, Most Wins, Biggest Loser, and more. We'll suggest a few at the end of these instructions, but you can make up your own!

Setting Up

Bunco is best played with players in multiples of four, and the ideal game is 12 players arranged into 3 groups of four. If you have fewer (or more) than 12 players, simply add or subtract groups. If you have an odd number of players, pay attention to our rules for "Ghost Players" a little further down the page.

Number three tables 1, 2, and 3. (Normal Bunco rules call for naming the tables "Head," "Middle," and "Losers," but that's a little aggressive...) On each table place three dice, a tally sheet, and a score card with pencil for every player. Place the bell on table 1.

Seat four players at every table. Players seated opposite are partners for the first round, arranged into two pairs "Us" and "Them." Choose a scorekeeper for each table, who becomes the first player of the "Us" group, and uses the tally sheet to keep score. (Tally sheets are just scratch pads for each round, so feel free to cross out old tallies to save paper.)

Playing the Game

Once the bell rings, Round 1 begins. The scorekeeper at each table grabs the dice and begins to roll. Players roll until their roll results in no points. When this happens, the dice are passed to the left and the scorekeeper writes their score down on the tally pad.

Dice are worth points based upon which round it is. In Round 1, dice that roll 1s are worth 1 point. In Round 2, dice that 2s are worth 1 point, and this pattern continues.

• If you roll three dice of the same number, but your numbers don't match the round number, that's a "Mini Bunco" worth 5 points. (Like rolling three 4s during Round 1!)
• If you roll three dice of the same number, and your numbers match the round number, that's a Bunco! Shout "Bunco!" You score 21 points and if you're at table 1, that ends the round.

Players keep rolling and the round continues until a player at table 1 scores at least 21 points and rings the bell. Once the bell rings, players currently taking their turns may finish by rolling until their rolls don't score.

This means that it's possible to keep scoring and tally Buncos after the round is over, and that it's possible to win a round without every scoring a Bunco!

Scoring

At the end of the round, each scorekeeper compares the Us and Them scores from the tally pad to determine which pair won the round.

If there is a tie at the table, break it by giving each player another turn to roll and score.

Each player now fills in their individual score card:

• If you have won the round, write a W next to the round on your card.
• If you have lost, write an L.
• For every Bunco and Mini Bunco you rolled, add a tally to the respective boxes.

Next Round

If you want to be extra sociable, before the next round begins, have the "W" teams move to the next-highest table number, and have the "L" teams drop down to next-lowest table number.

Finishing Up

When all rounds have been played, have each player count up all wins, losses, Buncos, and Mini Buncos, then fill in their final values on their score card. Then it's time for Awards!

 

Awards

There are lots of ways to award prizes, whether they're just for bragging rights, or are shared winnings from a pool. Here's a few suggested award categories:

Lucky Duck: Most Buncos

Lucy Duckling: Most Mini Buncos

Winner Winer Chicken Dinner: Most Wins

Biggest Loser: Most Losses

Nifty-Fifty: 50/50 Ratio of Wins to Losses

Participation Trophy: Random draw from the score cards of those who haven't won anything.

Well Traveled: Finish the game with the traveling jewel (see Traveling)

Optional Rules

Traveling adds a little excitement and another award to your game. Some Bunco sets, like Chucklebox's very own, include a traveling item, but you can always substitute in your own!

The traveling item starts at the head table, but when the first Bunco is roll, toss (or pass politely) the item to the player who rolled it. To make things more spicy, add in other rolls that trigger a travel, like Mini Buncos, or a straight (1-2-3) on the dice.

Missing a player? No problem. When you're matched up with the "Ghost" (an empty seat across the table), you roll for the both of you. And as a little extra tip for being a good sport, you can claim your ghost's Buncos as your own!