What is Bunco?

Bunco is a game of dice; consisting of 3 dice played at a table with 4 people in 2 teams. Sounds kind of boring hugh? I guess it would be if that were it. The fun comes in when you do it in a group. The I like a group consisting of 12 people, but you can do less . 4 tables, food, music, prizes, and lots of good clean fun. In order to make it work the group has to have dedicated confidant members.

Place three dice, a BUNCO Table Tally score sheet, and pencils on each of three tables. Place a table placard (Low, Middle, High), on each table. Place the four sequentially numbered seating placards, in front of each chair. A bell is placed on the HIGH Table. A large fuzzy die (or a small stuffed animal) is placed on the LOW table.

Prepare 12 Bunco Score Cards by writing on the back of them. Four are labeled HIGH table, with the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Four are labeled MIDDLE table, 1 through 4, and four are labeled LOW table.

Players draw a score card at random when they arrive and sit in the indicated place. Partners for the first round are the players sitting across from each other.

Game Overview

There are six rounds in each set of Bunco. The High Table controls the pace of play by starting each round and ending each round with a ring of the bell. The scorekeeper at each table is the first to roll.

Players earn points by rolling the three dice. In each round, players are trying to roll the same number as the round, or the target number (for example, rolling in Round 3) - sometimes called a mark.

One point is awarded for each target number rolled successfully. For example rolling in round 1 earns 2 points, in round 2, the same roll earns one point. In rounds 3-6 this roll earns no points.

Five points are awarded for rolling three of a kind of any number except the current target number. For example rolling in round 3 earns 5 points.

BUNCO! is called when rolling 3 of a kind of the target number. For example, rolling in Round 3. Rolling BUNCO is worth 21 points, but the player has to yell it out to get credit for it.

There is a soft bunco toy that gets thrown to the one who rolled bunco and they keep it until someone else rolls a bunco, then they throw it to them.

The player rolls as long as they score one or more points. When they fail to roll the target number on any of the dice, the dice are passed to the player on the left and the scorekeeper records the cumulative score on the Table Tally as the temporary team score.

The round is over when the HIGH table reaches 21 points, they ring the bell and the round is over for everyone. The other tables keep rolling until the high table rings the bell. They may score more than 21 points, sometimes over 100 points.

When the round ends, and players at the lower tables get to finish their roll.

Every player gets at least one roll per round.

At the end of each round the winning team from the Middle and Low tables move up to a higher table. The losing team from the High table moves to the low table. During the switch partners are changed.

Everyone keeps score on their own cards of rounds won or lost and buncos.

At the end prizes are given for; Most Bunco's, Most Wins, Even a boobie prize for the lowest score.

Members pay dues at each game to buy prizes for the following month.

Members take turns hosting games. The Group meets monthly. Its fun to do dinners, theme's etc....

I loved the group I was in in Oregon. I miss them.