Bunco Baby - Guide to Your First Game
Bunco Baby - Guide to Your First Game (or Refresher)
When you first arrive:
Come in, put your money in the pot, and mingle. Sit down at any table when the hostess announces that the game is about to start. (Or, hostess choice, draw a score card to determine where everyone is seated.) Your partner for this game is the person sitting across from you. Try to sit across from someone who’s played before. On your table is a card labeled Low Table (or Table-3), Middle Table (Table-2) or High Table (Table-1).
Once Seated:
Select a scorekeeper for each team at your table. Play begins when the scorekeeper at Table One (the High Table) announces the point (which is always ONE (1) to start the first round) and rings the bell.
When it’s your turn, roll the three dice, scoring points when you roll. Keep rolling until you get no more of the number announced. If you roll three of a kind of the number announced (1-- in round one) it’s called a Bunco and is worth 21 points. Shout “Bunco!” if this occurs. The dice are passed to your left. Bunco at High Table stops that round.
Scoring
Scorekeepers track the points as they’re scored. Points are accumulated for the team of players sitting across from each other. As you roll the points, announce them out loud to make the scorekeeper’s job easier.
If you are seated at the High Table, play ends when a team scores 21 points, whether cumulatively or all at once by rolling a Bunco (3 of the announced point) and the Game Bell rings. If won by getting Bunco, that person continues rolling until they get no more of the number announced. If you’re seated at either of the other two tables, play ends when the top table rings the Game Bell. Total your points and mark a W on your sheet if you won that game or an L if you lost that game.
Win/Lose/Changing Tables
At the High Table, winners stay at the table and change partners. If you lost, move to the Low Table (#3). At Middle or Low Tables, move up if you won, stay if you lost, and change partners.
You’re now ready to play your next round. This is round 2 so now is a Bunco. At the end of 6 games, you’ll take a break, and then start over at 1.
Rules for High Table #1
· The number of the round is the point to be played (the MARK). In round one, is called a Bunco and is 21 points. In round 2 is a Bunco.
· First team at High Table (#1) to score 21 points announces the win. (RING the BELL)
· Pass the dice to your left after you’ve rolled.
· Play ends when a team scores 21 points, whether cumulatively or all at once by rolling a Bunco; ring the Game Bell. Winning team stays at High Table; Losing team moves to the Low Table.
Play at the Lower Tables (#2 and 3)
· All play begins when the High Table (#1) announces the MARK and rings the bell. Play continues until the High Table announces a win by ringing the bell, which stops play at all tables (if rolling the dice, continue until that roll ends).
· The number of the round is the point to be played for (the MARK). In round one, is called a Bunco and is worth 21 points. In round 2, is a Bunco, etc.
· If the dice is rolled as the bell rings, that counts and is added to the tally. No score is allowed if the dice have not touched the table when the bell rings. The high score at the table wins. Points are scored during play the same as at Table #1.
· If a Bunco is scored, continue the play as you’re waiting for the Head Table to ring the bell.
· All players are allowed at least one turn.
· In case of a tie, one roll for each player at that table will decide winner.
Ghost players
If you do not have all 12 players, one or more people play with a “ghost”. This amounts to one person rolling for themselves, then passing the dice to the left for that player (on the other team) to roll, and then they get the dice again for the missing/ghost player (i.e., for “the ghost” sitting across from them). At the end of that roll, the dice are passed to the player on the right (for the other team). You always want to try to get subs as can get confusing and/or tiring!
End of the Round
Wins and Losses are marked on each player’s card.
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. (You cannot have the same partner twice in a row.)
Bunco Baby Cheat-Sheet – adapted from www.buncorules.com