What you need
- 3 dice for each table (a standard group of 12 uses 9 dice)
- A table for each group of 4, with the tables numbered or named Head, Middle and Losing
- A bell for the head table. Many groups also use a special "fuzzy" or traveling die.
- A score sheet and pencil for each table, and a personal tally sheet for each player
- Prizes, if your group plays for them
Players and time
12 players is standard (3 tables of 4); 4 or more can play. About 2 hours for a full night of four sets.
The goal
On every roll, try to roll the number of the round. Your team wants to score points faster than the other team at your table, and a Bunco (three dice showing the round number) is worth 21 on its own.
Over a night, each player counts wins, losses and Buncos. Prizes usually go to the players with the most wins and the most Buncos.
Setup
- Seat four players at each table. Partners sit across from each other, so each table has two teams.
- Number the tables. The head table (table 1) is where the bell sits. Middle and losing tables follow.
- Each table needs three dice and a score sheet. One player on each team keeps the team score. In a group of 12, one person at the head table rings the bell to start and end each round.
- The round number starts at 1. A set is six rounds, with the round number going up to 6.
- The head table rings the bell to start the first round. A full night in the World Bunco Association (WBA) format is four sets, with a break after the first two.
A turn
- On your turn, roll all three dice at once. The round number tells you which die face scores. In round 3, every 3 you roll scores.
- Score the roll for your team and keep rolling. Your turn continues as long as you score something on a roll.
- When a roll scores nothing, your turn ends and the dice go to the next player at the table.
- At the head table, when a team reaches 21 points or rolls a Bunco, the scorekeeper rings the bell. The round is over for everyone. Players who are in the middle of a turn at another table may finish that turn and add their points.
- The team with the higher score in the round wins it. Each player marks a W or an L on their own tally sheet. Ties are settled with a roll-off.
- Then the winners and losers move tables (see Moving tables below). The round number goes up by one and the bell rings again.
Special cards and combinations
- Round number
- Round 1 is 1s, round 2 is 2s, and so on up to round 6. Only dice that match the current round number score 1 point each. All other dice are worth 0 on their own.
- Bunco
- A Bunco is three dice that all show the round number, worth 21 points. The team scores 21 and the player who rolled it adds one Bunco to their own tally. The player shouts "Bunco" so the table knows.
- Three of a kind, not the round number
- Three dice that match each other, but not the round number, are worth 5 points for the team. Some rule sheets call this a mini Bunco.
- Head table and the bell
- The head table sets the pace. It starts every round by ringing the bell, and it ends the round when one of its teams reaches 21 or rolls a Bunco.
- Moving tables
- After each round, the winning team at the head table stays at the head table, and one of its players moves one chair so that the team has a new partner. The losing team at the head table moves down to the next table. At the other tables, the winners move up one table and the losers move down one table. The losing team at the last table stays, with one player moving one chair for a new partner.
- Wins, losses and Buncos
- After each round, every player marks a win or a loss on their personal sheet, plus one Bunco if they rolled one. At the end of the night, each player adds up wins, losses and Buncos.
Scoring
Score each roll of the three dice, then add it to your team's score for the round. Only the round number matters. The pips (the dots) do not.
| Roll (round number 4) | Points |
|---|---|
| One die shows the round number (one 4) | 1 |
| Two dice show the round number (two 4s) | 2 |
| Three of a kind, but not the round number (three 5s) | 5 |
| Bunco: three dice show the round number (three 4s) | 21 |
| No die shows the round number and no three of a kind | 0 (turn ends) |
Worked example
It is round 4. Ana rolls 4, 4, 2 and scores 2 points. She keeps the dice and rolls again: 4, 1, 6 for 1 point. Her next roll is 5, 5, 5, three of a kind that is not the round number, so 5 points. She rolls 2, 3, 6: nothing, so her turn ends. Ana's team has 2 + 1 + 5 = 8 points.
Ben then rolls 4, 4, 4. That is a Bunco, worth 21 points. Ben's team now has 21. At the head table, the scorekeeper rings the bell and Ben's team wins the round. Ben marks a win and a Bunco on his own sheet.
Keep score with the Bunco score keeper
How to win
The team with the higher score when the bell rings wins the round. Over the night, each player counts the rounds they won, and the prizes are usually based on wins and Buncos.
The WBA format is four sets of six rounds. Groups that want a shorter night play a single set, or a single table of six rounds.
If two players tie for a prize, many groups compare Buncos first and then roll off. A tied round is settled with a roll-off.
Common house rules
These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.
- Other tables stop at 21 (house rule) House rule
- Some groups let any table end its round when one team there reaches 21, and not only the head table. In the WBA format, the head table's bell ends the round for everyone.
- Prizes (house rule) House rule
- Many groups play for prizes. Common prize categories are most wins, most Buncos, most losses, and a traveling prize for whoever holds the special die at the end. Every group sets its own.
- Odd numbers of players (house rule) House rule
- The standard group is 12 players. Many groups fill an empty seat with a "ghost" player whose partner rolls for them. The WBA rules do not set this. Other groups just play with fewer tables.
- Points total across six rounds (house rule) House rule
- The scoring above counts rounds won. Some people at a single table add up each team's points across all six rounds and give the game to the team with more points. This is not how the WBA scores a night.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Bunco?
Twelve is the standard: three tables of four, with partners across the table. Smaller groups can play at one table, with two teams, but then there are no table moves.
How many dice are used in Bunco?
Three dice, rolled all together, at every table. A group of 12 uses 9 dice because each table has its own set.
How do you win a round of Bunco?
The round ends when a team at the head table reaches 21 points or rolls a Bunco and the scorekeeper rings the bell. The team with the higher score at the head table wins that round.
What is a Bunco?
A Bunco is a roll where all three dice show the number of the round. It is worth 21 points, so it also ends the round. The player who rolled it gets a Bunco on their own sheet.
What does three of a kind score if it is not the round number?
It scores 5 points for your team. For example, three 5s in round 2 score 5 points. A roll that is three of the round number is a Bunco and scores 21, not 5 plus anything else.
How do the teams move after each round?
The head table's winners stay and trade a partner by moving one chair. The head table's losers move down. The winners at the other tables move up a table and the losers move down. At the last table, the losers stay and swap a partner.
Do I keep rolling after I score?
Yes. Your turn continues as long as each roll scores something. As soon as you roll nothing that scores, the dice go to the next player.
What are the wins, losses and Buncos used for?
Each player keeps a personal tally for the night. Prizes are usually given for the most wins, the most Buncos and sometimes the most losses. The WBA also names a traveling prize for the player who holds the special die at the end.
Sources
- World Bunco Association: Bunco Rules (The WBA format: 12 players at three tables of four, three dice, four sets of six rounds, 1 / 5 / 21 point scoring, head table bell, table movement, wins, losses and Buncos. This page could not be opened directly at the time of writing (the site's security certificate had expired), so the details were checked through excerpts and through the sheets below that cite it.)
- Group Games 101: Bunco rules (cites the World Bunco Association) (Six rounds, three dice, scoring values, head table, rotation, tallies and tie-breaks.)
- Board Game Capital: How to Play Bunco (Scoring values, head table bell, rotation, and the personal Bunco, win and loss tally.)
- Wikipedia: Bunco (Checked the 1 / 5 / 21 point values, three dice and six rounds.)
BUNCO is a trademark of the World Bunco Association. Rules and Scores is not affiliated with or endorsed by the World Bunco Association.