What you need
For a full party: 12 players, three tables of four, three dice and a score sheet at each table, and a bell for the head table. Everyone needs a pencil. Bunco also works at a single table with two to four players. It needs no skill, which is why it is the favourite of neighbourhood and club game nights.
Setup
Seat four players at each table. The two players facing each other are partners for the round. Number the tables: table 1 is the head table. Each table names a scorekeeper. At a single table, players simply play for themselves.
How to play
A game, called a set, has six rounds. In round 1 the target number is 1, in round 2 it is 2, and so on to 6.
- The head table rings the bell to start the round. At every table, the first player rolls all three dice.
- Score 1 point for each die showing the round number.
- If all three dice show the same number but not the round number, score 5 points.
- If all three dice show the round number, that is a Bunco: 21 points. Shout “Bunco!”.
- If you scored anything, roll again. If you scored nothing, pass the dice to your left.
Partners add their points together. A table’s round ends when one team reaches 21 points; each table plays until it has a winning team. In the Winning Moves rules, a Bunco rolled at any table ends the round at all tables, and each other table’s leading team wins there.
Changing tables
The Winning Moves rules keep the winners at their table (one of them changes seat so partners change) and move the losers on: table 1 to table 2, table 2 to table 3, table 3 to table 1. Wikipedia describes the tournament habit instead: winners move up one table, towards the head table, and the losers at the head table drop to the last table. Either way, whoever sits opposite you is your new partner, and the head table’s scorekeeper marks a W for each winner.
Scoring and winning
At the end of the set, each player counts their wins. The most wins takes first prize. In the Winning Moves rules, ties are broken by the number of Buncos rolled, then by a roll-off to 5 points. Prizes are optional; players often chip in for them.
Common variants
- Three of a kind values: Wikipedia lists 5 points for any other three of a kind. The Winning Moves edition splits it: a low Bunco (three of a number below the round number) scores 7, a high Bunco (above the round number) scores 5.
- One table (2 to 4 players): everyone plays for themselves and a round ends when a player reaches 21. For a quicker game, play to 11.
- 5 to 11 players: fill tables of four as teams and play individually at smaller tables, where the target is 11 points.
- Several sets: party groups often play two or three sets with a break for food.
Tips for first games
- Make the score sheets before guests arrive: one column per round with space for initials.
- Keep the bell at the head table only; it signals the start and end of every round.
- Explain the round number clearly. Most mistakes come from counting the wrong number after a round changes.
- Bunco is a social game. Keep the pace brisk and the chatter going.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a Bunco? 21, which immediately wins the round at your table.
Do you keep rolling after scoring? Yes. Keep rolling as long as each roll scores; pass the dice when one does not.
Do all tables stop when one finishes? In the Winning Moves rules, no: each table plays to 21, except that a true Bunco anywhere ends the round everywhere.
Can you play bunco with fewer than 12 people? Yes, from two players at a single table.
Who wins the night? The player with the most round wins, with Buncos as the usual tie-breaker.
