Written by Howard Fosdick © BestFreeNewGames.com
Overview: Along with the dominoes game Domino Cubano, Cubilete is considered a national game of Cuba. It's a simple dice game, yet it makes for suspense and hilarity when played in small groups. It's a great game for groups of mixed ages, or where you have a group that wants to play a game and may not know the rules to any in common.
Players and Equipment: Cubilete is for any number of players. It works best for 3 to 6. The game requires five poker dice. Poker die faces represent these ranks, from highest to lowest-- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, and 9. Roll one die to see who goes first.
Goal: To win a round by scoring the most points in that round. To win Game, be first to a total of 10 points across rounds.
Play:
A player rolls the five dice up to three times in a quest to get 5-of-a-kind. After each roll, he just continues with those dice he cares too, leaving ones he wants to preserve over to the side. The player can stop rolling before his three roles is up, if desired.
Scoring: The only scoring hand is a 5-of-a-kind. Aces are wild and can be used to represent any value.
The top three 5-of-a-kind scores are called carabinas. Here they are, along with the points they score--
| ---Carabina--- | ---Points--- |
|---|---|
| 5 Aces | 10 |
| 5 Kings (without Aces) | 5 |
| 5 Kings (including Aces) | 2 |
If you score the (very rare) 5-of-a-kind in Aces, you score 10 points. The game immediately ends. You won!
If you score 5-of-a-kind in Kings without any wild Aces in the mix, you score 5 points and immediately win the round. You start the next round by rolling a new turn.
If you score 5-of-a-kind in Kings with some wild Aces in the mix, you score 2 points and immediately win the round. You start the next round by rolling a new turn.
If no one scores a Carabina during the round, the person who rolled the highest 5-of-a-kind from the list below scores 1 point for the round:
| 5-of-a-Kind | Queens |
| 5-of-a-Kind | Jacks |
| 5-of-a-Kind | 10's |
| 5-of-a-Kind | 9's |
Unless someone scores a Carabina, the player who rolls last in the round rolls first in the next round.
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Tips for Play:
While luck is key, Cubilete involves decision-making in knowing what to roll for and when. Unless you roll first in the round, your objective will be affected by what previous players have achieved. Obviously you will want to set your goal higher than their results in order to win the round.
-----------------------------------Sources: These rules were compiled from numerous internet sources.
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