Crib Dice

Invented by Howard Fosdick © BestFreeNewGames.com

Overview: This exciting dice game makes the perfect party or pub game. You throw dice to race your marker across a cribbage board. The longer you choose to throw, the further you can go... and the greater the chance that your turn will amount to nothing.

Players: Any number, 2 to 5 players is best.

Equipment: 7 dice, a dice-tossing cup, and a cribbage board that counts to 120. The board needs a separate lane for each player. Or, use different coloured pegs for each player so that they can share lanes.

Objective: Advance your peg off the cribbage board first. Win the Championship by winning the most games during a sitting.

Play: Roll to see who goes first. Players take turns clockwise after the leader.

To start his turn, a player rolls all 7 dice to determine his point value or point. The point is a set of two or more dice the player chooses to set aside or freeze that show the same number.

Once a player has established his point, he has a choice:

He can toss all unfrozen dice in an attempt to match his point value and thereby increase his score

---or---

He can accept his current score, move his peg forward on the cribbage board according to the Scoring Chart, and end his turn by handing the dice to the next player.

Whenever a player continues his turn after establishing his point:

The player rolls all unfrozen dice. If he rolls one or more dice showing his point value -- or if he rolls a 1 -- he is safe. He freezes any dice matching his point value. (He does not freeze dice showing 1's unless that is his point.)

If the player does not roll at least one die matching his point -- or a 1 -- he wipes out. His turn ends without scoring.

A player may not change his point value once he has established it.

A player may continue rolling unfrozen dice for as long as he wants in an effort to increase his score. If he does not roll either his point or a 1 in any roll, his turn immediately ends and he scores no points for that turn. Any time prior to such a wipeout, the player may decide to stop rolling and accept his currently accumulated points as his score for the turn.

Piddle and Rollover: Once a player obtains either five or six matching dice, he faces a choice. He can either stop his turn and accept his current score, or he may piddle. To piddle, throw two dice:

If the player rolls doubles with his point value, he has "no result." Roll both dice again.

If the player rolls doubles for any value other than his point, his turn ends immediately with no score and he passes the dice to the next player.

If the player avoids rolling doubles, he keeps all points scored thus far in his turn and rolls 7 fresh dice. This is called a rollover. After the rollover, the player follows the same procedure of play as before, but with 7 new dice. A rollover is just like a second turn.

After a rollover, the player may choose any new point value he wishes.

If a player wipes out (fails to roll his point or a 1) at any time after a rollover, his turn ends and he scores no points for the entire turn.

If a player stops while safe after a rollover, he scores all points he accumulated both before and after the rollover.

A player can rollover as many times as he is able. His turn ends only if:

He declares this turn over and accepts the currently accumulated points as his score

He wipes out (fails to roll either his point value or a 1)

He piddles and fails

Should a player obtain 7-of-a-kind prior to piddling, he automatically rolls over. He need not piddle. He may either continue his turn rolling with 7 new dice, or stop and score his accumulated points for the turn.

Piddle Points: When a player piddles, if one of the two dice he rolls matches his point value, he adds that die to his score prior to the rollover. Example: a player obtains 5-of-a-kind in fours (4-4-4-4-4) and chooses to piddle. In his piddle roll, one die turns up a 4. The player will score for 6-of-a-kind in the scoring chart (assuming he ends his turn safely).

Note that if the player rolls two dice that match his point value, his piddle roll is "no result" and he must roll again for piddle. He does not score additional piddle points.

Scoring Chart: A player only moves his peg on the cribbage board after completing his turn. He moves his peg forward one position per point as follows:

Roll:	Scores:	Example:

2 of a kind	2	5-5 scores 2 points
3 of a kind	The number on the die	5-5-5 scores 5 points
4 of a kind	2 times the number on the die	5-5-5-5 scores 10 points
5 of a kind	3 times the number on the die	5-5-5-5-5 scores 15 points
6 of a kind	4 times the number on the die	5-5-5-5-5-5 scores 20 pointss
7 of a kind	5 times the number on the die	5-5-5-5-5-5-5 scores 25 points

The Bomb: If a player selects 1's as his point and then obtains at least 6-of-a-kind in 1's, he has rolled the bomb and may exchange his peg with the leading peg on the board.

If the player reaches 5-of-a-kind in 1's when going for the bomb, he must announce his intent to bomb prior to piddling. When he piddles, if either or both dice turn up 1's, he has successfully bombed, and may swap the lead peg on the board for his own. If his bomb fails, the player scores no points for the turn. Success or failure, the player's turn now immediately ends.

Fuchle: If a player has 3 consecutive wipeouts -- turns in which he does not score -- he has fuchled and must remove his peg back to the starting point off the board. (You can keep track of consecutive wipeouts in the "game counter" portion of the cribbage board.)

Double Fuchle: If a player's peg is off the board due to a fuchle and he wipes out 2 more times while off the board, he is eliminated from the game entirely. (Thus 5 consecutive wipeouts eliminate a player from the game.)

Game End : Game ends when a player wins by advancing his peg 121 spaces, all the way off the cribbage board. Other players are allowed their final turn if due them.

Skunk and Double-Skunk: Any player who has not advanced his peg more than half way round the board (at least 61 spots) when another player wins is skunked and loses 2 games. Any player whose peg is off the board (fuchled) when the game ends is double-skunked and loses 4 games. If playing for drinks or wagers, those who are skunked or double-skunked must pay doubled or quadrupled penalties, respectively.

Example Play: In Player A's turn, he:

Rolls 7 dice. They show 5-5-2-2-1-4-6. Player A chooses to set aside or "freeze" the two 5 dice. 5 is now his point value or point.
Player A rolls the five unfrozen dice (2, 2, 1, 4, and 6). He throws 5-1-6-6-6. The player freezes the 5, so his scoring combination is now 3-of-a-kind with 5's (i.e., 5-5-5). (A player is not permitted to switch his point value once he establishes it by freezing dice, so this player cannot switch his point to the higher-scoring combination of 6-6-6.)
The player elects to stop. For his 3-of-a-kind, he scores the number on the die, as per the Scoring Chart. He moves his peg forward 5 positions on the cribbage board and hands the dice to the next player.

Say Player A chooses instead in step (3) to continue. He has frozen 5-5-5 and rolls the remaining four unfrozen dice.

If he does not roll at least one die that is either his point value (5) -- or a 1 -- he wipes out. His turn ends and he scores no points for the turn.
If he rolls one or more 5's, he adds them to his frozen dice. He may then elect either to continue his turn or stop and score his existing point total.
If he does not roll any 5's, but he rolls one or more 1's, he is still safe -- though he has not increased his total score. He may then elect to continue his turn or stop and score his existing point total. (If the player chooses to continue, the 1's are not frozen -- unless they are his point value).

If Player A reaches the place in his turn where he has frozen either five or six 5's, he can either stop his turn and move his peg as per the Scoring Chart, or he may continue by piddling. To piddle, he rolls two dice:

If he rolls doubles with his point value, he has "no result." Roll both dice again.
If he rolls doubles for any value other than his point, his turn ends without score.
If he avoids rolling doubles, his turn continues anew with a rollover, a fresh role of all 7 dice.

If the player wipes out at any time during his turn, he loses all points accumulated both before and after the rollover. If the player ends his turn safely (i.e., voluntarily), he scores the total of all points accumulated both before and after any rollover(s). Players may roll over as many times as they are able.

Alternate Rules:

"Find a Loser" -- Game continues until only one player is left on the board. That player is the designated loser and buys drinks or snacks for his opponents.

"Partners" -- For 4 or 6 players, play as either 2 or 3 partnerships. Partners make all decisions jointly and take turns rolling the dice for their team.

"Pandemonium" -- Play a wilder game by requiring only 5-of-a-kind in 1's for the Bomb, instead of 6-of-a-kind. Change Fuchle to 4 consecutive wipeouts, up from 3. (So 6 consecutive wipeouts eliminate a player from the game instead of 5.)

"The Long Game" -- Require players to go double the distance to win -- down the cribbage board and back again to Start. First player to peg off the board at Start wins. Double the distances for skunk and double-skunk, too.

Tips for Play: Many players proceed conservatively when their point is 5 or 6 to preserve high scores. They aggressively pursue rollovers when their point is a low number like 2 or 3.

Two consecutive wipeouts encourage players to act conservatively because a 3rd wipeout fuchles them back off the board. Two more wipeouts eliminate them from the game entirely.

Players' strategies often change depending on their relative board position. Those behind may assume greater risk to catch up. Those desperately behind may focus on throwing the bomb. However, keep in mind that failure to advance to board position 61 loses 2 games, while being off the board entirely loses 4 games. If tracking total games, it doesn't always pay to go for the bomb, even when desperate.

The player who leads sometimes turns more conservative to preserve his lead. However, if trailing player(s) become more aggressive, the leader may wish to assume greater risk to end the game quickly and limit exposure to bombs.

Dice Probabilities: Optimal play requires knowledge of probabilities. For n rolls of a die, the probability of rolling either the point number or a 1 is found by the formula:
Success = 1 – Failure ⁿ

Assuming the point value is not 1, the chances of rolling either the point value or a 1 with:

5 dice	87%
4 dice	80%
3 dice	70%

Probabilities for piddles are:

Success:	Failure:	No Result:
30/36 = 83%	5/36 = 14%	1/36 = 3%