Dice Games





Unlike otherwise noted, all source code is in QBasic

  1. Zesendertigen - A very simple game, called "Thirty-six." And to make it all even easier, it is played with a single die. Before starting to throw, each player must first place one or more chips into the pot. Then, the players roll the die to determine the order of play, with the player who rolls the lowest starting the game.
    Each player tries, on their turn, to reach a total of thirty-six. If a player exceeds thirty-six, they are out of the game. This raises the question of what to do if, for example, you have reached a total of thirty-two: should you stop or continue risking rolling a five or six, which would make you "dead" (out)? It will be clear that the player who gets closest to thirty-six wins the total pot.

    QBasic version of 36
  2. Vijftigen - Vijftigen is a simple game. Two dice are rolled. It can be played by two or more players, and the winner is the one who first scores fifty points. The scoring, however, is somewhat different from usual. Each player rolls the dice in turn, but points are only awarded if the dice show the same number. Two ones, for example, or two twos, and so on.
    All these "doubles" score five points, except for double sixes and double threes. If a player rolls double sixes, they add twenty-five points to their total; however, rolling double threes results in losing all accumulated points.

    QBasic version of 50
  3. De Kever - A great game for two to six players. If you play with seven or more people, the game will become so slow that some boredom might ensue. You only need one die for 'De Kever'.
    The goal of the game is to roll all the numbers (1 through 6) at least once as quickly as possible. The winner is the first person to have rolled a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

    QBasic version of De Kever
  4. De Ladder - This game is often called "The Ladder," but people who, during their military service, sometimes played with a pair of dice in their fists, would prefer to call it "Twelve Up, Twelve Down." But does the name really matter? As long as the game is fun, and "The Ladder" is undoubtedly.
    It is played by two to eight players, and you will need three dice, a pencil and paper, and possibly — if you find it easier — a pawn for each player. The goal is to roll all the numbers from 1 to 12 in sequence as quickly as possible, then go back from 12 to 1. Mark a 1 if you roll a 1, a 2 if a 2 appears on the dice, and so on. When you are on the way back from 12 to 1, simply cross out the numbers again.
    After deciding who will start, the first player rolls the dice. They must roll a 1. If they succeed, they may continue, trying to roll a 2 or, for example, two ones. The sum of the dice is also allowed. This means that if someone rolls a 1, a 2, and a 4 at once, they immediately reach 7. Because they have the 1, the 2, the 3 (1+2), the 4, the 5 (1+4), the 6 (2+4), and the 7 (1+2+4).
    While the other players are taking turns, close attention must be paid. If a player does not see a certain number (which is quite possible with all these combinations), it can be taken over by the player who notices it. However, it must be possible for that player to use the number immediately. For example, if they are on five, and the player rolling does not realize they can make a six from the rolled dots, then the player who notices may write down a six.
    Of course, the first player to succeed in rolling all the numbers from 1 to 12 and back in proper sequence wins the game.

    QBasic version of De Ladder
  5. Shut the Box - If you see the name of the game, you would hardly believe it, but 'Shut the Box' originally comes from Noord-Frankrijk (Northern France). By the way, it is still played quite frequently there. You need two dice for it. 'Shut the Box' is played with two players.
    The goal is for the player who starts to roll all the numbers (from 1 to 9) as quickly as possible. For example, if he rolls a four and a three, he may not only cross out the four and the three, but also the seven (4 plus 3 is 7). Additionally, he can also cross out the 1 (4 minus 3 is 1).
    As long as he hasn't rolled all the numbers, the first player continues. If he can no longer make a move, then the turn passes to the second player. That player tries to roll the already crossed-out numbers again under the same conditions. A small tip: try to cross out the lower numbers as quickly as possible. With two dice, it is more difficult to roll lower numbers than higher ones.

    QBasic version of Shut the Box
  6. De klok rond - Around the clock is a game for three or four players, requiring two dice. The goal is to be the first to roll the numbers 1 through 12. After determining who goes first, each player rolls the dice in turn. For example, if a player rolls a 1 and a 3, they can record those two numbers, or they can record a 4 (1+3). The first player to record all the numbers from 1 to 12 is the winner.

    QBasic version of De klok rond
  7. Zwijnen - A simple game called 'zwijnen' (which probably gets played quite often). You play it with a single die, and the winner is the person who first reaches a pre-agreed score (for example, one hundred points). The number of players who can participate in 'zwijnen' is unlimited.
    The order of play is determined by rolling the die. The person who rolls the lowest starts, the next lowest is second, and so on. This order is very important because the first and last players have certain advantages. But we will come back to that later.
    The first player begins and can roll the die as many times as he wants. The other players are allowed to do the same. He keeps adding his points each time he rolls until he decides to stop (pass). Then he passes the die to the next player and remembers his score. There's a catch: if he rolls a 1, he loses all the points he has accumulated so far, and he must pass the die to the next player.
    The game continues until one of the players reaches the pre-agreed number of points. Theoretically, the first player has the greatest chance of winning, but the last player has the advantage of knowing all previous scores. He never has to stop voluntarily. If he rolls a 1 prematurely, he loses; if not, he can continue until he has a score that surpasses all his predecessors.

    QBasic version of Zwijnen
  8. Craps - You still see it sometimes in movies set during World War II: soldiers playing a "dobbeltje" in the trenches. And although few may have noticed it: almost always they were playing "Craps." No dice game was as popular among the Canadians and Americans at that time as this "Craps." By the way, it is still played in many casinos in the United States today. And in George Gershwin's opera *Porgy and Bess*, there is even a scene where extensive attention is given to this game, which was developed in New Orleans.
    Why did it become so popular? Probably because players have the opportunity to bet on various combinations. It is played with two dice, with one of the players acting as the "shooter." This can happen either by simply choosing someone or by having a round of dice-throwing. The "shooter" is the player who rolls the dice.
    Before doing so, bets are placed. The "shooter" may have the freedom to accept or reject certain bets. If he accepts, he must wager the same amount of chips; if he declines, then perhaps one of the other players can cover the bet. The hope, of course, is that the "shooter" will have a lucky hand and win.
    Next, the "shooter" begins to throw the dice. If he rolls a total of seven or eleven points on his first throw (called a "natural" in the jargon), then the entire bet he accepted is won by him. Conversely, if he rolls two, three, or twelve points ("craps"), then he loses everything.
    It gets more complicated if he rolls four, five, six, eight, nine, or ten "eyes" (pips). Such a number is called a "point," and now no one loses or wins anything. If the "point" (which could also be called "the target number") is, for example, eight, then the "shooter" must keep rolling until he rolls eight again. If he succeeds, the bet is for him; if he rolls a seven beforehand, he loses the bet.
    Normally, the next player then becomes the "shooter," but he can refuse and pass the "honor" to the next player sitting or kneeling beside him. Just like in casinos with blackjack ("Blackjack"), there are also possibilities in craps to bet as an outsider. For example, it is common in America for players to wager on how the "shooter" will possibly roll his "point." If the point is, say, eight, then he can reach that total with a three and a five, or with a four and a four. Betting on the latter possibility is called a "hard way." This indicates that you need to understand quite a bit of secret jargon before you can start playing craps with a group of seasoned players.

    QBasic version of Craps
  9. Bankieren - You must sell your game, thought the creator of this game. And because he suspected, quite rightly, that everyone in their heart would like to be a bank director, he simply named the game he invented "Banking." But he could also have called it "Dice Roulette," because the game is clearly derived from roulette. As will quickly become evident after reading the rules.
    The determination of who may be the banker is made by rolling dice, and immediately it is agreed how long they may hold that role. Because then the next player becomes the banker, and so on, until every player has been the banker. This is important because the banker has clear advantages in this game.
    Now, the players bet on "HIGH" or "LOW," after which the banker rolls the dice. If he rolls a total of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 points, he must pay out the bets to the players who wagered on "LOW"; if he rolls 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, then the players who bet on "HIGH" receive double their bet back. If the banker rolls a total of seven "pips," he may keep the entire bet for himself. This shows that the banker has a greater chance of earning something (more than fifty percent, at least) than the other players. Therefore, the role of the banker should occasionally be rotated.

    QBasic version of Bankieren
  10. Chicago - Herman Boerhaave already said around the year 1700: "Simplex veri sigillum." Or, as the literate among us will immediately exclaim: "Simplicity is the hallmark of the true." In terms of rules, the game "Chicago" is quite trivial, but not for nothing is it one of the most popular dice games in the northern states of America. It is simple, it goes fairly quickly, and still, it is exciting. After all, in most cases, the question of who will win remains until the very last turn.
    As many participants as desired can play "Chicago." It is played with two dice and consists of eleven rounds. In the first round, each player tries to roll a total of two with the two dice (if successful, they can add two points to their score sheet). In the next round, they aim for three (adding three points if successful), and so on, until the player who rolls a twelve in the last (eleventh) round also scores twelve points. If the required number of "dots" (points) is not rolled, then the player simply gets nothing, and of course, the one with the most points wins.

    QBasic version of Chicago