What is BUNCO anyway?  It is a dice game and it does not require a special skill or prior knowledge of the game to play.  Just bring your enthusiasm and it is a great stress reliever!!! 

Bunco Games are scheduled every month and we rotate to various neighbors' homes.  For 2002, games occur every 3rd Friday of the month from 7:00 OR 7:30 pm until we've distributed the winnings.  For 2003, games will be scheduled every 2nd Friday of the month except for February, it will be scheduled on the third Friday of that month.  For schedule information, please check the Riverwalk Calendar or Scroll below for the host information.

What to bring?  Since we play for cash prizes, we ask that each player bring $10 and appetizer for 12.

Below is an excerpt from www.buncogame.com for information on BUNCO.  For the links, it will take you to another site.  To return, please use your browser's back button.

Q. So what is this game of BUNCO?

From a dedicated Bunco player who researched the game, I understand that Bunco has been around, and played, since the early 1900s. Once you've played it you'll probably get hooked too and will continue the tradition. What it is, is a game centered around three dice and usually three sets of four players averaging a standard group of 12. A game of pure luck; no real skill is required other than rolling the dice. However, since most of the settings are upbeat and social in nature involving a lot of eating, drinking, and talking, it helps if one tends to be multi-tasking! Being multi-tasking is even more important if you are the one at the table of four who has been elected to keep score, too. Other than that, it's meant to be a dice game that provides a reason for a group of people, often women, to gather and socialize.

I went to my first game about four years ago and was pleasantly surprised at the number of ladies who play this game in different groups each month. Many belong to multiple groups which means they play Bunco weekly. What an awakening! Little did I realize that this rather simple game of pure luck was so popular and had such an audience. But, like most who are "Bunco gamers", it becomes easy to understand that it's the atmosphere, friendships, and chance to have some genuine fun, makes it an enjoyable time demanding an encore!
 

Q. How is it played?

This is a simplified outline to give you the idea of how the plays work.

• First, refer to the Rules page for some actual rules. There are also some additional rule versions on a site called the Official Bunko Rules.  It's also got many versions listed on an Alternate Bunko Rules page. Once you have a feel for the rules (and don't wait until you feel like an expert..it's really not hard), you're ready to play!
• In general, you have three tables of four people who are teamed up in sets of two. At a table, the two players facing each other are a teamed pair. The object is to roll for specific combinations of dice and accumulate points.
• To start, the head table rings the bell and you begin the first round by rolling for "ONEs" . A player is given a chance to roll once; if their roll contains a "ONE"  they accummulate 1 point for each "ONE" rolled. Then, they roll again and only continue rolling as long as they roll a "ONE". If they roll and it doesn't contain a "ONE", then the next player is given the dice and rolls...and so on.
• During the round, points can be accummulated in some additional ways. If you roll three-of-a-kind of another number, say "FOURs"   , you accummulate 5 points and allowed to continue rolling.
• To win, a person can (1) roll a "BUNCO", OR  (2) accummulate 21 points before another table does. A BUNCO would be when a player rolls three of the number in that round, e.g. three "ONEs"   . This lucky person would yell, "BUNCO" to signal to other players that the round is done, OR, if a pair has won because of reaching 21 points first, they would yell, "GAME" to signal the end of the round.
• At the end of a round, each table counts up the points according to the paired teams and the pair with the most points stay at the table. The team with the low points at each table gets up and moves to the next table (sometimes called "lossers leave" rotation).

Q. What do some of these terms mean?...Definitions

Bunco - (1) Term for the fun dice game enjoyed by groups accross the globe. (2) Term for the occurance of rolling three-of-a-kind of a certain number in a round. (3) also, see Bunko.

Bunko - Means the same as "Bunco" and both terms are used interchangably. It is suggested that this is the true spelling of the game.

Ghost - When you are short a player, it's the name given to the missing person. Since you need four people playing at a table and you are missing one, you "pretend" there's a "ghost" playing as a substitute. The ghost's teammate across the table will do the rolling for their team, and can usually take credit for any of the ghost's buncos or winning rolls during the round. (Having a ghost as a partner can be very rewarding!)

Round - When players start rolling for a given number, say "ONEs" and continue rolling until someone wins. A new round has said to begun after players have been reseated and are beginning to roll for a new number, say "TWOs"

Set -  A set is when players play six rounds in which they have played for ONEs, TWOs, THREEs, FOURs, FIVES, and SIXs. It is common to play two-four sets during one night of play.

Traveling - Term used rolling three "TWOs" or any trio of non-BUNCO numbers, regardless of what number you are rolling for in a round.