Bunco is a dice party game for 12 players at 3 tables of 4, played in partners. Each round you roll 3 dice trying to match the number that's up, from ones through to sixes, and the team with the most points at the end of each round wins it. The player with the most buncos, wins and other awards at the end of the night takes home a prize.
Bunco is huge in the US as a monthly get together with friends or neighbours, and it's mostly luck, which is exactly why it works: nobody needs to learn strategy, and everyone can chat while they roll. Here's the game as the World Bunco Association sets it out.
What you need for a bunco night
| Item | How many | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 12 | One of them is the host for the night |
| Tables | 3 | 4 players each: Head, Middle and Losing |
| Dice | 3 per table | Always roll all 3 |
| Pencils and scratch pads | 2 per table | One scorekeeper per team |
| Score sheets | 1 per player | You carry yours from table to table |
| Bell | 1 | Stays at the Head table |
| Fuzzy traveling die | 1 | Starts at the Head table |
Finding your seat and your partner
Take 12 score sheets and secretly draw a star on four of them. Each player picks a sheet, and the four stars start at the Head table. The other 8 players sit at the Middle and Losing tables. At each table, split into two teams of two, with partners sitting opposite each other. Each team picks one person to keep its tally.
How a bunco round works
- The Head table rings the bell to start. In round one, the number that's up is 1.
- One player at each table rolls all 3 dice.
- Score 1 point for each die showing the number that's up.
- Roll three of a kind of the number that's up and that's a bunco, worth 21 points.
- Roll three of a kind of any other number and your team scores 5 points.
- Keep rolling as long as you score. When a roll scores nothing, the dice pass to your left.
- The round ends when the Head table reaches 21 points or rolls a bunco, and rings the bell.
When the bell goes, the other tables finish the turn they're on and then stop. The next round moves the number up by one, from 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and so on, so one complete set takes you through every number on the die.
Bunco scoring: the point that's yours alone
This is the rule new players miss. When you roll a bunco, the 21 points go to your team's tally for that round, but you also mark one bunco on the bottom of your own score sheet, not your partner's. Those personal buncos count toward the prizes at the end. The fuzzy die passes to whoever rolled the most recent bunco, so it moves around the room all night.
Moving tables and changing partners
- At the end of each round, write W or L on your own score sheet.
- The winning team at the Head table stays, and one of them moves over a chair so they get new partners.
- The losing team at the Head table moves down to the Middle table.
- The Middle table winners move up to the Head table, and the Losing table winners move up to the Middle table.
- The Middle table losers move down to the Losing table.
- The Losing table losers stay put, but one of them moves a chair to swap partners.
If a round ends in a tie, there's a roll off to decide the winner. You never stay with your partner, so over a night you'll play with almost everyone.
Bunco sets, the dessert break and prizes
The World Bunco Association format is four sets. Play two complete sets, take a break for dessert, then play the last two. At the end, everyone adds up their buncos, wins and losses. Typical prize categories are most buncos, most wins, the traveling prize for whoever's holding the fuzzy die at the end, an even split of wins and losses, most losses and a final draw from everyone who hasn't won anything.
If someone can't make it, the association suggests calling an alternate or playing with a ghost: an invisible player who moves round the tables, with the ghost's partner rolling both turns.
Bunco words you'll hear on the night
- Head table: the top table. It rings the bell, so it controls the pace for the whole room.
- Number up: the number everyone's trying to roll this round, from 1 in the first round to 6 in the last.
- Bunco: three of a kind of the number that's up. Most groups shout it out loud.
- Traveling die: the fuzzy die that follows the most recent bunco round the room.
- Roll off: the tie breaker when two teams finish a round level, or two players tie for a prize.
- Ghost: a stand in player for a missing guest, whose partner rolls both turns.
One more thing that catches first timers out: you keep your own score sheet with you all night. Your team's tally stays on the table's scratch pad, but your wins, losses and buncos travel with you, because that sheet decides the prizes at the end.
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My advice for hosting bunco
Keep it simple. Serve food before you start, as the association suggests, ring the bell loudly and let one person at the Head table be in charge of it. Agree prizes before the first roll so nobody argues later, and keep them small and silly, because the fun is the evening, not the prize. If your group likes dice, try my dice games roundup and the full Yahtzee rules for nights with fewer than 12 people.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do you need for bunco?
The World Bunco Association format is 12 players at 3 tables of 4. If someone can't make it, you can use an alternate or a ghost player.
How many points is a bunco worth?
A bunco, three of a kind of the number that's up, is worth 21 points. Three of a kind of any other number scores 5.
When does a round of bunco end?
When the Head table reaches 21 points or rolls a bunco and rings the bell. The other tables finish their current turn and stop.
Who gets the bunco point, you or your partner?
You do. You mark the bunco on your own score sheet, not your partner's.
How long is a game of bunco?
The World Bunco Association format is four sets, with a dessert break after the first two.
