Left Center Right, or LCR, is a dice game for three or more players where everyone starts with three chips and rolls one die for each chip they hold, up to three dice. Each L passes a chip to the left, each R passes one right, each C puts one in the centre pot, and dots mean you keep it. The last player with any chips left wins.
LCR is pure luck, and that's its charm. There are no decisions to make, so a five year old and a great grandparent are on exactly equal terms. The boxed game, published by George & Company, comes with three special dice and 24 chips and plays 3 to 12 people, but you can play it with ordinary dice and anything you can count.
What's in the LCR box, and what to use without one
| What you need | Left Center Right |
|---|---|
| Players | 3 or more; the boxed game says 3 to 12 |
| Dice | 3 LCR dice, or 3 ordinary six sided dice |
| Chips | 3 per player; the box has 24 |
| No chips? | Bicycle suggests buttons, or any small counters will do |
| Age | 5 and up on the box |
| Length | Around 20 minutes |
Using ordinary dice for Left Center Right
LCR dice have three faces with a single dot, plus one L, one C and one R. If you don't have the boxed set, Bicycle's rules give you a simple way to use any regular dice:
| You roll | It means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 or 3 | Dot | Keep that chip |
| 4 | L | Pass 1 chip to the player on your left |
| 5 | C | Put 1 chip in the centre pot |
| 6 | R | Pass 1 chip to the player on your right |
Write that key on a scrap of paper and put it in the middle of the table. It saves a lot of who rolled what arguments.
How a turn of LCR works
- Everyone rolls to choose who starts. Bicycle says the player with the most dots goes first.
- On your turn, count your chips. Roll one die for each chip, up to a maximum of three dice.
- For every L, pass one chip to the player on your left.
- For every R, pass one chip to the player on your right.
- For every C, put one chip in the centre pot. Those chips are out of play for good.
- Dots do nothing, so you keep those chips. Then hand the dice to the next player clockwise.
So if you roll two dots and an L, you pass one chip left and keep two. Roll L, C and R and you've lost all three chips in a single turn.
The three dice cap and the rule about zero chips
This is the rule people get wrong most often. You roll one die per chip, but never more than three dice. If you've collected five chips from your neighbours, you still only roll three. Geeky Hobbies, following the boxed instructions, spells it out: three dice normally, two dice when you've got two chips, one die when you've got one. That cap is what lets a player build up a stack, because only three of their chips are ever at risk in a turn.
The second surprise is for players who run out. Having no chips doesn't knock you out. You just skip your roll. Bicycle points out that the players on either side of you may well pass you a chip on their turn, and then you're rolling again. Nobody's out until somebody wins.
How you win Left Center Right
The game ends the moment only one player still has any chips. That player wins, even with just a single chip left. Geeky Hobbies notes that if you're the only one holding chips when your turn comes round, you've already won, so you don't need to roll. The winner usually collects the centre pot of chips as their prize, ready to share out for the next game.
Keeping a long LCR afternoon fresh
The rules above are the classic game. Once everyone knows them, these are a few easy house ideas of my own to keep a long afternoon fresh. They don't change how the dice work.
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- Big group: with lots of players, give everyone three chips and simply add more counters to the pile.
- Prize pot: play for sweets, stickers or the last slice of cake instead of keeping score.
- Best of three: play three quick games and crown whoever wins two.
- Fresh seats: swap places between games so everyone gets new neighbours on the left and right.
My verdict on LCR for a family gathering
LCR is the game I'd reach for at a big family get together where ages range from tiny to very grown up. It teaches young kids left from right, it needs no explaining after the first round, and the screams when a chip comes back to someone with nothing are worth the whole evening. Use chips, buttons or counters and keep it a game of luck.
The mistake to avoid is letting someone with a big pile roll more than three dice. Stick to the cap. If your crowd loves rolling, my guide to dice games for any group has plenty more, Yahtzee is the next step up when you want some strategy, and my list of holiday games for kids and grown ups has ideas for the rest of the day.
Frequently asked questions
How many chips do you start with in Left Center Right?
Every player starts with three chips. The boxed game comes with 24 chips, enough for eight players.
How many dice do you roll in LCR?
You roll one die for each chip you hold, up to a maximum of three dice. With five chips you still roll only three.
Are you out of LCR if you lose all your chips?
No. You skip your roll while you have no chips, but you stay in the game because your neighbours may pass you chips on their turns.
What do the dice numbers mean in LCR with regular dice?
Using Bicycle's key, 1, 2 and 3 are dots, 4 is Left, 5 is Center and 6 is Right.
How do you win Left Center Right?
You win by being the last player who still has any chips. The game ends as soon as everyone else has none.
