How to play Bunco: simple rules and scoring
Bunco is a social dice game for a crowd. You need three dice per table, a bell, score cards and a pencil. No skill or strategy is needed, so new players can join in on their first night.
Bunco in 30 seconds
- Teams of two, four players to a table. Six rounds make a set; play four sets.
- Roll three dice for the round number: 1 point per matching die, 21 for a bunco (all three match the round), 5 for a mini bunco (three of a kind of another number).
- Keep rolling while you score. The head table rings the bell at 21 to end the round.
- Winners move up a table, losers move down, and everyone switches partners.
How to play bunco, step by step
- Set up the tables. Seat four players at each table, with partners sitting across from each other. Table 1 is the head table and gets the bell. Each table needs three dice and a tally sheet; each player needs a score card.
- Roll for the round number. In round 1 you roll for 1s, in round 2 for 2s, and so on up to round 6. Six rounds make a set, and a typical night is four sets.
- Keep rolling while you score. Roll all three dice. If the roll scores, roll again. If no die scores, your turn ends and the dice pass to your left.
- Score each roll. Each die showing the round number is 1 point. Three of the round number is a bunco, worth 21 points. In most groups, three of a kind of any other number is a mini bunco worth 5 points.
- End the round at the head table. When a team at the head table reaches 21 points, they ring the bell. Anyone in the middle of a turn finishes it, then every table stops.
- Record wins and losses. At each table, the team with more points wins the round. Everyone marks a W or an L on their score card. Only the player who rolled a bunco tallies it. A tied table rolls off: each player takes one more turn until the tie breaks.
- Move and switch partners. At the head table, winners stay and losers move down one table. At other tables, winners move up one and losers move down one; losers at the last table stay. Split up so nobody keeps the same partner, then start the next round.
Bunco scoring
| Roll | Points |
|---|---|
| Each die showing the round number | 1 each |
| All three dice show the round number: Bunco! Call it out. | 21 |
| Three of a kind of another number: a mini bunco | 5 |
| No die shows the round number | 0, turn ends |
An example turn in round 3
| Dice rolled | What happens | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 3, 5, 3 | Two 3s, roll again | 2 |
| 3, 1, 6 | One 3, roll again | 1 |
| 3, 3, 3 | Bunco! Roll again | 21 |
| 2, 4, 4 | No 3s: pass the dice left | 0 |
| Turn total | 24 |
Who moves where after each round
At the head table, the winners stay and the losers move down one table. At every other table, winners move up one table and losers move down one. Losers at the last table stay where they are. Then the pairs at each table split up so that everyone has a new partner for the next round.
End of the night
Everyone counts their wins, losses and buncos and fills in the totals on their score card. Hand out the prizes your group agreed on.
Common house rules (agree before the first bell)
- No mini bunco: three of a kind that isn't the round number scores nothing, and your turn ends.
- Wipeout: three 1s in rounds 2 to 6 wipes your team's points for that round back to 0, and your turn ends.
- Traveling prize: a fuzzy die or token goes to the latest bunco roller. Whoever holds it at the end wins a prize.
- Stop at the bell: everyone stops the moment the bell rings, instead of finishing their turn.
- Losers to the last table: head-table losers drop to the last table instead of down one.
Tip for senior groups: print score cards on card stock in large type, keep the bell where everyone can hear it, and seat new players next to someone who has played before.
Want the score cards, tallies and table tents?
The Bunco Score Sheet & Rules Set has this rules sheet ready to print, plus score cards, table tallies, table tents for six tables and pocket rule cards. The Host Kit adds assigned-seat rotation charts for 8 to 24 players.
Questions people ask
How many people do you need to play bunco?
The classic game is 12 players at three tables of four. You can play with any multiple of four. If someone is missing, many groups use a ghost player, and the ghost's partner rolls for both.
What is a mini bunco or baby bunco?
Three of a kind of a number that isn't the round number, such as three 5s in round 2. Most groups score it 5 points. Some groups don't play it, so agree before you start. Note that a few groups use the name baby bunco for the ghost player instead.
Who ends the round in bunco?
Only the head table. When a team there reaches 21 points, they ring the bell. Other tables keep rolling past 21 until they hear it.
What happens if a table is tied at the end of a round?
Roll off: each player takes one more turn, and you repeat until the tie is broken.
What prizes are usually given at a bunco night?
Common prizes are most buncos, most wins, most losses, a traveling prize for the last bunco, and a prize for equal wins and losses. Settle a tie for a prize with a roll-off.
What is a wipeout in bunco?
It's a house rule, not part of the standard game. In groups that play it, rolling three 1s in rounds 2 to 6 wipes your team's points for that round back to zero and ends your turn.
From GameNightKits by Steven Zee. Printable bunco kits: https://gamenightkits.co/bunco/