Poker is not the only game that can be enjoyed with the cards of the poker deck. There are many other games that, in addition, tend to include other elements, such as dice, to establish turns or to determine the moves of the participants.

Usually, poker dice games are enjoyed with a dice cup, which cushion the hit of the dice and are intended to reduce the sound of the collision when moving them against each other.

How to play poker dice games with dice

Poker dice games have always been part of man’s playful history. At least, for centuries. Despite the time that has passed, many of them are still preserved today and, despite the licenses, are still enjoyed.

The undisputed king of these games is the dice poker, and we will only need two things to play: a set of five dice, and a dice cup to roll them. When we talk about dice, we mean poker dice. They are special dice that have, on some sides, dots; on others, letters.

But, how do you play poker with dice?

Well, the objective of the game is simple: to get the best move to win and take the money bet. The essence is the same, only that it is played with dice instead of cards. It is important that, from the first roll, you get a good combination of dice to be able to get close to winning.

The 5 dice poker game emulates the five central cards with which a traditional poker game is played. That is to say, with those five dice you will form a hand with which you will fight the game. As in traditional poker, there is a hierarchy of combinations that will determine the strength of your position to fight for the bet.

Basic rules of poker with dice

In the game of poker dice play a crucial role because they form a combination that will determine how strong your hand is and your chances of winning the pot. These combinations are ordered according to their strength, which is as follows (from highest to lowest):

• Royal Poker. It is the combination of five dice with an identical value between them. It is the strongest combination of all.
• Quadruple Poker / Poker. It is the combination of four dice of identical value between them. In traditional poker it happens that the card that remains unpaired acts as kicker. In the game of 5 dice poker, you can re-roll to opt to get a Real Poker, although it depends on the variant you play.
• Full house. It is formed with the combination of three dice equal to each other, and the remaining two forming a pair.
• Major straight. It is obtained by combining the dice in succession: 2-3-4-5-6.
• Minor straight. It is obtained by combining the dice in succession: A-2-3-4-4-5.
• Legs. Like a Full House, but without the pair. That is, with three dice of the same value and two unpaired.
• Double pairs. A double pair, which is formed when two pairs of dice have the same value.
• Pair. A regular pair. Two dice of identical value.

The rules also include other aspects: number of rolls, betting limit and the point system, which we will see a few lines below.

The number of rolls must be agreed upon beforehand. It is invariable, so it cannot be modified until the end of the game to guarantee the same opportunities. It is usual to allow between two and three rolls with the leftover dice that are not part of the player’s hand.

Here good judgment is elementary. It is up to the player to decide which dice to keep and which dice to reuse in the next roll. Keep in mind that:

• Keep medium dice with 1 or 2 re-rolled dice: good way to ensure a drinkable combination, but further limits the number of combinations you aim for.
• Free yourself from the medium dice to try your luck again: it is riskier, but it allows you to obtain a more ambitious combination and does not bind you to anything.

As for the betting limit, in poker dice games, a minimum and a maximum limit applicable to all players and to all bets is maintained.

How to score at poker dice games

In some poker craps games, a point system that establishes the hierarchy of players is used. It works as follows.

• Standard (positive points). The option is established to add a point to whoever wins each round. Thus, when the maximum number of rounds is reached (between 3 and 5 is usually the norm), the winner is declared.
• Inverted (negative points). With this system, each time a player loses a point is added. When the maximum number of points is reached, the player is eliminated and the game continues until, by elimination, only one player remains. In this mode, the feeling of survival is accentuated, but it should be clear whether there is a limit of rounds or not.