Blackjack Dice: 21 or Bust!

If the rules of blackjack dice sound familiar, they are. The rules for the popular card game, Blackjack or "Twenty One", translate well into a dice game. Instead of a deck of 52 cards, you use two or three 10 sided dice to get a total, or "hand", as close to 21 as possible.

Like the Blackjack card game popular in casinos, twenty one dice will delight gamblers and risk takers. You'll need poker chips or some other currency to place bets and dole out winnings. The key difference lies in probability. Unlike a deck of cards with a limited quantities, your chances of rolling the number you need doesn't diminish as the blackjack dice game goes on.

Blackjack Dice Rules

The objective of this game is to roll 21. If you go over, you bust. I'm not being rude, that's the correct term: Bust. While you can't roll 21 every time, you need to get as close to 21 as possible. Your number must beat the "banker" or you'll lose. Like the card game, you're competing against the banker and not the other players. Conceivably, every player can beat the banker on a given round.

Basic Rules:

1. To begin, each player rolls one 10-sided die and the person with the lowest number is the banker. After that, rotate "banker" duties among players.
2. Each player takes a turn rolling 2 dice, adding up the numbers and writing down the total.
3. After the initial roll of 2 dice, a player may choose to roll an additional die as many times as they wish, adding the resulting number from each roll to their total.
4. If the total exceeds 21, the player goes "bust" and loses that hand even if the banker goes "bust" too.
5. The banker always takes his/her turn last, after all players have settled on their totals.

Scoring with Dice:

1.You're an instant winner if you roll 21, or "Blackjack" with 2 dice.
2.On the dice, "0" counts as 10.
3.The "1" counts as either 1 or 11. It is the player's choice.

Banker's Rules:

When playing his/her own hand, the banker must stop rolling the dice when his/her total equals 17 or greater. The banker must continue rolling a die until his/her total equals 17 or greater. If the banker busts (goes over 21), all players with 21 or less win.

The banker wins all ties, with the exception of a "Blackjack" roll with 2 dice. That's an automatic winner.

Note: A Blackjack score is not the same as a total score of 21. A dealer can tie a "21" and win, but not a Blackjack.

Tips for the Blackjack Dice Game

Use pen and paper to keep track of each person's roll. Unless you plan on providing each player with five or six 10 sided dice, players need to re-roll one die (possibly several times).

Before playing, decide what happens when the banker rolls a "1":

a)The banker has the option to make it a "1" or an "11"
OR
b) The "1" always equals 11.

Have Fun!

Dice on Display

Purple and Red Gemini Dice

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