How to Play Bunco: Rules, Scoring and Party Setup

Bunco is a dice game where nobody needs strategy, everyone talks between rolls, and a single lucky throw can make the whole room cheer. All you need are three dice per table, a scoresheet and a group of friends. This guide covers how to play Bunco from the first roll to the last tally: the six rounds, scoring, the famous 21-point Bunco, moving between tables and how to set up a Bunco night.

What you need for a Bunco game

The Bunco game is built for groups. Wikipedia’s Bunco article describes it as a game for twelve or more players divided into groups of four, which makes three tables the classic party size. Smaller groups can play at one or two tables, and two players can even play a casual version head to head.

For each table, gather:

• Three dice. Standard six-sided dice work fine. Larger dice are easier to read across a table.
• A table scorepad. One player at each table keeps the running team scores for the round.
• Personal scoresheets. Each player tracks their own wins, losses and Buncos.
• Pens or pencils. One per player is easiest.

Many hosts also put a bell on the head table to signal the end of each round, and set out a small object, such as a fuzzy die or a token, that passes to whoever rolls a Bunco. Neither is required, but both add to the fun.

Bunco rules: the six rounds

A game of Bunco has six rounds, numbered one to six in the order they are played. The round number tells you which number you are rolling for:

Round	Target number	A Bunco is
1	1s	1-1-1
2	2s	2-2-2
3	3s	3-3-3
4	4s	4-4-4
5	5s	5-5-5
6	6s	6-6-6

Every table plays the same round at the same time. When a round ends, everyone moves on to the next target number together.

How to play Bunco: a turn

On your turn you roll all three dice and score what you see. The Bunco rules for a single roll are short:

• 1 point for each die showing the round number. In round 3, a roll of 3-3-5 scores 2 points.
• 21 points for a Bunco. All three dice showing the round number, such as 3-3-3 in round 3, is a Bunco.
• 5 points for any other three of a kind. In round 3, a roll of 5-5-5 scores 5. Some groups call this a mini Bunco, and some don’t count it at all.
• 0 points for anything else. In round 3, 1-4-6 scores nothing.

If your roll scores any points, you roll again. You keep rolling until a throw scores nothing. Then the dice pass to the next player, usually to the left, and that player starts rolling.

That rhythm is what makes Bunco lively. A good streak can run for several rolls, while the next player might miss on their very first throw.

Scoring examples

Say it’s round 4 and you are rolling:

1. You roll 4-2-6. One 4 scores 1 point, so you roll again.
2. You roll 4-4-1. Two 4s score 2 points, so you roll again.
3. You roll 3-3-3. Three of a kind that isn’t 4 scores 5 points, if your group plays that rule. You roll again.
4. You roll 1-5-6. No 4s, so your turn ends with 8 points, and the dice move on.

If your group doesn’t count other triples, the 3-3-3 would score nothing and your turn would have ended there with 3 points.

Partners and team scoring

At a party, each table of four plays as two teams of two. Partners usually sit across from each other, so the dice alternate between the teams as they travel around the table. Both partners’ points go into one team score for the round.

The scorekeeper at each table writes down every point as it happens. Calling your score out loud after each roll helps the scorekeeper keep up, especially when someone is on a long streak.

How a round ends

Wikipedia’s version of the rules says each round ends when 21 points have been scored. That turns a Bunco into an instant win for the round, since it is worth 21 on its own.

In a party with several tables, the head table sets the pace. When a team at the head table reaches 21, a player there calls it, often by ringing the bell, and the round stops for everyone. Each table then compares its two team scores, and the team with more points wins that table’s round. Groups differ on small details, such as whether a player at a lower table may finish the roll in their hand, so agree on them before the first round.

Every player marks their personal scoresheet after each round: a win if their team won at their table, a loss if it didn’t. Anyone who rolled a Bunco during the round marks that too.

Ties

If two teams at a table finish a round level, many groups settle it with a quick roll-off. Agree on your tiebreak before you start so nobody argues mid-game.

Moving between tables

Moving tables is part of the social side of a Bunco game. Wikipedia describes the tournament structure: the tables are ranked, with the highest called the head table or queen’s table. After each round, the winning team at a table moves up to the next-highest table, and the losing team at the head table drops to the lowest-ranked table.

Many groups also mix up partners when they move, so you play with someone new each round. Over a full night you end up sitting with most of the room, which is the whole point.

Winning the game

After six rounds, one game is over. In the individual version described by Wikipedia, the player with the most rounds won is the overall winner, with ties typically broken by total points. At a party, the totals that matter are on each player’s scoresheet: wins, losses and Buncos.

Many Bunco nights run more than one game of six rounds, with players adding up their marks across the whole evening.

Setting up a Bunco party

The rules are simple, so most of the planning goes into the room. A few things help the night run smoothly.

Tables and seating

• Plan for groups of four. Twelve players fill three tables. If your numbers don’t divide by four, agree on a fix before you start, such as one player rolling for an empty seat.
• Mark the tables. Label the head table so everyone knows where the round ends and which way to move.
• Keep dice on soft surfaces. A tablecloth or felt mat cuts down on noise and stops dice bouncing to the floor.

Scoresheets

A personal Bunco scoresheet needs only three things: a row of boxes for wins, a row for losses and a space to tally Buncos. A table scorepad needs two columns, one per team, with room to add running totals for each round. Print or draw enough for every game you plan to play.

Prizes

Prizes are optional, and many groups play just for fun. Hosts who do give them usually pick categories that reward luck rather than skill, such as:

• Most Buncos rolled
• Most rounds won
• Most rounds lost
• The player holding the Bunco token at the end of the night

A “most losses” prize keeps the unlucky players laughing, which suits the spirit of the game.

A short history

According to Wikipedia, Bunco began as a 19th-century English confidence game called “eight dice cloth” and reached San Francisco in 1855 as a gambling game. It was played as a parlor game after the Civil War and as a gambling game during Prohibition, then came back as a family game in the 1980s. Today it is best known as a social dice game for groups of friends.

Play Bunco online

If you want to practice the scoring before your party, or you just want a few quick rounds on your own, try our free Bunco game. You and a computer partner play two computer opponents at one table, rolling for the round number through six rounds. The first team to 21 wins each round, a Bunco wins it on the spot, and the game tallies your wins, losses and Buncos. You can switch the five-point rule for other triples on or off.

If you like this Bunco dice game and want one with more decisions, Yahtzee gives you five dice, re-rolls and a scorecard to fill.

Frequently asked questions

How many people do you need to play Bunco?

A classic Bunco party has twelve players at three tables of four. You can play with fewer, at one table of four or even as a pair, but group play with partners and table moves needs at least four.

How many points is a Bunco worth?

A Bunco is worth 21 points. You score one by rolling all three dice showing the current round number, such as 5-5-5 in round 5. Since a round ends at 21, a Bunco wins the round right away.

What happens if you roll three of a kind that isn’t the round number?

Under the rules described on Wikipedia, it scores 5 points and you roll again. Some groups call it a mini Bunco, and some don’t score it at all, so check your group’s house rules first.

Do you keep rolling in Bunco?

Yes, as long as you score. Any roll that earns at least one point lets you roll again. When a roll scores nothing, your turn ends and the dice pass to the next player.

Who wins a game of Bunco?

In the individual game, the player who won the most rounds wins, with ties broken by total points. At parties, players usually compare their scoresheet tallies of wins, losses and Buncos, and prizes go to the leaders in each category.

Conclusion

Bunco takes about two minutes to learn: roll for the round number, score 1 for each match, cheer for a 21-point Bunco and keep rolling while you score. Add partners, a head table and some scoresheets, and you have a full party game. When the dice are put away, the dino game on our homepage is ready for a quick run.