Dice and cards give a community cheap, portable games of chance and bluffing that can be played anywhere, by anyone who can count, and they need only a bone or wooden cube and a stack of stiff cards. Because chance games invite wagering, set the rule before the first game that food, seed, tools, livestock and labour are never staked. Test any handmade die for fairness before using it.
Dice and playing cards for group recreation: what chance games offer, what to build, and the stake rule that keeps them harmless.
Chance Games Are Social, And Need A Fence
Games of chance are easy to learn, equalise skill levels (a novice can beat an expert) and work with any number of players. They also suit evenings, bad weather and people who cannot play physical games.
The risk is the stake. The corpus’s gambling article sets the rule: stakes should be tokens, shells or small personal items, not food, seed, tools, livestock or labour obligations, and no play for stakes with minors; see Gambling & Risk-Taking. Agree the rule before the dice appear and enforce it the first time it is tested.
The Three Pieces
- Dice. A cube with 1-6 dots. Making them well is a craft, because an uneven die gives uneven results; see Making Dice from Bone or Wood.
- Cards. A deck of stiff rectangles marked with suits and values. See Handmade Playing Cards.
- Games. Bluffing games, set-collection games and race games. See Dice Games for Groups.
What You Need
- A fair die or two
- A deck of cards if you want card games
- A cup or flat surface to roll on
- A stake rule, agreed and posted
- Tokens — shells, notched sticks or bone discs that carry no real value
Method: Introducing Chance Games
Step 1: Test the dice before using them in play, with a proper sample; see the dice article for how big a sample.
Step 2: Teach one simple game. A bluffing game like liar’s dice (see the group dice article) is easy to learn.
Step 3: Set the stake rule aloud at the first session.
Step 4: Keep play social. Short rounds, rotating players.
Step 5: Watch for the person who cannot stop, or who plays to win back losses; the gambling article describes the warning signs.
Common Mistakes
- Using an unchecked die. Unfair dice favour whoever knows.
- Letting stakes creep. “Just this once” is how it starts.
- Sharing the cards with greasy hands. Cards show wear and can be recognised by their smudges.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Making Dice from Bone or Wood — make a fair die
- Combine with: Organizing Community Sport — fitting these into game days