Poker dice is a unique game that combines the strategy used in poker with the gameplay similar to Yahtzee. Player can use five six-sided dice to create their best poker hand. The game can be varied and played in numerous ways. For more information on this unique game, read on to learn how to play poker dice.
In addition to varying the games, the poker dice themselves can be varied from special dice showing the rankings of ace, king, queen, jack, 10 and nine to standard dice with values one through six. The basic gameplay is the same for both sets as users attempt to make five-die combinations using three rolls and keeping as many or as few dice after each roll. As there are no suits on any of the dice, standard poker hands like flushes and straight flushes cannot be formed.
Gameplay can vary depending on if the game is played at home or in a casino. Home games can feature a variety of rules and options, including simple games where the player with the best hand wins to players required to roll a series of combinations to fill in a table, similar to the gameplay of Yahtzee. Casino poker dice games feature the participant playing against the house, with payouts based on the combination rolled.
Featured Video: Poker Dice Gameplay
This short video from Howcast shows how to play a basic game of poker dice. Using an ace-ten set of poker dice, each player can roll the dice up to three times to create their best five-dice combination, using a similar way to rank hands as standard poker games. Whichever player has the best five-dice combination at the end of the round wins.
Basic Poker Dice
This version of the game is perhaps the most popular for home games. Each player at the table will need to have their own set of five dice as well as chips or other objects to use as betting.
- To open the hand, each player posts an ante, smaller than the minimum bet amount, as decided upon by the members at the table. This opening bet is optional and can be skipped if desired.
- Each player rolls their set of dice once. They have the option to keep as many or as little of the dice as desired, placing the unwanted dice back in their cup.
- One person, generally the person who won the previous round, opens the betting. Betting continues around the table in a clockwise manner, with additional players permitted to call the bet, raise it or fold.
- All players then re-roll their dice, again returning unwanted dice to the cup. Players can keep as many dice as they desire, however dice that were kept in the first round cannot be re-rolled in the second or third rounds.
- A second and final round of betting occurs, with players given the option to check, bet, call, raise or fold.
- Players then roll their discarded dice for a third and final time. All dice are displayed in front of the player, arranged in their best poker hand.
- The player with the best five-die combination wins the pot. Combinations are ranked using a standard scale for poker hands, however flushes and straight flushes are omitted and five of a kinds are added as follows:http://www.farscapegames.co.uk/shopscr736.html
| Dice Poker Rankings | |||||||
| Five of a Kind | Five dice with the same rank | ||||||
| Four of a Kind | Four dice with the same rank | ||||||
| Full House | Three dice of one rank, two dice of a second same rank | ||||||
| Straight | Five dice in numerical sequence | ||||||
| Three of a Kind | Three dice with the same rank, two unrelated dice | ||||||
| Two Pair | Two dice of one rank, two dice of a second same rank, one unrelated die | ||||||
| One pair | Two dice of matching rank, three unrelated dice | ||||||
| High Card | The combination with the highest die and none of the above combinations | ||||||
Casino Poker Dice
This version of poker dice is, as the name suggests, commonly found played live in casinos. Unlike other versions, participants play against the house rather than other players. The gameplay is similar, however players receive a payout based on their combination of dice they can obtain.
- The player bets a nominal amount, as much or as little as desired or the table allows.
- The player then rolls the dice, selecting which dice they would like to keep.
- The unwanted dice are returned to the cup and rolled a second time. Again players have the option to hold any of the newly rolled dice.
- A third and final roll follows, with the unwanted dice rolled again.
- The final combination of dice is verified by the dealer or person operating the table to determine its ranking.
- Players are payed based on their final dice combination, with a minimum of two pair needed to win the hand.
- Payouts will vary by the casino rules as well as how much the player has bet. Similar to playing slot machines, players can often bet up to five times on a game, increasing the payouts accordingly. One example of payouts is as follows:http://www.casinoonline.com/casino-games/poker-dice-rules.htm
| Sample Dice Poker Payouts | |||||||
| Five of a Kind | 20 times the bet amount | ||||||
| High Straight | Six times the bet amount | ||||||
| Low Straight | Five times the bet amount | ||||||
| Four of a Kind | Four times the bet amount | ||||||
| Full House | Three times the bet amount | ||||||
| Three of a Kind | Two times the bet amount | ||||||
| Two Pair | One time the bet amount | ||||||
Advanced Poker Dice
This version of poker dice is played similar to the classic game of Yahtzee, requiring each player to roll a standard set of five dice several times to fill in a scorecard with specific combinations. This game is typically longer, does not involve betting and determines the winner by the number of points they score when the game is completed.
Each player receives a scorecard with their list of needed combinations. The combinations are the same for each player and typically contain 13 combinations that need to be obtained. Typical combinations include:
| Dice Poker Combinations | |||||||
| Ones | Up to five showing a one | Sum of all ones | |||||
| Twos | Up to five showing a two | Sum of all twos | |||||
| Threes | Up to five showing a three | Sum of all threes | |||||
| Fours | Up to five showing a four | Sum of all fours | |||||
| Fives | Up to five showing a five | Sum of all fives | |||||
| Sixes | Up to five showing a six | Sum of all sixes | |||||
| Two Pair | Two dice of one rank, two dice of a second same rank, one unrelated die | 20 points | |||||
| Three of a Kind | Three dice with the same rank, two unrelated dice | 25 points | |||||
| Four of a Kind | Four dice with the same rank | 35 points | |||||
| Straight | Five dice in numerical sequence | 30 points | |||||
| Full House | Three dice of one rank, two dice of a second same rank | 30 points | |||||
| Five of a Kind | All five dice with the same rank | 50 points | |||||
| Chance | Any combination of five dice | Sum of all five dice | |||||
Additionally, bonus points can be awarded if desired including 20 points if the total points scored in the ones, twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes total over 60 or when an upper-level hand, two pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, straight, full house or five of a kind, is obtained without the use of all three rolls, with the player receiving five bonus points for each of the unused rolls.
After each player finishes all 13 rounds, their total points are counted up with the player having the highest total winning the game.http://www.belmont.com/Casino/rules/poker-dice
