Two New Dice Games: Animosity & Disdain

Summer and time for doing plenty of nothing. Like playing a rousing game of 10,000, sometimes called Farkle, Dix Mille, or “Didn’t we just play that yesterday?”

There are many variants to 10,000 as there are economists’ opinions on the GDP, but this link is closest to the game I know.

The problem with 10,000, while it’s fun in a pleasant sort of way, is that it doesn’t sow as much discord and domestic disharmony as I like to see. Every player is against only himself and the cruelty of the dice. Whereas in a proper game players are at each others’ throats.

Best news is that no politics of any kind is ever discussed during play of the games below. No rule forbids this, but the flow of play precludes it. Thus, while the game appears to increase bad feelings, it actually decreases them globally. Progressives and conservatives, atheists and believers, and the froward and shy may play together and George Zimmerman’s name never is mentioned.

333 or Animosity

Normal: Play starts and continues right or left. See Scoring Table below. Player rolls and can keep his score or assign it to the player on his left (if playing left, or vice versa). He must then roll again and must keep score on second roll. Player to his left, if assigned the thrower’s first roll, loses his next chance to roll. A straight or triple immediately reverses play.

Example: Player rolls (1,2,3) and play had been going left. It switches to right. Player may keep the 12 points for himself or assign it to the player to his right. After scoring, play moves to right and proceeds as usual.

Endgame: Once any player meets or exceeds 333 points, play continues once more around in current direction, but scores can no longer be assigned. Each player begins an accumulation, adding scores on successive rolls. The accumulation may continue as long as successive rolls are larger than or equal to previous rolls.

Example: The current potential victor has 342 and play is to left. Next player is at 280 and rolls a (1,1,2). This isn’t enough to put him over 342, so he rolls again. Next two rolls are (4,4,5), which is higher than (1,1,2), then (2,3,5), which isn’t, so this player loses and the next player moves to the endgame.

Disdain

Normal: Play is much like in Animosity, except that the endgame accumulation rule is in effect the entire game and the play never reverses direction. Player rolls and at any time in his accumulation may stop and keep his score or assign it to the player on his left. He must then roll again and must keep score on second accumulation. As above, the successive roles must equal or exceed the previous roles in the accumulation. Player to his left, if assigned the thrower’s first score, loses his next chance to roll.

Endgame: Exactly as above.

Notes: Both games have been played and tested. Both have produced much fun. Gamblers like Disdain; analytical folks prefer Animosity.

Scoring Table

The three dice are summed. If the throw is a “straight”, the sum is multiplied by two. If the throw is triples, the sum is multiplied by three.

Roll	Score	Prob
1,1,2	4	0.0139
1,1,3 | 1,2,2	5	0.0278
1,1,4	6	0.0139
1,1,5 | 1,2,4 | 1,3,3 | 2,2,3	7	0.0694
1,1,6 | 1,2,5 | 1,3,4 | 2,2,4 | 2,3,3	8	0.0972
(1,1,1) | 1,2,6 | 1,3,5 | 1,4,4 | 2,2,5	9	0.0880
1,3,6 | 1,4,5 | 2,2,6 | 2,3,5 | 2,4,4 | 3,3,4	10	0.1250
1,4,6 | 1,5,5 | 2,3,6 | 2,4,5 | 3,3,5 | 3,4,4	11	0.1250
(1,2,3) | 1,5,6 | 2,4,6 | 2,5,5 | 3,3,6 | 3,4,5	12	0.1389
1,6,6 | 2,5,6 | 3,4,6 | 4,4,5	13	0.0833
2,6,6 | 3,5,6 | 4,4,6 | 4,5,5	14	0.0694
3,6,6	15	0.0139
4,6,6 | 5,5,6	16	0.0278
(2,2,2) | (2,3,4)	18	0.0324
(3,4,5)	24	0.0278
(3,3,3)	27	0.0046
(4,5,6)	30	0.0278
(4,4,4)	36	0.0046
(5,5,5)	45	0.0046
(6,6,6)	54	0.0046

Notes: All possibilities are show, sorted; the order of the dice do not matter. A (1,2,3) is the same as a (2,1,3) or (2,3,1), etc. Parentheses around the roll indicate a straight (sum times two) or triple (sum times three) and thus also a switch. Chance of a reversal (straight or triple) is 5/36, or about 1/7.

Follow @mattstat

Bonus third game! 222 or Unnamed as yet

Normal: Play starts and continues right or left. Player rolls and can keep his score or subtract it from player to his left (if playing left, or vice versa). A straight or triple immediately reverses play. No player can have less than 0 points.

Example: Player A rolls (1,2,3) and play had been going left. It switches to right. Player A may keep his 12 points or subtract them from player to his right. After scoring, play moves to right and proceeds as usual until next switch.

Endgame: Once a player meets or exceeds 222 points, play continues once more around in current direction, except that scores can only be added to players’ tallies, and only accumulated if successive rolls are larger than or equal to previous rolls. Players may stop at any time and tally score.

Example: Player A hits 230 so play moves to B, who is at 180. He rolls a score of 12, which isn’t enough to beat A, so he rolls again but must beat or tie 12 points on next roll. Suppose his second desperation roll is 14, for a total of 26, which still isn’t enough to beat A, so he will roll again. If he doesn’t beat or tie 14 on the roll, he is out. And so on across the board.

Notes. Haven’t played 222 yet, but would be delighted to hear reports of any attempts.