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HOW TO PLAY

Bunko is a game of luck you play with dice.  Don’t be worried if you don’t know how to play, it really is simple to learn.  Bunko is a lot of fun and extremely social.  There are a number of different ways people can organize and play Bunko.  We can discuss other ways to play at our first get together, but here are the basics.

You need a minimum of 12 players to play.  Three tables are set up with four players at each table.  With 16 players, four tables are set up - you get the idea here, right?  The players at every table will change with each round you play so you will get a chance to meet and play with everyone throughout the night.

There are 6 rounds in one game of Bunko.  We try to play 3 games of Bunko in one evening.  The rounds and games move very quickly.  For each round everyone has a partner at their table.  This partner will change from round to round as the people at each table change from round to round.  To determine who your partner is in a given round, simply look across the table to see who sat down there.  That person is your partner for that round.  The only Bunko rule about partners is that you may not have the same partner two rounds in a row.

Each table is given three dice.  When the “head” table says start each person at the table starts taking turns rolling the dice.  Each new round you are rolling for a certain number on the die.  The first round you roll for one’s, the second round you roll for two’s, the third round you roll for three’s, ... etc. on up to six’s.   If you get the number you are rolling for, you keep rolling until you no longer get that number.  Each roll you are accumulating points by rolling the number of that round.  You can also keep rolling if you roll a three of a kind (called a baby Bunko).  If you roll three of a kind and it is the number you are shooting for that round, that’s called Bunko.  At this point you must yell, scream and make a spectical of yourself (okay not really, but you did just score 21 points for you and your partner so be at least a little happy).  A running tally of your points is kept while rolling the dice.  A round ends when the head table reaches 21 points.

Simple Right?

SCORING  

Scoring goes like this -

            1 point each time you roll the number for which you are shooting.

            5 points each time you roll a three of a kind

            21 points each time you roll BUNKO

You add to your score each time you or your partner get any points.  So at the end of the round you will have the same score as your partner for that round.  There should be a winning pair and a losing pair at each table at the end of a round.  If both sets of partners at a given table have the same score then a tie breaker roll-off takes place.  

At the end of the evening you total up your score for each game (6 rounds added together). 

 GAMBLING PART OF BUNKO  

Bring five dollars to play and at the end of the evening prizes are given out for the following categories:

            First Bunko $5 to first person to score a Bunko ($10 if playing with 16 people)

            Last Bunko $5 to last person to score a Bunko ($10 if playing with 16 people)

Once the games are over and everyone has added up their scores, we determine the following winners.

1.     most BUNKOs - $15

2.     most wins - $10

3.     most baby BUNKOs - $10

4.     most wins in a row - $5  ($10 if playing with 16 people)

5.     highest score in a round - $5  ($10 if playing with 16 people)

6.     most losses in a row - $5  if ya moved around that much, ya need your money back.

7.     most losses - boobie prize - because we feel sorry for you!

With the exception of “first Bunko” and “last Bunko”, to spread out the moola, there is a rule that says you can only win in one category.  This means one person cannot win in both “high score” and “most wins”.             

HOSTING BUNKO  

Everyone hosts 1 month.  You then have at least a year off before you host again since we have more than 12 players.  When it is your turn to host you will need to get the Bunko box from the previous Bunko host.  Inside the BONKO box will be all the necessary items needed to set up the game.  You are required to host your assigned month or make arrangements prior to your  planned date to switch months with someone.  If you do not host or contact the group to switch your month and the month passes by with folks wondering what happened to Bunko, you are out of the group.  We know this sounds harsh, but in reality you only host once in 16 months and it is not fair for everyone else that took the time to cook, clean and prepare for one person to just skip their month unanounced.  Obviously, if some major family emergency is the reason to skip, this rule most certainly does not apply.  

As a hostess, it is your responsibility to make sure that everything needed to play Bunko is set up and in place for when people arrive at your home at 7:30.  As a courtesy, food and drink are provided for everyone’s eating and drinking pleasure.  What you make is entirely up to you.  One copy of the score sheet should always be kept in the Bunko box to make copies when the supply is low.  It is your responsibility to make copies if there are not enough for the night you host.  If you need any extra chairs or tables check the chairs and tables list for players that have them to share.  If you have any folding tables or chairs to share, make sure you name gets added to the list.  And thanks!

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE A NIGHT  

Please let the hostess know right away if you cannot make it so they can find a sub for you.  If you know of someone who would like to play ask if we can include their name on the sub list.  Even though the dates are already set at the beginning of a year we all know things can and will happen, so the more people we have willing to sub the better off we are.   

 FUN IDEAS TO DISCUSS INCLUDING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

 Have a couples BUNKO one month.

A costume BUNKO on Halloween.

A Chinese Ornament swap around Christmas.

Any others???

Those are all the basics.  I am sure there are things I left out that we can talk about when we get together this month.  Most important rule is to have fun and the rest we can work out later on!!!