Official Bunco Rules — How to Play

Bunco is the easiest game night there is — no skill, no strategy, no long explanations. If you can roll three dice and cheer, you can play. Here are the complete rules, from the team that's outfitted bunco groups since 2005.

What you need

  • 12 players (the classic setup — three tables of four; the game flexes from 8 to 16+)
  • 9 dice — three per table
  • Score sheets and pencils for every player
  • A bell at the head table
  • Optional but beloved: a plush traveling die, prizes, and snacks

Setup

  1. Number your tables: Table 1 is the head table, then Table 2, Table 3.
  2. Four players per table, split into temporary teams of two (partners sit across from each other).
  3. Give every player a score sheet and pencil; put three dice on each table.

How a round works

Bunco is played in six rounds, one for each number on the die. In round 1 you're rolling for 1s, round 2 for 2s, and so on.

  1. The head table rings the bell to start the round.
  2. Players take turns rolling all three dice, scoring 1 point for each die showing the round's target number. Keep rolling as long as you score; pass the dice when you roll none.
  3. BUNCO! — all three dice show the target number: 21 points, and you shout it (that's the law). Ring-worthy.
  4. Three of a kind of any other number scores 5 points.
  5. When a team at the head table reaches 21 points, they ring the bell and the round ends everywhere.

Moving between rounds

  • Winners move up a table (Table 1 winners stay; Table 3 winners move to Table 2, etc.).
  • Losers stay — except at the head table, where losers move down to the last table.
  • Everyone switches partners each round, so you play with the whole group over the night.

Scoring the night

Track wins, losses, and buncos on your score sheet. Most groups give prizes for: Most Buncos, Most Wins, Most Losses (yes, really — it keeps everyone laughing), and Last Bunco or the player holding the traveling die at the end.

The traveling die

A beloved tradition: when someone rolls a bunco, the plush traveling die goes to them — and keeps moving all night with each new bunco. Whoever holds it when the final bell rings wins its prize.

House rules

Every group has them — ghost players for odd numbers, snack rules, themed rounds. Bunco's only real rule is that everyone plays and everyone laughs.

Ready to host? Get everything in one box — our complete Bunco kits include dice, bell, score sheets, and pencils for 12 or 16 players. New host? Read the Ultimate Bunco Hosting Guide. Perfect for bunco night, birthdays, and girls' night out.