Bunco
Encyclopedia
Bunco is a parlour game
played in teams with three dice
.
. It was imported to San Francisco as a gambling activity in 1855, where it gave its name to gambling parlors, or Bunco parlors, and more generally to any swindle. After the Civil War
the game evolved to a popular parlor game. During the 1920s and Prohibition
, Bunco was re-popularized as a gambling game, often associated with a speakeasy. Law-enforcement groups raiding these parlors came to be known as "Bunco squads". Bunco as a family game saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s..
According to the World Bunco Association, in the early 21st century, the game had seen a resurgence in popularity in the United States
, with a reported 27 million people playing regularly in 2006.
As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. The winners get prizes (provided by the hostess or pooled from the club resources) for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos. Prizes frequently center on themes associated with the game such as fancy dice, dice embedded in soap, t-shirts featuring illustrations of dice, etc.
Bunco fundraisers have become increasingly popular over the years, earning large sums for a wide variety of charities. Large groups of bunco players have come together to support their favorite charities by paying an entry fee into the game, holding silent auctions, and by selling raffle tickets; with all proceeds from the event donated to the cause.
Also, young adults use Bunco as a framework for social drinking
. In some circles, Bunco gatherings may jokingly be referred to as Drunko to reflect this tendency.
In 2010, a new online implementation of Bunco named Bunco Blast was launched on Facebook.
In November 2010, an iPhone app was developed on iTunes to keep score of Bunco called "Buncolator".
Standards widely recognized are:
There are six rounds, progressing in order from one to six, where the number of the round serves as the target for that round's rolls. Within a round, players alternate turns rolling three dice, aiming to obtain the target number. Players gain one point for each die matching the target. If the player gets three-of-a-kind of the target number (a Bunco), they get 21 points. The round stops when a player at a head table obtains 21 points. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner and usually receives a token prize.
and sponsored by Procter & Gamble
's anti-heartburn medicine Prilosec OTC
, benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation
. In October 2008, P&G discontinued their association with the Championship after three years..
Parlour game
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name....
played in teams with three dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
.
History
Bunco was originally "8-Dice cloth" according to the World Bunco Association a dice game in 18th-century EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was imported to San Francisco as a gambling activity in 1855, where it gave its name to gambling parlors, or Bunco parlors, and more generally to any swindle. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the game evolved to a popular parlor game. During the 1920s and Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, Bunco was re-popularized as a gambling game, often associated with a speakeasy. Law-enforcement groups raiding these parlors came to be known as "Bunco squads". Bunco as a family game saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s..
Renewed popularity
Although re-released in 2005 with a tagline reading "The game that's sweeping the nation," sales were initially low, although senior citizens and young adults alike have found interest in the game.According to the World Bunco Association, in the early 21st century, the game had seen a resurgence in popularity in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a reported 27 million people playing regularly in 2006.
As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. The winners get prizes (provided by the hostess or pooled from the club resources) for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos. Prizes frequently center on themes associated with the game such as fancy dice, dice embedded in soap, t-shirts featuring illustrations of dice, etc.
Bunco fundraisers have become increasingly popular over the years, earning large sums for a wide variety of charities. Large groups of bunco players have come together to support their favorite charities by paying an entry fee into the game, holding silent auctions, and by selling raffle tickets; with all proceeds from the event donated to the cause.
Also, young adults use Bunco as a framework for social drinking
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
. In some circles, Bunco gatherings may jokingly be referred to as Drunko to reflect this tendency.
In 2010, a new online implementation of Bunco named Bunco Blast was launched on Facebook.
In November 2010, an iPhone app was developed on iTunes to keep score of Bunco called "Buncolator".
Rules
Bunco is often played with house variants.Standards widely recognized are:
There are six rounds, progressing in order from one to six, where the number of the round serves as the target for that round's rolls. Within a round, players alternate turns rolling three dice, aiming to obtain the target number. Players gain one point for each die matching the target. If the player gets three-of-a-kind of the target number (a Bunco), they get 21 points. The round stops when a player at a head table obtains 21 points. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner and usually receives a token prize.
Bunco World Championship.
The Bunco World Championship was first held in 2006, airing on the Oxygen NetworkOxygen (TV channel)
Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
and sponsored by Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
's anti-heartburn medicine Prilosec OTC
Omeprazole
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease , laryngopharyngeal reflux and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome...
, benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation
National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded national organisation in Australia, supporting and promoting research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer....
. In October 2008, P&G discontinued their association with the Championship after three years..