Threes
Encyclopedia
Threes is a dice game. It typically figures exclusively into at-home and private-party gambling
; while the origins of its names remain unknown, some speculate the game originated with illicit drug users, who played the game while waiting for their dealer(s)
. According to this hypothesis
, "tripps" was a double entendre
on the homophones "trip
" meaning a Psychedelic experience
, and "tipple" indicating one facet of the game; certainly the game's least-common name, "Bender's Delight," refers to excessive alcohol consumption
and/or an illegal drug binge
.
. Following this step, players
then take turns rolling all five dice
; as in certain poker
games, each player's objective is to have the lowest possible score at the end of the round. However, all numbers on the dice count as their face values except threes, which count for zero points each. Hence, getting five threes is the best possible roll in the game, and this might have contributed to the origin of two of the game's names. What's more, rolling five threes on your first roll counts as an automatic win in the game, thus making the roll extremely desirable.
One additional desirable roll in Tripps is "Shooting the Moon"--which, one may speculate, was named for its similarity to the Hearts scoring variant. To shoot the moon a player must roll five sixes. If he does so he wins all standing bets and the round immediately ends.
Assuming no player shoots the moon or rolls all threes in a round, each player may have the face numbers on any five of the dice he rolled during his turn recorded so he may use them in subsequent rounds. This is called "keeping," and each player must keep at least one of the numbers he rolled in the round. Once a player has selected his "keeper," or the die score he will carry over, he may not change his mind. Once all players have five keepers the scores of their five keepers are compared.
The player with the lowest score wins the cumulative pot to that point, with tied sets of rounds resolving through a subset of rounds. In a tie-determining set of rounds the tied players pay an additional one-unit ante, and the winner of this set of rounds wins the entire pot to that point. Additionally, the winner of this subset of rounds must roll first in the following round or set of rounds.
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
; while the origins of its names remain unknown, some speculate the game originated with illicit drug users, who played the game while waiting for their dealer(s)
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. According to this hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
, "tripps" was a double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
on the homophones "trip
Trip
Trip may refer to travel, a vacation, or a psychedelic experience. It is also an informal description for a circuit breaker or its action. Trip may also refer to:-People:*Trip Adler , American entrepreneur...
" meaning a Psychedelic experience
Psychedelic experience
The term "psychedelic experience" is vague – characterized by polyvalence or ambiguity due to its nature – however in modern psychopharmacological science as well as philosophical, psychological, neurological, spiritual-religious and most other ideological discourses it is understood as an altered...
, and "tipple" indicating one facet of the game; certainly the game's least-common name, "Bender's Delight," refers to excessive alcohol consumption
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and/or an illegal drug binge
Bender
- Places:* Bender, Moldova, also known as Bendery or Tighina* Bender, California, a former settlement in Fresno County, California* Bender Bayla District, a district of Bari, Somalia- Fiction :...
.
Game play
Although its name might seem to indicate otherwise, Tripps is played with five dice. Prior to each round players must post an ante in order to participate in the gameGame
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
. Following this step, players
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
then take turns rolling all five dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
; as in certain poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
games, each player's objective is to have the lowest possible score at the end of the round. However, all numbers on the dice count as their face values except threes, which count for zero points each. Hence, getting five threes is the best possible roll in the game, and this might have contributed to the origin of two of the game's names. What's more, rolling five threes on your first roll counts as an automatic win in the game, thus making the roll extremely desirable.
One additional desirable roll in Tripps is "Shooting the Moon"--which, one may speculate, was named for its similarity to the Hearts scoring variant. To shoot the moon a player must roll five sixes. If he does so he wins all standing bets and the round immediately ends.
Assuming no player shoots the moon or rolls all threes in a round, each player may have the face numbers on any five of the dice he rolled during his turn recorded so he may use them in subsequent rounds. This is called "keeping," and each player must keep at least one of the numbers he rolled in the round. Once a player has selected his "keeper," or the die score he will carry over, he may not change his mind. Once all players have five keepers the scores of their five keepers are compared.
The player with the lowest score wins the cumulative pot to that point, with tied sets of rounds resolving through a subset of rounds. In a tie-determining set of rounds the tied players pay an additional one-unit ante, and the winner of this set of rounds wins the entire pot to that point. Additionally, the winner of this subset of rounds must roll first in the following round or set of rounds.