Aces in the Pot

This is a simple game for two or more players, played with two dice and two counters (e.g. coins) per player.

Roll one die to see who goes first. Then players take turns (clockwise) rolling two dice. If either die displays a 1 (an "ace"), a counter is put in the pot (that is, in put in the middle of the table). If two 1s are thrown, two counters are put in. If either die displays a 6, both dice and one counter are passed to the player on the thrower's left.

A player without counters cannot roll the dice, and thus merely passes them on. (He or she is not out of the game, however, since he or she will receive a counter if the player on the right rolls a 6.)

Play continues until there is only 1 counter left outside the pot. The player with this counter makes three consecutive rolls. If he or she does NOT roll a 6, then he or she has won. If, though, a 6 is rolled, the counter and the dice are passed to the player on the left, who in turns rolls three times. And so on. The first player to roll three times without a 6 wins the game.

Despite being entirely luck-based, the game is fun on account of its dramatic twists and turns and come-from-behind wins. The luck is an equalizing element that makes this game especially suitable to play with children

Source: R. C. Bell, Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations