Bau Cua Tom Ca

The game bau cua tom ca is a traditional Vietnamese dice game primarily played during lunar new year/Tết/Chinese new year celebration. The game set consists of a gameboard and three six-sided dice. Each side of the dice displays one of the six characters of the game (Deer, Gourd, Rooster, Fish, Crab, and Prawn). The game board also displays all six characters that correspond with the dice.

Bau Cua Tom Ca is also known as Bau Cua Ca Cop or simply bầu cua in Vietnam, but its also played in China known as Hoo Hey How. Variations of this game also exist in other cultures such as Britain and France.

How to play:

To play, you will need a dealer (the house) and 1 or more players. There is generally no limit to the amount of players that can play which is one of the reasons it makes for a great party game. Each round starts after the dealer shakes the dice (covered in a dice bowl/plate. Once the dice have been shaken, players are allowed to guess the at the dice and place wagers on 0 or more character spots on the game board. Once all wagers have been placed, the dealer reveals the dice, by uncovering the dice. If the 1 or more of the dice match the player's wager, the house (dealer) must pay the player the amount equal to the player's wager. If the multiple dice match the player's wager, the dealer must pay the player his wager times the number of dice that match. If none of the dice match the player's wager, the dealer takes the wager.