BASIC DICE

The standard game used in most halfway houses and clubhouses to determine who buys the drinks has no name. It isn’t particularly thrilling, but it is faster than other games and therefore preferable in time-constrained situations. Players should “piddle” (roll one die) to see who rolls first. The object is to get the most of a kind, using five dice, in the fewest number of roles. Play 1 may use up to three rolls but may quit on the first or second roll if he thinks his “hand” is strong enough. Subsequent rollers are then limited to the same number of rolls. Like poker, much of the strategy lies in whether to hold or try for a better hand. All 1’s are wild, and a roll of five 6’s is the best possible hand. And, obviously, five 6’s achieved in fewer than three rolls is even stronger. Players may keep any dice they want after each roll and then play the rest. The high hand each round is excused from the competition, and the others’ dice start over.

PIG

This Pig is a clubhouse game of minimalist beauty.

Pig requires two dice, one pencil and one sheet of paper.

The object of the game is to be the first player to accumulate over 100 points by repeatedly rolling the dice. On each turn, a player may roll as long as he wishes, with two exceptions:

• The player rolls a 1 on either die. When this happens, the player loses all his points on that turn and forfeits the dice.
• The player rolls double 1’s. In this case, the player loses all the pints he’s accumulated for the entire game.

The typical strategy is to accumulate a reasonable number of points, usually 20-25, and then “bank” them by passing the dice to the next player. Players who try for too many points in one roll risk living up to the game’s name, at which point it’s appropriate for everyone to snort and squeal, a la Deliverance.

Two more rules:

• You can’t quit on doubles (except double 1’s).
• Once a player goes over 100, all the other players must have a chance to match his score. If another player catches him, everyone gets a chance to catch player #2, and so on. This way, no one is ever out of the game until everyone is out except the winner.

By the way, the pencil and paper is for the scorekeeper. Make sure it’s someone who can actually add.

Don’t let the simplicity of Pig fool you. It’s rife with strategy and amusement. So the next time you have an uncontrollable urge to play backgammon, try using the table for Pig instead.

For information on how you or your group can have your own official USGA Certified Handicap, Call Keystone’s Premier Golf Association at

1-800-762-3677 or visit them at www.kpga.com