Play the American variation of the dice game Yatzy. May 29, 2020 The dollar game isn't won on skill or expertise. It's purely a game of luck with the dice determining each play. A minimum of three players with three dollars each is needed to start the game. The dice is rolled, and each player makes a move depending on the number of pips facing up.
Introduction
3 Dice Football is a new game I noticed at O'Shea's on April 2, 2011. The game attempts to simulate the game of American football using three dice. The player may bet that a given possession will result in a touchdown or turnover, as well as lots of prop bets on each roll. It is certainly a new concept and I have to give the inventor points for trying something different, as opposed to the usual blackjack and poker variants.Rules
- At the beginning of a possession, the ball shall start at the defensive 20-yard line. In other words, 20 yards from scoring a touchdown.
- The shooter shall have three rolls (or downs) to advance 10 yards. All rolls, including the neutral and bad ones, count as a down.
- The roll of three dice (two green and one red) shall determine the outcome of each play. Here are the possible outcomes. If more than one are applicable, use the one that appears first.
- If the shooter rolls a three of a kind, then it is an automatic touchdown.
- If the shooter rolls a red 6, and the sum of the green dice is 2 or 3, then it shall result in a turnover, which is a failed attempt at a touchdown.
- If the red die is greater than the sum of the two green dice, then it is considered a penalty, and results in a loss of one yard.
- If the red die is equal to the sum of the two green dice, then no yards are gained.
- If the red die is less than the sum of the two green dice, then the ball shall advance the difference in points. For example, if the green dice were 5 and 6, and the red die was a 3, then the ball would advance 11-3=8 yards.
- If the player advances 10 yards in the first three downs, then he shall get another three downs to advance the rest of the way to a touchdown.
- There are also several prop bets, which win or lose each on each roll.
If that was not clear, here is a scan of the rule cards. As with most images on this site, click on them for a larger version.
Analysis
The primary bet is on a Touchdown. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 3.62%.Touchdown
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1 | 48,943,108,116,236 | 0.481913 | 0.481913 |
| Lose | -1 | 52,616,848,552,180 | 0.518087 | -0.518087 |
| Total | 101,559,956,668,416 | 1.000000 | -0.036173 |
Much like in craps, you can be a contrarian. In this case, you can bet on a turnover, which pays 4 to 5. The table below shows a house edge of 6.74%.
Defense
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 0.8 | 52,616,848,552,180 | 0.518087 | 0.414469 |
| Lose | -1 | 48,943,108,116,236 | 0.481913 | -0.481913 |
| Total | 101,559,956,668,416 | 1.000000 | -0.067444 |
Trips Touchdown is a single-roll bet that the next roll will be a touchdown (three of a kind). Wins pay 33 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 5.56%.
Trips Touchdown
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 33 | 6 | 0.027778 | 0.916667 |
| Lose | -1 | 210 | 0.972222 | -0.972222 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.055556 |
3 Dice Games Rules
Penalty is a single-roll bet that the next roll will be a penalty (see rules above). Wins pay 11 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 5.56%.
Penalty
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 11 | 17 | 0.078704 | 0.865741 |
| Lose | -1 | 199 | 0.921296 | -0.921296 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.055556 |
Turnover is a single-roll bet that the next roll will be a turnover (see rules above). Wins pay 66 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 6.94%.
Turnover
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 66 | 3 | 0.013889 | 0.916667 |
| Lose | -1 | 213 | 0.986111 | -0.986111 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.069444 |
Cover 3 is a single-roll bet that the next roll will be a penalty, turnover, or single-roll touchdown. Wins pay 7 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 3.70%.
Cover 3
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 7 | 26 | 0.120370 | 0.842593 |
| Lose | -1 | 190 | 0.879630 | -0.879630 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.037037 |
No Gain is a single-roll bet that the next roll will be a zero gain (see above rules). Wins pay 5 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 2.78%.
No Gain
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 5 | 35 | 0.162037 | 0.810185 |
| Lose | -1 | 181 | 0.837963 | -0.837963 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.027778 |
Big Play is a single-roll bet that the next roll will result in 7 or more yards or a trips touchdown. Wins pay 4 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 5.09%.
Big Play
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4 | 41 | 0.189815 | 0.759259 |
| Lose | -1 | 175 | 0.810185 | -0.810185 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.050926 |
Over 4 Yards is a single-roll bet that the next roll will result in 5 or more yards or a trips touchdown. Wins pay 1 to 1, except a trips touchdown pays 7 to 1. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 4.63%.
Over 4 Yards
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trips TD | 7 | 6 | 0.027778 | 0.194444 |
| Over 4 yards | 1 | 79 | 0.365741 | 0.365741 |
| Lose | -1 | 131 | 0.606481 | -0.606481 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.046296 |
Under 4 Yards is a single-roll bet that the next roll will result in 3 or less yards, a penalty, or a turnover. Wins pay 1 to 1. How much does 0 and 00 pay in roulette. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 2.78%.
Under 4 Yards
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1 | 105 | 0.486111 | 0.486111 |
| Lose | -1 | 111 | 0.513889 | -0.513889 |
| Total | 216 | 1.000000 | -0.027778 |
The final table summarizes the house edge for each bet.
House Edge Summary
| Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Touchdown | 3.62% |
| Defense | 6.74% |
| Trips Touchdown | 5.56% |
| Penalty | 5.56% |
| Turnover | 6.94% |
| Cover 3 | 3.70% |
| No Gain | 2.78% |
| Big Play | 5.09% |
| Over 4 Yards | 4.63% |
| Under 4 Yards | 2.78% |
Strategy
Much like craps, the only decision making in 3 Dice Football is what to bet on. The above table shows the lowest house edge, at 2.78%, is on No Gain and Under 4 Yards. However, the Touchdown bet will last over multiple rolls most of the time. So my advice is to bet on a Touchdown and if you must bet the props, stick to No Gain and Under 4 Yards, which will also hedge against a Touchdown.
It deserves to be noted the single-roll prop bets in this game carry a much lower house edge than those in craps.
Acknowledgements
I was lazy with the analysis of this game, and got the probability of a Touchdown and Turnover from the TCS John Huxley web site, which deserve proper attribution for those figures. I did the rest of the math myself, which agrees with the figures at the John Huxley web site.
Three Man, also called Mr. Three or Hat Man, is a fun drinking game suitable for all kind of parties and events. Three Man requires three people or more to play and it can be played anywhere at any time. All you will need is a pair of dice, table, and drinks! But a bigger chunk of the fun comes when you can add your own variations and rules to this game. The objective of this game is to avoid becoming the Three Man, and also avoid getting drunk. Let's check out how this game is actually played!
Pro Tips:
Avoid becoming the Three Man unless you want to get messed up in the party by drinking too much. We are sure you wouldn't want to wake up with a nasty hangover the next morning.
What you'll need for the game Three Man Dice
- 2 dice
- Loads of beer or any other alcohol
- A table or flat surface
- A hat (optional) for the Three Man
Determining the Three Man
Everyone is supposed to sit in a circle around the table. If you don't have a table, sitting on the floor will also suffice. Make sure you mark the area in which the dice are to be rolled.
The first thing to be done is determine the Three Man. Each player has to roll the dice turn-by-turn. The first one to get a ‘three' becomes the Three man. He/she will have to wear the hat till the time they remain the Three Man.
The Three Man has to drink whenever the dice add up to three or the number ‘3' shows up on one of the dice and has to drink twice when a double rolls up i.e. the dice show number 3 on both.
The Three Man determines who starts first.
In addition, if he gets a three by combination or one dice showing three, then he doesn't remain the Three Man, and new Three Man has to be chosen by the previous Three Man. The hat is then passed on to the player who becomes Three Man.
Rules to play Three Man
After the Three Man is determined, the player on the left rolls the dice. Perform the action depending upon the rolling results.
The basic results for a roll:
3: Three Man drinks7: Player to the left drinks9: Everyone drinks11: Player to the right drinks
If you get a combination of 1 and 4 on both dice, then that player becomes the Thumbmaster. He/she can place the thumb on the table at any point of the game and everyone will have to race to place their thumbs on the table. The last player to do so will have to drink. The Thumbmaster changes each time 1 and 4 are rolled by any player.
3dice Casino
The Three Man determines who starts first.
If you get a double, the player gives the dice to some other player or one each to two players. Whatever number appears on the dice, they will have to drink as many times the number on the dice. If the player gets a double again, then the original player who got double will drink as many times the addition of numbers on both dice. The dice are returned to the original player and the game continues.
If you get a total of both dice other than 3, 7, 9, or 11, then your turn ends, and the player next to you gets a chance to roll.
Three Man game variations
3 Dice Games To Play
You can add your own variations to the game by assigning a task or a punishment for other numbers. For example,
- If you get an 8, then you will have to drink with the hand you are less comfortable with.
- If you get number ‘1' on both dice, then everybody takes a drink.
- If you get a 5, then you will have to take a drink.
- If you get numbers 1 and 5 on dice, then you become the Nosemaster. You can place a finger on your nose at any time of the game, and everyone else will have to follow the action. The last person to do so will have to drink.
- If you get a 6, then all the players of the opposite sex must drink.
- If the dice falls off the table, then that player takes a drink.
- When the original player gives away the dice to another player on getting a double, he/she drinks for that many seconds whatever the total comes out to be after rolling.
These are the rules to play the Three Man dice drinking game. Hope you got some awesome ideas, and hope your brains are already working upon some wacky and interesting variations. You can create your own rules and penalties for an even more enjoyable experience.
It is advisable to drink in moderation. Drink responsibly! Do not drink and drive!
✍️ December 12, 2018
