How to Play Bunco: Rules, Rounds and Scoring

Bunco in six steps

Set up the tables. Seat four players at each table, with partners across from each other. Table 1 is the head table and has the bell.
Roll for the round’s number. In round 1 everyone rolls for 1s, in round 2 for 2s, and so on up to 6s. Each die that matches scores 1 point for your pair.
Keep rolling while you score. Three of the round’s number is a Bunco, worth 21. Three of a kind on any other number is a baby Bunco, usually worth 5. When a roll scores nothing, pass the dice to the left.
Ring the bell. When a pair at the head table reaches 21 points, they ring the bell and every table stops rolling.
Mark a win or a loss. At each table, the pair with more points wins the round. Every player marks a win or a loss on their tally sheet.
Move tables and switch partners. Winners move up a table and losers stay. At the head table, winners stay and losers go to the bottom table. Everyone gets a new partner, and the next round begins.

What you need

For the classic group of 12 players:

3 tables and 12 chairs, four to a table.
9 dice, three for each table, plus a spare.
A bell for the head table, Table 1.
A score sheet for each table and a tally sheet for each player, with pencils. Free printable score sheets are on our printables page.
A Traveler, if you play one: an extra die, often a fuzzy one (see The Traveler).
Prizes, usually paid for from the night’s dues.

Setting up the tables

Number the tables 1, 2 and 3. Table 1 is the head table, and it gets the bell. Four players sit at each table, and partners sit across from each other, so every table has two pairs playing against each other.

For the first round, seat everyone at random: draw numbered cards, or let an app shuffle the seats.

Bunco works best in multiples of four: 8, 12, 16 and so on. If you’re a player or two short, leave a seat empty. That’s a ghost seat: the player across from it, the ghost’s partner, rolls for it, so their pair still gets both turns. How to seat 9, 10 or 11 players is in our hosting guide.

Rounds and sets

Bunco is played in rounds, and each round has its own number. In round 1 everyone rolls for 1s, in round 2 for 2s, and so on up to round 6, where everyone rolls for 6s.

Six rounds make a set. After round 6, the next set starts again at 1s. Many groups play four sets in a night, which is 24 rounds. Others play three, or keep going until it’s time to stop.

Taking a turn

On your turn, roll all three dice. You score 1 point for every die that shows the round’s number, and the points go to your pair. As long as a roll scores, keep rolling. When a roll scores nothing, pass the dice to the player on your left.

Example: round 3, rolling for 3s

You roll 3, 3, 5. That’s 2 points. Roll again.
You roll 3, 1, 6. That’s 1 more point, so 3 so far. Roll again.
You roll 2, 4, 6. No 3s, so your turn is over and the dice go to your left.

Partners add to the same score. One player at each table keeps the table’s score sheet.

Bunco and baby Bunco

Bunco: all three dice show the round’s number, like 4, 4, 4 in round 4. Shout “Bunco!” It scores 21 points, the usual rule, and counts as a Bunco for the player who rolled it.
Baby Bunco, also called a mini Bunco: three of a kind on any other number, like 6, 6, 6 in round 4. Most groups score it 5 points; some play it as 1.

Both of them score, so keep rolling after either one. Bunco Circle starts with 21 for a Bunco and 5 for a baby Bunco, and your organizer can change either number. For more examples, see Bunco scoring.

The head table and the bell

The head table decides when a round ends. Most groups play to 21: as soon as a pair at the head table reaches 21 points, someone there rings the bell, and every table stops rolling. A Bunco at the head table is worth 21 on its own, so it ends the round on the spot.

Some groups play the head table to a higher score, and some play each round to a timer instead.

Winning a round

When the bell rings, the pair with more points at each table wins the round. Both partners mark a win on their tally sheets, and the other pair marks a loss. The other tables don’t need to reach 21: a table can be won 11 to 9.

Then every table’s score goes back to 0 for the next round. Only the wins, losses and Buncos carry on through the night.

If a table is tied when the bell rings, most groups roll it off: one more roll at the table settles which pair wins the round.

Moving tables and new partners

After every round, players move:

Winners move up one table: from Table 3 to Table 2, and from Table 2 to Table 1.
Losers stay at their table.
At the head table it’s the other way round: the winners stay, and the losers go down to the bottom table.
Everyone gets a new partner. The pair that stays splits up, and each of them partners one of the two players who arrive.

Example: 12 players after round 1

At Table 1, Linda and Pat win, so they stay. Jo and Sam lose and go down to Table 3.

At Table 2, Ruth and Dave win and move up to Table 1. Kathy and Tom lose and stay at Table 2, where the winners from Table 3 join them.

In round 2, Linda and Pat split up at Table 1: Linda partners Ruth, and Pat partners Dave. Every other table splits its pairs the same way.

Playing without partners

Some groups skip the partners and play for themselves. Everyone rolls and keeps their own score, so every point goes to the player who rolled it. A Bunco and a baby Bunco are worth the same as before. A player scores about half as fast as a pair, so some groups play to 11 instead of 21.

Winning a round: the bell still rings at the head table. At each table, the player with the highest score wins the round and marks a win. Everyone else at that table marks a loss. If the top score is tied, those players roll it off.
Moving tables: each table’s winner moves on to the next table: Table 1’s winner to Table 2, Table 2’s to Table 3, and the last table’s winner goes round to Table 1. Everyone else stays in their seat, and the moving winner takes the seat the next table’s winner just left. Every table sends one player out and takes one in, so the tables stay the same size.

In Bunco Circle, the organizer turns this on in Organize → Group settings → How you play: under Do you play with partners?, tap No. Each player then gets their own +1, BUNCO! and Baby Bunco buttons, and after every round the app shows everyone their next table, their seat and who they’ll be sitting with. A group that plays this way can also give a Most points prize.

A night keeps the rules it started with, so the setting only changes between nights. Switch it before Round 1 and that night is played the new way. Once Round 1 has started, the setting waits until the night ends. Everyone who keeps score needs the latest Bunco Circle, or the web app at gamenightcircle.com/bunco. An older version can watch a night without partners, but can’t score it or move it on.

The Traveler

Many groups add a Traveler: an extra die, often a fuzzy one, that goes to whoever rolls a Bunco. Every new Bunco sends it to a new player, at whatever table they’re sitting. Whoever is holding the Traveler when the night ends wins the Traveler prize. It’s optional, so leave it out if your group doesn’t play it.

Prizes

Prizes are usually paid for from the dues everyone puts in at the start of the night. The most common ones:

Most wins, usually the biggest prize.
Most Buncos.
Most losses, a real and traditional prize, so a bad night still pays.
The Traveler, if you play it.
Most baby Buncos, or a prize the host picks, like a door prize or the last Bunco of the night.

Agree before the night how you’ll settle a tie for a prize, such as a roll-off. For dues, food, subs and a full checklist, see How to host a Bunco night.

Questions people ask

How many people do you need to play Bunco?

The classic group is 12: three tables of four. Any multiple of four works well, like 8 or 16, and you can play with empty “ghost” seats when you’re short.

How many points is a Bunco worth?

The usual rule is 21 points, for rolling all three dice on the number of the round. A baby Bunco, three of a kind on any other number, is usually worth 5.

Do you keep rolling after a Bunco?

Yes. A Bunco scores, and you keep rolling as long as your rolls score. Your turn ends on a roll that scores nothing. At the head table, though, a Bunco makes 21 on its own, so the bell rings and the round is over.

How many rounds are in a game of Bunco?

Six rounds make a set, one for each number on the dice. Many groups play four sets in a night, which is 24 rounds.

What happens if a table is tied when the bell rings?

Most groups roll it off: one more roll at the table settles which pair wins the round. Some groups have their own house rule, so agree on one before you start.

How to play Bunco