Bunco scoring, explained
In Bunco, the points only decide who wins each round. What counts at the end of the night is each player’s wins, losses and Buncos. Here’s how every one of them is counted, with examples.
Points on each roll
Every round has a number: round 1 is rolling for 1s, round 2 for 2s, up to 6s. Here’s what a roll of three dice scores in round 4, when everyone is rolling for 4s:
| The roll | Example | Points |
|---|---|---|
| One die shows the round’s number | 4, 2, 6 | 1 |
| Two dice show it | 4, 4, 1 | 2 |
| Bunco: all three show it | 4, 4, 4 | 21 |
| Baby Bunco: three of a kind, another number | 2, 2, 2 | 5 |
| Nothing matches | 1, 3, 5 | 0, pass the dice |
21 for a Bunco and 5 for a baby Bunco are the usual values, and they’re what Bunco Circle starts with. Some groups score a baby Bunco as 1. Whatever your group plays, write it at the top of the score sheet. Free printable score sheets are on our printables page.
A turn, added up
You keep rolling as long as you score, and every scoring roll adds to your pair’s total.
- 2, 5, 6: one 2, so 1 point.
- 2, 2, 3: two 2s, 2 more points. That’s 3.
- 5, 5, 5: a baby Bunco, 5 more points. That’s 8.
- 1, 4, 6: no 2s. The turn ends with 8 points for Ruth’s pair.
Scoring a round, step by step
- Count each roll. Score 1 point for each die showing the round’s number, 21 for a Bunco and 5 for a baby Bunco. Add them to your pair’s score.
- Stop at the bell. The round ends at every table when the head table rings the bell, usually when a pair there reaches 21.
- Compare the two pairs. At each table, the pair with more points wins the round. A tie is settled with a roll-off.
- Mark the tally sheets. Each winner marks a win and each loser a loss. A player who rolled a Bunco or a baby Bunco marks that too.
- Start again at 0. Every table’s score goes back to 0 for the next round. Only the wins, losses and Buncos carry on.
Who wins a round
The round ends for everyone when the head table rings the bell. At each table, compare the two pairs’ scores: the higher score wins. Here’s a round with 12 players:
| Table | Pair | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table 1 | Linda & Pat | 21 | Win |
| Table 1 | Jo & Sam | 14 | Loss |
| Table 2 | Ruth & Dave | 17 | Win |
| Table 2 | Kathy & Tom | 12 | Loss |
| Table 3 | Ann & Lee | 9 | Loss |
| Table 3 | Mo & Chris | 11 | Win |
Only the head table plays to 21. Table 3 was won with 11. A win at Table 3 counts exactly the same as a win at Table 1.
Points never carry over. When round 3 starts, every table is back to 0, and the winners have moved up a table (see Moving tables and new partners).
What each player counts
Bunco is played in pairs, but the tally is personal. Each player keeps their own count of:
- Wins and losses. Every player marks one or the other every round. Both partners in the winning pair mark a win.
- Buncos. The 21 points go to the pair, but the Bunco counts for the player who rolled it.
- Baby Buncos, counted the same way, for the player who rolled them.
- The Traveler, if you play it: it goes to whoever rolls a Bunco, and whoever holds it at the end of the night wins it.
In Bunco Circle, the scorekeeper taps BUNCO! or Baby Bunco and then who rolled it, so each Bunco goes to the right player and the Traveler moves by itself.
A night, added up
After four sets, which is 24 rounds, here’s what four players’ tally sheets might say:
| Player | Wins | Losses | Buncos | Baby Buncos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth | 15 | 9 | 2 | 3 |
| Dave | 13 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| Kathy | 9 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| Tom | 11 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
A quick check: wins plus losses always equals the number of rounds played, 24 here. Of these four, Ruth has Most wins (15) and Most Buncos (2), and Kathy has Most losses (15). Dave has Most baby Buncos, if your group gives that prize.
Ties for a prize
Ties happen, especially for Most wins. Agree before the night how you’ll settle one: a roll-off between the tied players is the usual way. In Bunco Circle, the organizer sees “It’s a tie — tap the winner” and picks.
Season standings
Many groups keep a season total too: each night’s wins, Buncos and losses added up over the year, with a prize for the season’s leaders. On paper, that means a running sheet. Bunco Circle’s season standings rank every player for each of your group’s prizes, counting finished nights only.
Questions people ask
How many points is a Bunco?
21 points is the usual rule, 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 Bunco points carry over from round to round?
No. Points only decide who wins the round at each table. When the next round starts, every table goes back to 0. What carries over is each player’s wins, losses and Buncos.
Who gets credit for a Bunco, the player or the pair?
Both, in different ways. The 21 points go to the pair’s score, but the Bunco itself counts for the player who rolled it. That’s what the Most Buncos prize and the Traveler go by.
Does a baby Bunco count toward Most Buncos?
No, they’re counted separately. Some groups give a separate prize for Most baby Buncos.
Is there a Bunco score sheet I can print?
Yes. Free printable score sheets are on our printables page.
Let Bunco Circle do the counting
The scorekeeper at each table taps +1, BUNCO! or Baby Bunco. Bunco Circle tells every table when the head table rings the bell, records each table’s winners, and adds up wins, losses, Buncos, baby Buncos and the Traveler for every player, all season.
Free for every player to join, RSVP, keep score and see where to sit. The live scoreboard, season standings and winners log are an optional subscription, per person. On iPhone and Android, in the US and Canada.
See Bunco Circle
