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Personality of A Bunco Group/Monthly GIVEAWAY

I have been drawing a blank lately about which Bunco topic to write about next.  My group held their monthly Bunco meeting last Sunday.  It was a fun Valentines Day themed game.  Anyhow, one of our regular players brought a guest from out of town to play with us.  The lady is a member of a Bunco group in her hometown.  She made a comment to me that our group was very friendly and welcoming and noted that her group is focused primarily on ‘winning’ the game.  It got me thinking, is that how most groups are?  I have played with two groups and both have been mainly about socializing with playing Bunco a nice bonus.

I am the organizer of my Bunco group and I try my best to keep the game going and yet have people socializing.  For the most part my group is very social but there are a few who prefer not to socialize much.  They are usually the ones who say, ‘ding, ding, ding’ when the head table is talking and not starting to play when they want them to.  If you play Bunco regularly you know what I am talking about:)  Our games usually start at 2 pm on a Sunday and I have a rough schedule that I like to follow to try to keep all personality types happy.  People start to arrive at 2 pm and then we have a potluck meal until about 2:45 pm at which time the game starts.  We play two rounds of Bunco and then have a dessert break.  This break is typically 15 minutes and then we play one more round of Bunco, distribute the prizes and then play an (optional) game of Left Center Right.  From start to finish it is about three hours (give or take a few minutes).

Does your Bunco group have a ‘schedule’ that they follow? Are you a group who likes to socialize?  Let me know on the Bunco Game Shop Facebook Page.

This month we are giving away a cute pair of dice earrings!  The ladies in my group love these!  Just head to the Bunco Game Shop Facebook page and tell me about the personality of your Bunco group!  Also, if your minimum purchase at Bunco game Shop qualifies, you can add a pair of dice earrings to your cart for free!

Keep Calm & Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

 

 

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Bunco Rules: Ghosts

Although Bunco groups all play by the same basic set of rules they are very different in their approaches pertaining to rules and entertaining styles

Some groups have 12 core players with subs who fill in for those who cannot attend.  My group has 60+ members and typically we have between 18-24 players.  We rarely play with a multiple of four players, so we more often than not have at least one ‘ghost’.  A ghost is an empty seat, or invisible player whose ‘partner’ plays for them.  At our last game we had three ghosts (yes I know some of you are cringing at the thought of this!).  It is nice when there are enough players but a ghost (in my opinion) is not that bad. It really just means that someone at the table has to roll every other time.  In our group whoever is the ghost usually does not keep score (unless they want to).  The husband of one of our players made us small wooden ghosts (see photo).  They are easy to carry from table to table and it  lets us know that there is indeed a ‘ghost’ playing at that table.  I have played with other groups that use a baby doll or nothing at all to stand in for the ‘ghost’.

Do you play with a ghost?  Do you always have 12 players or a multiple of four playing?  If so, how does it work?  Do you use substitutes? My group has never used substitutes.  I am not even sure how it would work.  If your group uses subs, let me know how it works on The Bunco Game Shop’s Facebook Page.

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

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To Win The Bunco Game You Must First Know The Rules

There are many different rules when it comes to the game of bunco Knowing them all is relatively impossible. However, if you follow these general bunco guidelines, you will be on your way to claiming your prize.

The first thing to do is designate a head table. The head table will have a bell and one fuzzy die, tiara, or boa. All the tables will have 3 dice, a tally pad, and each person will have their own bunco score sheet and pencil. Next, you’ll want to look across the table. This person is your temporary partner, but you must remember not to trust them too much, they won’t be your partner for long.

To start off, the head table will ring the bell. The starting person at each table will then start to roll the dice. Each time a one shows up, the player will get a point. Once a one doesn’t show up, the turn is over. If you are lucky enough to roll 3 ones, be sure to yell BUNCO for everyone to hear, try to ignore their jealous remarks. When you roll the bunco, you will be given the fuzzy die, tiara, or boa to parade around in, 21 points on your score sheet, and full bragging rights. If you happen to roll 3 of a kind, other than ones, you get a funco. You will receive five points for each funco.

Once a team at the head table reaches a score of 21, the bell is rung. At this point, it’s time for the game to stop and everyone to switch places. This is where it can become a little confusing. The winning team at each table will remain at the table, but one person will move one seat. Two new players will join the table and each player will have a different partner. The losing team at each table will have to move to another table and get new partners. Get on your game face and prepare for another round.

Now, the head table will again ring the bell and the starting player will roll the dice again. This time you will be rolling for twos. Bunco gameplay will continue this way until you have gone through all six numbers on the dice, four times for a total of 24 rounds.

Now that you know the rules of the game, it’s time to get rolling on towards your victory.