In this Sid Sackson classic, players must press their luck with dice and choose combinations tactically to close out three columns. The board has one column for each possible total of two six-sided dice, but the number of spaces in each column varies: the more probable a total, the more spaces in that column and the more rolls it takes to complete. On their turn, a player rolls four dice and arranges them in duos: 1 4 5 6 can become 1+4 and 5+6 for 5 & 11, 1+5 and 4+6 for 6 & 10, or 1+6 and 4+5 for 7 & 9. The player places or advances progress markers in the open column(s) associated with their chosen totals, then chooses whether to roll again or end their turn and replace the progress markers with markers of their color. A player can only advance three different columns in a turn and cannot advance a column which any player has closed out by reaching the end space; if a roll doesn’t result in any legal plays, the turn ends with that turn’s progress lost. A predecessor from 1974, The Great Races, exists as a paper-and-pencil game.
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Game intelligence
1. Each player chooses a color and takes all 11 squares of that color.\n2. Each player rolls two dice. The player who rolls the highest number goes first. Play proceeds clockwise (to the left of the first player).\n3. Place the board in the center. No markers or squares are placed on the board at the start.
On your turn: (1) Roll all four dice. (2) Split the four dice into two pairs in any combination you choose, then add each pair to create two column numbers. (3) Place or advance the shared neutral markers in the corresponding columns according to the placement rules. (4) Choose to STOP (replace markers with your colored squares, locking in progress) or ROLL AGAIN. If you roll again and cannot place or advance any marker, you have 'blown it' — remove all markers placed this turn and end your turn, losing all progress made this turn. You may stop voluntarily at any time before blowing it. You have exactly 3 neutral markers available per turn; once all 3 are placed, every subsequent roll must advance at least one of those 3 markers or you blow it.
The first player to win (permanently claim the top space of) three columns by voluntarily stopping their turn wins the game immediately. Target score: 3 Scoring sources: Winning columns by placing a colored square on the top space of a column during a voluntary stop
Source: Rulebook
The most useful rules for getting a first game right.
The game board has columns numbered 2 through 12. The columns form a mountain shape, so shorter columns (2 and 12) are at the edges and the tallest column (7) is in the center. Each column has a number of spaces corresponding to its likelihood of being rolled, with column 7 being the tallest and columns 2 and 12 being the shortest.
On each roll of your turn, you roll all four dice. You then split the four dice into two pairs in any arrangement you wish. Each pair is summed to produce a column number. There are three possible ways to pair four dice: (die1+die2)&(die3+die4), (die1+die3)&(die2+die4), or (die1+die4)&(die2+die3). You choose whichever pairing is most advantageous. For example, a roll of 1-5-4-6 can produce pairs: 6&10, 5&11, or 7&9.
During your turn, you have exactly 3 neutral markers (shared, non-colored pieces) to place onto the board. Over the course of your turn you may spread these across up to 3 different columns. Once all 3 markers are placed in columns, each additional roll must move at least one of those existing 3 markers upward — you cannot open a new (4th) column. If a roll cannot move any of the 3 active markers, you have blown it.
When you choose a column number that does not yet have one of your neutral markers in it this turn: (a) If the column has none of your colored squares already on it, place the marker onto the bottom space of that column. (b) If the column already has one of your colored squares on it (from a previous turn), place the marker onto the space directly above that colored square. This means prior progress is preserved and the marker starts from where you left off.
If one of the numbers in your chosen pair corresponds to a column that already has your neutral marker in it (placed earlier this turn), move that marker up one space in that column. You do not place a new marker; you simply advance the existing one.
On any roll, if there exists at least one valid pairing of the dice that allows you to place or advance a marker, you must make a valid placement. You cannot voluntarily choose a pairing that results in no placement if another pairing would have allowed one. For example, if you have markers in columns 3 and 6 and roll 2-4-5-5: if you move the marker in column 6, you must also place the third marker in column 10. You cannot simply ignore a valid placement.
If you split the dice such that both sums are identical (e.g., a roll of 2-5-3-4 split as 7&7), and you already have a marker in that column, move it up two spaces. If you do not yet have a marker in that column, place it and then move it up one additional space (net result: two spaces from starting position, or one space above your colored square if present).
You 'blow it' when your roll — under all possible dice pairings — cannot allow you to either place a new marker or advance an existing marker. This happens if: (1) all three markers are already placed and none of the possible pair sums match any of the three active column numbers, or (2) fewer than three markers are placed but none of the possible sums match an active column AND all other possible sums correspond to columns that are already won (closed). When you blow it, remove ALL neutral markers you placed during that turn from the board. Your colored squares that were already on the board before your turn are unaffected and remain in place.
Columns 6, 7, and 8 are the most likely sums from two dice, meaning you will roll those numbers most often and advance markers in them most frequently. However, these are also the tallest columns, requiring the most advances to win. Shorter columns (2, 3, 11, 12) are won in fewer steps but are rolled rarely, making it hard to advance markers in them consistently. A balanced approach targets mid-range columns (5–9) where probability and column height are reasonably matched.
Since a marker at the top of a column does not win it (you must stop voluntarily), and blowing it removes all markers, you must carefully weigh stopping now to lock in one or two column wins versus rolling again to potentially win more. The risk of blowing it is always present, and losing a near-win is especially costly late in the game.
Winning a column immediately removes all opponents' colored squares from it, wiping out their accumulated progress. Targeting columns where opponents have invested heavily is a powerful disruption strategy — especially in columns that are popular (6, 7, 8) where multiple players are likely competing.
You only have 3 markers per turn. Concentrating them in columns you already have colored squares in means you start higher up and need fewer rolls to win those columns. Spreading all 3 into new columns each turn makes it harder to reach the top of any single column. Try to build progress in the same 2–3 columns across multiple turns.
Because you freely choose how to pair the four dice, columns 5–9 offer the most pairing flexibility — there are more combinations that produce those sums. If all 3 of your markers are in very extreme columns (e.g., 2, 3, 12), a roll is much more likely to bust you. Keeping at least one marker in a central column (6, 7, 8) dramatically reduces the chance of blowing it on any given roll.
As columns get won and closed, the pool of available columns shrinks. With fewer open columns, busting becomes more likely because fewer sums will match your active markers. Near the end of the game, both stopping early to lock in column wins and recognizing when the bust probability spikes become critical skills.
No. A marker on the top space does not win the column. You must voluntarily stop your turn and replace the marker with your colored square to win it. If you roll again and blow it, the marker is removed and you do not win the column.
You lose all markers placed this turn — including the one at the top of the column. You do NOT win that column. Your colored squares already on the board from previous turns are unaffected, but the marker at the top is removed.
Yes. If every possible dice pairing produces only column numbers that are permanently closed (won), you have blown it, even if you still have unused markers. Remove any markers placed this turn.
Yes. Once all 3 markers are placed, every subsequent roll must advance at least one of those 3 markers. If no pairing produces 6, 8, or 10, you have blown it — even though those columns are still open.
Yes, as long as that pairing still results in a valid placement or move. You freely choose which pairing to use. You only blow it if NO valid pairing allows any placement or advancement. You are not forced to open a new column if a pairing that advances an existing marker is available.
All of your opponent's colored squares in column 7 are immediately and permanently removed from the board. Column 7 is now closed; your opponent (and everyone else) can never place markers there again.
Place the marker on the space directly above your colored square (space 4 of column 8). Your prior progress is preserved and serves as your starting point for this turn.
Your marker in column 7 moves up two spaces. If you don't yet have a marker in column 7 this turn, place it at the bottom (or above your colored square) and then advance it one additional space, for a net gain of two spaces.
Under Variant B, yes — if the space is occupied by an opponent's colored square, you must keep rolling. However, the marker cannot advance beyond the top space (as the column would be won if you stop). In practice, if you cannot advance the marker further, this would count as blowing it on the forced reroll.
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