Great Escape: You Won't Feel "Wiped Out" After Bunco

I look forward to the third Thursday of every month.

I know that’s when I’m going to be able to get out for a few hours and cut loose with my neighbors and friends. We laugh, eat, and yes, drink while we roll the dice.

We play Bunco.

When I moved in four years ago, I was invited to play with the women in my neighborhood. I didn’t even know what Bunco was when I first moved to Missouri. That first game was a blur of introductions and instructions. I met and learned a little about most of my neighbors in one night.  

Bunco is a great way to have a night out that’s not too far from home. Our group of 12 women is mostly from within the neighborhood and we each take turns hosting. This way, you only end up with hosting duties (and cleanup) once a year.

Starting a Bunco group in your neighborhood is easy. If you can’t think of 12 women to invite, that’s OK, you can play with less. The rules of the game can be changed to make it fun for your group.

The only items you’ll need to play are 9 dice and scorecards for each player. (We have been known to raid Monopoly games for extra dice!) You’ll also need thre tables with seating for four at each, but between our eat-in kitchens, dining rooms, and collapsible tables, seating has never really been an issue.

Each table gets three dice and each player takes turns rolling them to try to get as many numbers for that round as they can. When they fail to turn up the designated number, it becomes the next players turn. If you’re rolling sixes and all three of your dice turn up with sixes, you get a Bunco- an automatic win for you and the round ends for everyone else. There are also wipeouts. When rolled, they wipeout your score, causing you to start back at zero. Bunco’s and wipeouts provide plenty of opportunities for good-natured teasing and a lot of laughs. We have a special necklace for those who roll a Bunco- fuzzy dice and lovely man named “Hank”.

Bunco is a great way to get to know your neighbors, have fun with your friends, and escape without having to dress up and go “out”. It’s time to relax, until you hear someone scream “Bunco!”