How to Play Pirates Liars Dice

Dice are the ultimate instruments of chance. But while they have both undermined and made fortunes in equal measure, games of dice can take many forms. Liar's Dice, unlike many dice games, can demand as much bluff as luck. And a game of Pirate's Liars Dice , as popularized by Orlando Bloom and Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean, is no different.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5 dice per player
• 1 cup per player

1. Shake five dice in each of the players' cups, and overturn the cups onto a flat surface. Each player can then turn up one edge of cup to look at their own dice, while making sure to hide the results from the other players. Aces (ones) will be considered wild, and count as the number just announced. For Pirate's Dice, the 'one' side of each die should be replaced with a skull, or a Jolly Roger (the identifying flag, with skull and crossbones, flown by many pirate ships).

2. Have the first player venture a guess as to how many dice are showing of a certain number, amongst all players. For example, 'three fives' or 'four fours.' You do not, however, need to actually have any 'fives' to announce 'three fives.' Play is then passed to the next player, proceeding clockwise. Players may not begin bidding with aces, although they can follow a bid by cutting in half the previous bid, rounding up.

3. Have the next player raise or call the bid. To raise the bid, the player can either increase the quantity of the bid (for example, 'three fives' to 'four fives'), can increase the number itself (from 'three fives' to 'three sixes'), or both (from 'three fives' to 'four sixes'). Players wishing to raise a bid of aces must either raise the quantity of aces, or change the number while also doubling the previous quantity and adding one (so that 'four aces' becomes 'nine threes').

4. Have the next player call 'liar' when they suspect that the previous caller is lying or incorrect about the number of dice. The player calling 'liar' will then lift his cup to reveal their dice, followed by the other players in a counterclockwise fashion (so the 'liar' will show their dice last). If the final tally of dice is less than the 'liar' suggested, they lose one die. If the tally is greater or equal to the proposed figure, the player who called 'liar' loses a die instead.

5. Continue play until every player but one has lost their dice. Players with one die left may now start bidding with aces, which are no longer wild, and players with two or more dice must continue to bid the number of the previous player. These rules do not apply when there are two players left.

Tips & Warnings

• In fine pirate tradition, wagers can be made on the outcome of games. These wagers usually take the form of indentured servitude, or souls.