- Setup |
- Gameplay |
- Variations |
- Video |
- Q&A
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing.
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Are you looking for a fast-paced game that’s easy to teach for your next get-together? Then Left-Center-Right (LCR) is the perfect thing to pull out for an exciting way to pass the time. In LCR, you’re trying to be the last person with chips, but depending on your dice roll, you might be forced to give some away to other players. There aren’t a lot of rules, so learning the game is a piece of cake. Just keep reading and we’ll walk you through the basics—plus, some fun variations to try.
Things You Should Know
- Play LCR with 3 or more players. Give each person 3 chips to start off.
- Roll the dice on your turn to determine if you keep your chips or pass them to other players.
- Pass a chip to the left for each “L,” to the right for each “R,” and to the center for every “C.” Keep a chip for every dot you rolled.
- Win the game if you’re the last person with chips in front of them.
Steps
Setup
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1Sit in a circle with at least 3 players. You can play with as many people as you want as long as there are 3 players minimum. Sit at a table or on the floor so there’s someone to your right and your left. Make sure there’s open space in the middle of the players to place chips and build the center “pot.”[1]
- LCR doesn’t have a lot of rules or strategy, so it’s the perfect game for all ages.
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2Give each player 3 chips. If you have a copy of LCR, it will come with a set of chips. Otherwise, you can play with poker chips, checkers, buttons, or any other small tokens you have at home.[2]
- Keep any extra chips in the container since you won’t use them during your game.
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3Designate specific dice rolls as "L," "R," and "C" if you’re using dice. Retail copies of LCR already have the proper symbols printed on them, so you can skip this step. If you’re playing with standard 6-sided dice, assign what faces are “left,” “right,” “center,” and “dots.” If you want, try using these substitutions:[3]
- 1, 2, & 3: dots
- 4: Left (“L”)
- 5: Center (“C”)
- 6: Right (“R”)
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4Take turns rolling the dice to decide who goes first. Have each player roll all 3 of the dice and count how many dots are showing. After everyone has a chance to roll the dice, whoever had the most dots gets to take the first turn.[4]
- If there’s a tie for who rolls the most dots, either roll the dice again or just choose the youngest player to go first.
- If you’re playing with standard dice, remember that dots are any dice showing 1, 2, or 3. Don’t count the individual pips (the dots printed on the dice).
Gameplay
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1Roll all 3 dice on your first turn. Since each player starts with 3 chips, everyone rolls the same number of dice during the opening round. Take all 3 of the dice and roll them in the middle of the table so everyone can see them.[5]
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2Check your dice to see which chips you have to pass or keep. Look at your dice roll to see which sides are face-up. For each “L” (4) you rolled, give a chip to the person on your left. If you rolled a “C” (5), move one of your chips to the pot in the middle of the table. For every “R” (6) showing, pass a chip to the player on your right. If you rolled a dot (1s, 2s, or 3s), keep a chip in front of you.[6]
- There’s a chance you may pass all of your chips on your first roll, but you’re still in the game and can keep playing! You never know when another player is going to pass you one of their chips.
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3Continue the round with the player to your left. Once you finish your turn, pass the dice clockwise to the next player. Everyone takes a turn rolling all the dice and passing their chips. Once everyone takes 1 turn, then you’ve finished the first round.[7]
- It’s possible to have more than 3 chips during the first round if you received them from other players. Still roll all 3 dice like normal. You’ll only move a maximum of 3 chips on your turn.
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4Roll up to 3 dice based on how many chips you have each turn. After your first turn, count how many chips you have in front of you. If you still have 3 or more, then roll all 3 of the dice. If you only have 2 chips, then just roll 2 dice instead. When you’re left with only 1 chip, then roll 1 die.[8]
- If you don’t have any chips left, skip your turn and don’t roll the dice. If another player passes you a chip on their turn, then you get to roll the dice again when they’re passed to you.
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5Win the game (and the pot) if you’re the last person with chips. Continue taking turns, passing chips between the players, and adding to the pot. As soon as there’s only 1 person left who has chips, they win the game! As their prize, they get to take all of the chips from the pot for themselves.[9]
Variations
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1Try LCR Wild for a more competitive game of taking chips. In LCR Wild, assign one of the faces with a dot as a wild (“W”) instead. Play the game as you normally would, but make these changes whenever you roll wilds:[10]
- For 1 wild, take 1 chip from any player.
- If you rolled 2 wilds, take 2 chips from 1 player or 1 chip from 2 different players.
- If you roll 3 wilds, you win the game immediately.
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2Play Last Chip Wins to try getting rid of all your chips instead. Rather than trying to be the last person with chips, race to be the first person to put your final chip in the pot. If you only have 1 chip left and you roll a “C,” then you win![11]
- This variation may make the game go on longer since any player has a chance of winning as long as there’s still 1 chip in the game.
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3Make the last player with chips roll all dots to make winning more difficult. Play the game as you normally would until only 1 person has chips left in front of them. Have the player roll the dice one final time. If they roll all dots, then they have won the game. If they still roll any other faces, pass the chips as you normally would and continue playing until someone wins.[12]
- If you have 3 or more chips in front of you, then you have to roll dots on all 3 dice. If you only have 1 or 2 chips, then you only have to roll 1 or 2 dice instead.
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4Try playing with money instead of chips for a light gambling game. Replace the chips with pennies, quarters, or even dollars to make your own stakes for the game. Choose the value of each chip and play the game as normal. Whoever wins the game gets all of the money in the pot as their winnings.[13]
Community Q&A
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QuestionDo we only roll the dice once each time?
Community AnswerYes, only once. -
QuestionHow many players do I need to play LCR?
Community AnswerMinimum of 3, no maximum. You can play with pennies or other coins if you don't have enough chips. -
QuestionHow do I get the coins out of the center?Community AnswerThey stay in the center until the round is over. When someone wins, they win the coins/chips in the center. If you are playing for keeps, the person keeps the chips (coins, if you're playing for money). Then everyone antes 3 more, or re-distribute the coins evenly again.
References
- ↑ https://sites.temple.edu/alyssamartins/files/2016/12/Left-Center-Right1.pdf
- ↑ http://www.eastendclub.com/LCR_Rules.pdf
- ↑ https://golondrinas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bones-Games.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mpl.live/blog/left-center-right-card-game/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/ijpC21AD8nE?t=132
- ↑ http://www.eastendclub.com/LCR_Rules.pdf
- ↑ https://golondrinas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bones-Games.pdf
- ↑ https://golondrinas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bones-Games.pdf
- ↑ https://sites.temple.edu/alyssamartins/files/2016/12/Left-Center-Right1.pdf
About This Article
LCR, or Left-Center-Right, is a fun dice game where players try to be the last one in the game with any poker chips. You’ll need at least 3 players, and you can play with up to as many players as you’d like. You’ll also need 3 poker chips (or any small item) for each player and 3 six-sided dice. Choose one player to go first. On a player’s turn, they roll as many dice as they have poker chips. For example, if a player has 3 poker chips, they roll 3 dice. If a player has 0 poker chips, they roll 0 dice and skip their turn. After rolling, the player checks the number on each die to determine what they do next. For each 4 they rolled, the player must pass 1 poker chip to the player on their left. For each 5, the player must put 1 poker chip in the center of the playing area. For each 6, the player must pass 1 poker chip to the player on their right. If a 1, 2, or 3 is rolled, nothing happens for that die. After a player rolls and passes their chips according to the dice, the player to their left goes next. Play continues clockwise until only one player has any poker chips left. Whoever is the last player standing with poker chips wins the game!
