Chuck-a-luck
A carnival dice game with a high house edge.
Chuck-a-luck, sometimes called birdcage or sweat rag, is a game of chance that uses three dice. It comes from grand hazard, and both are versions of sic bo, a casino game, but chuck-a-luck is more common at carnivals than in casinos. It is occasionally used for charity fundraisers.
In the game, three standard six-sided dice are kept inside a wire-frame cage shaped like an hourglass that pivots in the middle. The dealer spins the cage end over end, and the dice settle at the bottom. Players place bets on possible combinations of the three dice. There are usually fewer betting options than in sic bo, making chuck-a-luck simpler. In the most basic version, bettors put their stakes on a board with six numbered spaces (1 through 6). If the number they bet on appears once, they get paid 1:1; if it appears twice, they get 2:1; and if it appears three times, they get 3:1. This basic setup is the same as Crown and Anchor, but with numbers instead of symbols.
The house edge in chuck-a-luck is higher than in most casino games, and it can be much higher for some bets. John Scarne noted that regular gamblers avoid it because they know how little chance they have against such a high house edge, calling it "the champ chump's game." For a single-number bet, there are 216 possible outcomes when rolling three dice. For a specific number: 75 outcomes have exactly one die matching, 15 have two dice matching, one has all three matching, and 125 have none matching. With standard payouts of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 for these outcomes, the expected loss is 7.9% of the stake. A payout of 10:1 for three matches is not standard in chuck-a-luck; if such a payout were offered, the house edge would be different, but the typical carnival or casino version uses the 3:1 payout for triple matches.
Variants include Crown and Anchor, the Vietnamese game Bau cua ca cop, and the Chinese dice game Hoo Hey How, all of which use symbols instead of pips. A version of the Big Six wheel is sometimes associated with chuck-a-luck, but the standard Big Six wheel uses symbols like dollar amounts or a joker, not dice combinations.
In popular culture, chuck-a-luck appears in the Abbott and Costello film *Hold That Ghost*. In Fritz Lang's 1952 film *Rancho Notorious*, it is the name of a ranch run by Altar Keane, and the game is mentioned in the theme song and plot.
- Also known as
- Birdcage, sweat rag
- Type
- Game of chance
- Equipment
- Three standard six-sided dice in a wire-frame birdcage device
- Derived from
- Grand hazard
- Related to
- Sic bo, Crown and Anchor
- House edge (single die bet, common payou
- 7.9%
- House edge (single die bet, 1:1, 2:1, 10
- Not a standard payout; typical house edge for 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 is 7.9%
Lore & Background
Chuck-a-luck is played with three standard six-sided dice kept in a device shaped like an hourglass that resembles a wire-frame bird cage and pivots about its centre. The dealer rotates the cage end over end, with the dice landing on the bottom. Wagers are placed based on possible combinations that can appear on the three dice. The possible wagers are usually fewer than those in sic bo, making chuck-a-luck a simpler game. In the simplest variant, bettors place stakes on a board with six numbered spaces labelled 1 through 6. They receive a 1:1 payout if the number bet on appears once, a 2:1 payout if it appears twice, and a 3:1 payout if it appears all three times. This basic game is identical to Crown and Anchor, but with numbers instead of symbols. The Big Six wheel is sometimes mentioned in connection with chuck-a-luck, but the standard Big Six wheel uses symbols like dollar amounts or a joker, not dice combinations.
Reader's Guide
Chuck-a-luck is a game of chance where, on average, players are expected to lose more than they win. The casino's advantage is greater than most other casino games and can be much greater for certain wagers. According to John Scarne, habitual gamblers stay away from chuck-a-luck because they know how little chance they have against such a high house edge; he called it 'the champ chump's game.' For the single die bet, there are 216 possible outcomes for a throw of three dice. For a specific number, there are 75 outcomes where only one die matches, 15 where two dice match, one where all three match, and 125 where no die matches. At common payouts of 1 to 1, 2 to 1, and 3 to 1, the expected loss is 7.9% of the stake. At payouts of 1 to 1, 2 to 1, and 10 to 1, the expected loss is 4.6%. A payout system of 1 to 1, 3 to 1, and 5 to 1 yields a 0% expected loss, which would be used for a home game where players take turns being banker. The game appears in popular culture, including the Abbott and Costello film Hold That Ghost, Fritz Lang's 1952 film Rancho Notorious, the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, and the television series Mad Men.
Did You Know?
- Chuck-a-luck is also known as birdcage or sweat rag.
- The game is sometimes used as a fundraiser for charity.
- John Scarne called chuck-a-luck 'the champ chump's game.'
- A version of the Big Six wheel is loosely based on chuck-a-luck, with selected combinations of three dice appearing in 54 slots on a spinning wheel.
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