Twenty One

Twenty one is a dice jeopardy approach game. This game is absurdly easy to play but it’s a good game to explain what jeopardy approach games are.  In a jeopardy approach games, the object is most closely approach a goal score without exceeding it.  This game is also known as Blackjack in the USA, Pontoon in the UK, and Vingt-et-un in France.

What you Need to Play

• 1 die
• 2 or more players

How to Play the Game Each player takes their turn by rolling the single dice as many times as they like counting up the total of the dice and tring to get as close to 21 as possible with out going over.  If they go 21 over they bust and lose the round.  The person that gets closest to 21, without going over, wins.  If there is a tie a special round between the two players is played.

Example Game Play Player 1 rolls the dice with the series 1,2,4,3,2,5,2 = 19 and stays with 19. Player 2 rolls the dice with the series 5,2,2,3,4,3,5 = 24 and busts. Player 1 wins.

Variations Instead of playing to 21 you can play to 36 or any other number you like. When gambling each player puts one token in to the pot, and one token in a reserve. If the player busts he puts in his reserve token.  The winner takes all. When playing up to ten its called Spot, Dicey, Roll-Ten and Birdie.  It is also known in Italy as Talus, in Turkey as Zarf and in France it is called Passe-Dix.