Here are the directions for Greedy. I changed the point system so 500
points is the winning total rather than 5000 that some people play.
Greedy- Use 6 Dice - unlimited number of players.
Roll the six dice. You must be able to set aside at least some "scoring
" points each time.
Ex: - If on your first roll you get 1, 3, 1, 5, 6 and 4, set aside
the two Ones and roll the other 4 dice. ( You could also set aside the
5, but that is only 5 points and you'll have a better chance of scoring
more if you roll 4 dice.) Then if you roll 2, 4, 2, 2 you'd get 20
points for 3 Two's. Now you have 40 points. You must roll again
because you don't have 65 points. You have one die left. You must roll
either a 1 or a 5. If you don't, your turn is over and you get NO
points. If you get a 1, that is 10 points more and you have a total of
60 points. Because you used all of your dice without "going bust" you
get to roll all of the dice again and add more points to your score.
Stop any time after you have 65 points and record that score. Pass to
the next player. Don't be GREEDY because if you ever roll and are
unable to take away any scoring points you'll lose all the points
accumulated that turn.
The game you are talking about is also known as Pig. A friend introduced it to me and you can find it and other great games in a book called "Math by All Means: Probability, grades 3-4", by Marilyn Burns. The rules are as follows:
You Need: One pair of dice
1. The goal of the game is to be the first to get a score of 100 or more.
2. Draw 2 columns on a sheet of paper. Label one with your name and one with your partner's name.
3. Players take turns. When it is your turn, roll the dice as many times as you like, keeping a running total of what you roll. Don't write down the sums, but add them mentally and say them aloud so your partner can check.
4. When you decide to stop rolling, record the total for that round in your column. Then add it to your total sum from the previous rounds.
5. If a 1 comes up on one of the dice, your turn ends, and you score zero for that turn. If both dice show 1s, your turn ends and your total score so far goes to zero.
This is a great way to discuss strategy and probability and it also emphasizes mental math. My third graders love it! You can use it for all learners--allow kids to use a dry erase board for their adding if they struggle at first.