Jan 1990                        zilch                        Page 1








		zilch				


	SUMMARY
	Zilch is a simple dice game of luck and greed.
	It is widely played with remarkably few variations.

	EQUIPMENT
	6 6-sided dice
	Blank paper and writing implement for keeping score

	SCORING
	Dice rolls are scored as follows:

		ROLL		EXAMPLES	SCORE in points

		6 of a kind	444444		100	
		Straight	123456 		 30
		3 pair		113344  222266	 10

		3 of a kind	   111		 10
				   666		  6
				   555		  5
				   444		  4
				   333		  3
				   222		  2
		4 of a kind			TWICE 3 of a kind
		5 of a kind		 	TWICE 4 of a kind

		1				  1
		5				  0.5

		None of the above		ZILCH

	WINNING
	The game is over when any player COMPLETES a turn with
	MORE than 100 points.  At that point each OTHER player
	has one final turn.  The highest final score wins the game.

	It is customary to boldly circle the score of the first
	player to quit with more than 100 points (the initial winner).
	This serves as a visible target for the other players.
	Any subsequent winning scores are circled even more boldly.



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	STEPS FOR EACH TURN
		Roll the dice
		Score the roll
		Decide whether to quit or roll the dice again
		Finally quit and accept a score
		Give dice to the player on your left

	THE TURN IN DETAIL
	A turn starts with a roll of 6 dice.
	
	The roll is scored according to the chart above.  Dice contained
	in a scoring combination may be set aside and scored.

	Having set aside 1 or more scoring dice, the player then
	chooses whether to go for more.  To go for more, just pick
	up the unscored dice and roll.  A player may keep rolling
	as long as there is no zilch.

	Whenever all 6 dice are scored during the turn ("a turnover")
	the player is entitled to pick up all 6 dice and roll again.
	Rolling again is called "Greater Glory".
	A turnover while in Greater Glory is called Greater Greater Glory.
	There is even Greater Greater Greater Glory, etc.

	To quit, leave the dice on the rolling surface and
	announce the score for the turn.

	Each die can be counted in only 1 scoring combination.
	If possible, at least one combination MUST be scored on each roll.
	When more than 1 combination is rolled, the player may freely
	choose to set aside and score whichever seem best and roll the rest.
	Actual points scored result only from combinations set aside.
	Dice set aside from a previous roll may not be used to form
	combinations with dice in the current roll.

	A zilch roll immediately ends the TURN with a score of zero.
	That is, you lose everything you've scored during the turn (not the
	whole game).

	The player is allowed to quit instead of rolling 6 dice.
	
	Some combinations can be scored in more than 1 way.
	The player may score the dice as desired, even if the result
	is less than the maximum possible.  For example, 226666 could score
	as 12 points for 4 6's, but usually would be scored as 10 points
	for 3 pair in order to get the turnover.
	Or a player might accept a smaller evaluation in order to approach
	100 without going over.
	


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	ROLLING TO DETERMINE WHO GOES FIRST
	Before the start of the first game in a session, each player
	takes a turn.  During this turn, the player keeps on rolling
	until a zilch occurs.  The player with the highest score before
	zilching goes first.  Players to the left of the first player
	go next in succession.

	There is no procedure for deciding who goes first to determine
	who goes first.  You just do it.  Besides, going first seems
	not to provide any clear advantage.

	To save time at the start of subsequent games in a session,
	the winner of the just completed game goes first.

	BREAKING THE ICE
	A player's first score in a game must be at least 5 points.

	PROBABILITY
	The chances of zilching immediately are:
		6 dice		 2.3 %
		5 dice		 4.6
		4 dice		15.8
		3 dice		27.8
		2 dice		44.4
		1 die		66.7
	If you keep going until you zilch or turnover:
		3 dice		turnover  24.5%		zilch  75.5%
		2 dice		turnover  25.9%		zilch  74.1%
		1 dice		turnover  33.3%		zilch  66.7%

	STRATEGY
	Most games last 10 to 20 turns.  Therefore 7 to 10 points
	is often a good score, and 4 to 7 points is possibly
	acceptable.  Players with large leads typically are not
	as greedy as players who are far behind.

	Often players discard extra 1's or 5's or even low scoring
	3's of a kind in order to roll as many dice as possible.
	For example, a high scoring 3 of a kind is more likely
	with 5 dice than 3 dice.  The chances of zilching with
	a lot of points (after turnovers) is greatly reduced
	when rolling at least 4 dice.

	It's usually better to roll 1 die or 3 dice instead of 2.
	3 dice have fewer immediate zilches than 2 dice,
	whereas 1 die offers a much better chance at Greater Glory.

	Most players are willing to risk losing up to 5 points when
	rolling 1 or 2 dice because of the great expectations
	of scoring while in Greater Glory.

	At the end of the game, it is unwise to quit with more
	than 100 but less than a 10 point lead.  If you're over,
	once you quit, that's it.  When you zilch while trying


Jan 1990                        zilch                        Page 4


	for a more secure margin of victory, you get one or more
	chances on subsequent turns to do even better.

	In a close game, quitting with 98 to 100 points
	forces opponents to try to win with at least 110.

	Some successful players ignore strategy and the odds,
	relying on luck and intuition.
		


Jan 1990                        zilch                        Page 5




	MAKING UP FOR LOST TURNS
	It is customary to allow players to join the game late,
	as long as the game is not too close to completion.
	This is called "rabbiting".  Whenever it is a late player's
	turn, that player takes turns until caught up with previous
	players in number of turns.  Similarly, if a player is unable
	to return to the room when it is time to take one or more
	turns, that player is entitled to catch up on turns.  Catching
	up takes place only when it is that player's turn.

	The above arrangements could lead to a situation in which
	the catching-up player goes over 100 BEFORE the final turn
	of catch up.  In that case, the Time Warp is invoked.
	For each score by the OTHER players during the catch up
	rounds, those players are entitled to resume their rolling
	in order of occurrence and with the number of dice they
	had available at the time they accepted the scores.

	This would call for remembering or writing down the number of
	dice associated with those scores, which is rarely done.
	Other complications could arise from multiple instances
	of undoing.  Fortunately, the Time Warp has never been invoked.

	PLAYING CONDITIONS
	The game is best played on a hard table to assure brisk
	random rolls.  The dice should be of standard size (6/10"
	on a side), uniform color, and in excellent condition.

	ABSOLUTE INTEGRITY OF ROLLS
	All rolls must be complete.  Dice release must be fairly
	simultaneous and well-controlled.  The dice must land
	flat on the rolling surface (with nothing between).

	The only exception: if dice land on score paper that
	is flat on the table and of virtually no thickness,
	the roll is not disqualified.

	Active interference with the dice is not allowed.
	Passive interference is allowed, as long as position
	was clearly established before the dice got close.

	Players are expected to observe each roll carefully and
	politely call attention to invalid rolls.  Upon determination
	by the players that a roll is invalid, the roll (NOT the
	whole turn) must be done again.



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	HISTORY
	Origin unknown.  Possibly a navy or bar game.

	Scoring in most versions is 100 times the numbers used here.
	Our earlier version of zilch only allowed 3 of a kind
	to score, so that 5 4's would score 4 points and still
	leave a pair of non-scoring 4's.

	Numerous scoresheets of our noteworthy games have been kept
	since 1982.  Noteworthy events are summarized in Zilch Records.

	Our version now includes special scoring notation for
	noteworthy zilches.  The zero for a 5-die zilch is drawn
	as a stylized White Mousehole.  6-die zilches are scored
	with Black Mouseholes.  If a Mousehole is incurred in some
	level of Greater Glory, then each turnover is noted with
	a dark bar beneath the Mousehole.  The dark bars are called
	Chevrons.  Truly spectacular, heart-rending instances of
	Chevrons are decorated with Fangs, which in extreme cases
	are dripping.

	It is believed that Mouseholes and Chevrons began in an attempt
	to console the victim.  Many now consider them to be ominous
	markers of unexpected disaster.  Let the greedy beware!
			
	White Mousehole

	Black Mousehole

	Black Mousehole with Chevrons


	White Mousehole with Chevrons and dripping Fang


Jan 1990                        zilch                        Page 7

	SAMPLE GAME OF ZILCH, between players Alf Alfa and Bee Beta

	NOTE: X in scores = 1/2 point

	To determine who goes first:
	Alf
	rolls 111335   sets aside 111      scores 10    total for turn 10
	rolls 123      sets aside 1        scores  1    total for turn 11
	rolls 11       sets aside 11       scores  2    total for turn 13
	rolls 115556   sets aside 11555    scores  7    total for turn 20
	rolls 3        sets aside          scores  0    total for turn 20
	Bee
	rolls 112235   sets aside 1        scores  1    total for turn  1
	rolls 35566    sets aside 5        scores   X   total for turn  1X
	rolls 1456     sets aside 1        scores  1    total for turn  2X
	rolls 122      sets aside 1        scores  1    total for turn  3X
	rolls 36       sets aside          scores  0    total for turn  3X
	Alf goes first.

	Alf  rolls  124456  25556 				6  points
	Bee  rolls  124456  23356  3346   			0  points
					Alf  6   Bee  0
	Alf  rolls  134446					5  points
	Bee  rolls  223355  124566  23366			0  points
					Alf 11   Bee  0
	Alf  rolls  244556  11566  3345  255  2			0  points
	Bee  rolls  233356  146  15
	     	    234456  12356  2225
		    123456  111346			       49X points
					Alf 11   Bee 49X
	Alf  rolls  222256  6				      	0  points
	Bee  rolls  233455  33344  15
		    122234  13566  2456      			7X points
					Alf 11   Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  124566  22466				0  points
	Bee  rolls  122234  13456  2466				0  points
					Alf 11   Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  123446  22335  2346				0  points
	Bee  rolls  122466  24455  2245  455  3			0  points
					Alf 11   Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  134456  13445  3556  113			4X points
	Bee  rolls  124556  12455  3566  334			0  points
					Alf 15X  Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  112345  12346  2446				0  points
	Bee  rolls  223466					0  points
					Alf 15X  Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  122336  23456  1245  135  			4  points
	Bee  rolls  111155
		    244466				       25  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 82
	Alf  rolls  234556  24445  6				0  points
	Bee  rolls  123346  12444				6  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 88
	Alf  rolls  122455  22455  1446  126  14  5
		    223345  11244  2346				0  points
	Bee  rolls  335566
		    112444				       16  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 104
	Alf's last chance:
	Alf  rolls  122366  12336  1245  226			0  points
					Bee wins!

				0  points
					Alf 15X  Bee 57
	Alf  rolls  122336  23456  1245  135  			4  points
	Bee  rolls  111155
		    244466				       25  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 82
	Alf  rolls  234556  24445  6				0  points
	Bee  rolls  123346  12444				6  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 88
	Alf  rolls  122455  22455  1446  126  14  5
		    223345  11244  2346				0  points
	Bee  rolls  335566
		    112444				       16  points
					Alf 19X  Bee 104
	Alf's last chance:
	Alf  rolls  122366  12336  1245  226			0  points
					Bee wins!