Cincinnati
Cincinnati Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 dice cups, 30 dice, 20 chips
- 18 table cards: 6 × Table A, 6 × Table B, 6 × Table C
- 36 playing cards: 6 × 15,000; 5 × 20,000; 5 × 25,000; 4 × 30,000; 4 × 35,000 (money cards); 6 × Duel; 6 × Chip
- 3 tables
- 6 dice mats
Setup
The three tables (A, B, C) are placed face up in the middle of the play area. Each player receives one dice cup, 5 dice and one dice mat, plus 3 chips, which they place in front of them.
Remember: each chip stands for one extra roll that a player may take during the game, and each chip is worth 5,000 at the end of the game. The remaining chips are placed as a supply.
Each player receives 3 table cards, one each marked A, B and C. The 36 playing cards are shuffled and placed as a face-down stack.
Surplus dice and dice cups, as well as table cards and dice mats, are not needed and are returned to the box.
Note: during the game, dice results are achieved that you may know from poker or other dice games. If you are not familiar with names such as Full House or Large Straight, read the descriptions at the end of the rules carefully. The rules first explain the procedure for 4–6 players; the appendix then covers 3 players.
Game Flow (4–6 Players)
Each round consists of 4 phases, carried out one after another:
- Phase: Reveal three playing cards and distribute them to the three tables
- Phase: Dice round
- Phase: Clearing the tables
- Phase: Playing the duels
Twelve rounds are played, that is, until all 36 cards have been distributed to the tables.
1. Phase
Any player takes the top three playing cards from the stack and places them face up on the three tables: the first card on Table A, the second on Table B, the third on Table C.
Note: during the game some tables are cleared and others are not. If cards from a previous round are still on a table, the new card is simply added to them. Several cards can therefore accumulate on one table.
Example: Julia reveals three cards. She places the first (25,000) on Table A, the second (2 chips) on Table B, and the third (15,000) on Table C.
Caution: if a Duel card is revealed in the very first round, it is shuffled back into the stack. Instead, another card is revealed and placed on the relevant table.
2. Phase
Every player takes their 5 dice and makes their first attempt, all players at the same time: dice into the cup – shake – clack – look under the cup.
Caution: do not yet lift the cup or reveal your roll!
Now each player secretly decides at which table they want to play. To do this they choose one of their three table cards and place it face down in front of them. Once everyone has placed a table card, the cards are revealed simultaneously and it becomes clear who plays at which table.
Example: Julia has placed the table card marked A, so she plays (alone) at Table A. Kathrin, Falk and Patrick have placed table card B and play at Table B. Susi has placed table card C and plays (alone) at Table C.
All players now lift their dice cups so that everyone can see the different rolls.
Next, all players make their second attempt at the same time, and then, again simultaneously, their third attempt (see also "Special Rules for Rolling").
Very important: before every roll (this applies throughout the whole game!) a player is completely free to decide whether to roll again with all 5 dice or to "keep" any number of dice. A player may also keep all 5 dice and skip an attempt. Skipping an attempt must be announced loudly and clearly before the other players roll.
If a player (after every player has made their 3 attempts) is not satisfied with their result, they may make an extra roll by giving up one chip. Every player may make several extra rolls – each one costs a chip (see "Special Rules for Rolling"); the chips used go back into the supply.
Example: after her third attempt, Julia at Table A has two 6s, two 4s and a 2. She gives up one chip and makes an extra roll. She keeps the 6s and the 4s and returns the 2 to the dice cup. She rolls a 4 and thus has a Full House.
3. Phase
Once all players have finished rolling (that is, 3 attempts plus any extra rolls), the tables are cleared, first Table A, then B, then C.
- A player who has chosen Table A may clear it only if their roll contains at least a three of a kind. Note: a Four of a Kind, a Five of a Kind and a Full House also contain a three of a kind – so they also meet the condition. If several players who chose Table A have met the condition, the player with the best roll (according to the ranking of dice results!) clears the table: Five of a Kind, Four of a Kind, Full House, Three of a Kind.
- A player who has chosen Table B may clear it only if they can show either a small straight or a large straight. If several players have managed this, the player with the better straight (according to the ranking of dice results!) clears the table: Large Straight (2–6), Large Straight (1–5), Small Straight (3–6), etc.
- A player who has chosen Table C may clear it only if their dice total is at most 11 (that is, 11 or less!). If several players have managed this, the player with the lower total clears the table (see also "Special Rules for Rolling").
Whoever clears a table receives all the cards there (chips, duel, money) and takes them.
- All cards with money amounts are placed face up next to each other in front of the player.
- If chips are shown on a card, the player immediately receives 2 chips from the supply. Afterwards the card is removed from the game. If there are no chips left in the supply, the player is out of luck.
- If a player receives a Duel card, they carry out a duel with it in Phase 4. After the duel the card is removed from the game.
Important: if a table is not cleared, all cards remain there.
Two examples of clearing the tables:
[Diagram omitted: positions of Patrick, Susi, Falk, Julia and Kathrin around the tables.]
All players have made their third roll. Patrick and Falk have chosen Table A. Both have met the condition (Three of a Kind). Since Patrick's Four of a Kind is better (by ranking) than Falk's Three of a Kind, Patrick clears Table A. Julia and Kathrin have chosen Table B. Since Kathrin's small straight (3–6) is better than Julia's small straight (1–4), Kathrin clears Table B. Susi plays at Table C. Since she shows a total of 12, she has not met the condition (max. 11). Table C is not cleared.
[Diagram omitted: positions of Patrick, Susi, Falk, Julia and Kathrin around the tables.]
Falk and Julia have chosen Table B. Julia has met the condition (straight), Falk has not. Julia clears Table B. Patrick, Susi and Kathrin have chosen Table C. All have met the condition (max. 11). Patrick has a total of 11, Susi has 8 and Kathrin has 9. Susi has the lowest total and clears Table C. Nobody has chosen Table A, so nothing is cleared there.
Phase 4
Each player who has a Duel card in front of them must now carry out a duel against an opponent of their choice. If several players hold Duel cards, the player who has the most money carries out their duel first (in case of a tie, the player with the higher roll in the round just played). That player chooses an opponent and carries out the duel. Then the player with the second most money carries out their duel, and so on.
If a player has several Duel cards, they carry out a new duel with each card in turn. Before each new duel the player is completely free to choose which opponent to challenge.
After the duel the Duel card is removed from the game.
Procedure of a duel: The player with the Duel card loudly and clearly announces which opponent of their choice they challenge. The owner of the Duel card must begin and makes their first attempt: 5 dice into the cup – shake – clack – cup up. Then the opponent makes their first attempt (5 dice), then the Duel card owner makes their second attempt, and so on, alternating until each has made 3 attempts. If a player skips a roll, that roll cannot be made up later.
Note: even in a duel, after the third attempt, chips for extra rolls may be used alternately!
The player who, after their 3 attempts (plus any extra rolls), has the better result according to the ranking wins the duel. Note: if both players have exactly the same result (that is, all 5 dice show exactly the same numbers), the player with the Duel card loses.
- If the owner of the Duel card wins the duel, they must take from their defeated opponent that opponent's highest money card (exactly one) and place it face up in front of them.
- If the challenged player wins the duel, nothing happens – the player has successfully defended their holdings, so to speak!
After a round is complete (that is, after Phase 4), the only cards in front of the players are money cards. A new round is then played in the same way as already described.
End of the Game
The game ends after a total of 12 rounds, that is, when all 36 cards have been revealed and distributed to the tables. The player with the most money is the winner. If several players have the same highest amount of money, the one who has more 35,000 cards wins. If that is still tied, the 30,000 cards decide, and so on.
For 3 Players
Only Tables A and C are needed, and they are laid out face up. Each player receives only one A table card and one C table card. Of the 36 face-down cards, 12 are randomly removed and placed face down aside. In each round only 2 cards are taken from the stack and placed face up on the two tables. The rest of the procedure remains as described.
Special Rules for Rolling
If several players at one of the tables have met that table's condition equally well with the best result, these players carry out a duel. The player with more money begins the duel. The winner of the duel clears the table.
If several players at Table B have achieved the same small straight, the higher fifth die decides, for example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 is better than 1, 2, 3, 4, 2.
If several players at Table C have the same lowest total, the one with more 1s is better. If the number of 1s is also equal, the higher number of 2s decides, and so on, for example: 1, 1, 1, 3, 4 is better than 1, 2, 2, 2, 3.
In Phase 2 the rolls are always made simultaneously. If several players are at the same table and cannot agree on who puts their dice back into the cup first, the player among them with the most money must do so first, and the others follow in turn (if money is equal, first the player with the higher current roll).
Extra roll: once all players have made their 3 attempts, every player is asked whether they want to make an extra roll. The player with the most money is asked first (in case of a tie, the player among them with the highest current roll according to the ranking of dice results), then the others in turn. A player who wants an extra roll puts one chip into the supply. After everyone has been asked, the players who placed a chip make their extra roll simultaneously. Then all players are asked again whether they want an extra roll, and the procedure is repeated as described above. This continues until all players decline a further extra roll – at which point Phase 2 ends immediately.
If a player finds dice stacked on top of one another under their dice cup, they show the "little tower" to the other players and roll those dice once more.
Ranking of Dice Results
- Five of a Kind (Fünfling): Five dice with the same number. Five 6s are better than five 5s, and so on.
- Four of a Kind (Vierling): Four dice with the same number. Four 6s are better than four 5s, and so on. If the Four of a Kind is equal, the higher remaining number decides.
- Large Straight (Große Straße): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Where 2–6 is better than 1–5.
- Full House: Three of a kind and a pair. The higher three of a kind decides. If the three of a kind is equal, the higher pair decides.
- Three of a Kind (Drilling): Three dice with the same number. Three 6s are better than three 5s, and so on. If the three of a kind is equal, the highest number of the two remaining dice decides.
- Small Straight (Kleine Straße): 1, 2, 3, 4 or 2, 3, 4, 5, or 3, 4, 5, 6. Where it applies that 3–6 is better than 2–5, which is better than 1–4. If the straight is equal, the higher remaining die decides.
- Two Pairs (Doppelzwilling): Two pairs. The higher pair decides, for example: 6, 6, 3, 3, 1 is better than 6, 6, 1, 1, 5, which in turn is better than 5, 5, 4, 4, 3. If two identical two-pair results meet, the higher remaining number decides.
- Pair (Zwilling): Two dice with the same number. Two 6s are better than two 5s, and so on. If the pair is equal, the highest remaining number decides; if that is also equal, the next highest, for example: 6, 6, 5, 4, 1 is better than 6, 6, 5, 3, 2.