Zock 'n' Roll
Zock 'n' Roll Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Players, Age, Time
3 - 6 players. Age 8+. 30 - 45 minutes.
Material
- 23 dice (6 each in 3 different colors, plus 5 white dice)
- 6 dice cups without bottom
- 6 player boards
- 6 erasable pens
Game Goal
Players attempt to get the most points by getting the best "hand" of dice by combining their secret dice with the common (white) dice. Players can push their luck to try to get extra points in the final round, but risk earning no points if they're beaten by an opponent!
Game Overview
Zock 'n' Roll is pretty much "Texas Hold 'Em The Dice Game". Each turn begins with the "dealer" rolling three white dice ("the flop"), and all the players rolling their "hole cards", the dice of their color. There are three rounds per turn, with an additional die being added in the second round ("the turn"), and another in the third and final round ("the river").
Dropping out in the first or second round allows you to book points, but booking points in the third round only occurs if you have the best hand.
There is no betting; points are awarded for the hand that is accomplished. The more dice that are added means better hands, but don't push your luck too far! If you stay in to the final round, you'd better have the best hand, or else you get no points!
Game Summary / Quick Start
- Beginner: Give each player 2 dice of their color. Use the beginner side of the player mat. (Shorter list of hand combinations.)
- Advanced: Give each player 3 dice of their color. Use the advanced side of the player mat. (Longer list of hand combinations.)
The game takes place in three rounds:
- Round 1: Dealer rolls three white dice. Every player (including the dealer) rolls all the dice of their color into a dice cup to keep their roll secret. Starting from the left of the dealer, players declare if they're staying in or dropping out. Players that drop out reveal their dice, check off the hand they accomplished on their player board, as well as the "1. Runde ausgestiegen" (Dropped Out First Round). Those that stay in do not check off anything.
- Round 2: Dealer rolls another white die. Just as before, people stay in or drop out. If you drop out in Round 2 you do not get to check off "1. Runde ausgestiegen".
- Round 3: Now any remaining players reveal their hands. The highest hand gets to check off points; all others that stayed in get nothing. The highest hand also checks off "3. Runde gewonnen" (Winner of Third Round). In case multiple people have the same hand type (remembering that the value of the hand doesn't break ties), all players that tied get to check off the hand, however none gets to check off "3. Runde gewonnen".
Game Preparation
Each player gets 1 dice cup, 1 player board, and 1 erasable pen.
If playing the "beginner" version, use the side of the player board with the "Zock 'n' Roll" logo on top and give each player 2 dice of their color.
If playing the "advanced" version, players get 3 dice in their color, and use the other side of the player board, with more hand options.
The player who most recently interacted with Davebo will be the dealer, and gets the 5 white dice.
"Hands" in the Game
Points are awarded for accomplishing "hands". The numbers on the right side of the player board indicate the points gained by accomplishing that hand, the hands listed from "best" to "worst". For example, a "Full House" is a better combination than a "Three of a Kind" or "Two Pairs", etc. The numerical values of a combination are not decisive. That is, a "Three of a Kind" of 6, 6, 6 is equivalent to a "Three of a Kind" of 1, 1, 1.
The following dice combinations are possible in the "beginner" game:
- Kniffel (Yahtzee): 5 similar numbers
- Four of a kind: 4 similar numbers
- Large Straight: a sequence of 5 consecutive numbers
- Full House: 3 similar numbers and 2 similar numbers
- Three of a kind: 3 similar numbers
- Two pairs: 2 pairs of 2 similar numbers
- Pair: 2 similar numbers
Note: The display of dice combinations on the player board are just examples. That is, the combination "four of a kind" with 3, 3, 3, 3 is just as good a "four of a kind" as 5, 5, 5, 5. A "Large Straight" is possible with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and is just as good as the combination with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The same applies to the other dice combinations.
Special Case: Three Players in a Game
When playing with three, the imaginary player "Jörg" joins the game. One player takes the additional task of casting the dice for Jörg in a fourth dice cup, but without looking into the cup. Jörg is a real gambler and he will always stay in the game until the 3rd round of a turn, when his dice cup is lifted along with the rest. Jörg is considered a regular player and can therefore win a third round. However, he has no player board.
Translated Player Boards
Each row has six circles to check off; the multiplier at the right is the points per check.
Beginner side (best to worst):
| Row | Points per check |
|---|---|
| Winner of Third Round | x number of players |
| Yahtzee! | x12 |
| Four of a Kind | x9 |
| Large Straight | x6 |
| Full House | x5 |
| Three of a Kind | x4 |
| Two Pair | x3 |
| Pair | x2 |
| Dropped Out First Round | x1 |
Advanced side (best to worst):
| Row | Points per check |
|---|---|
| Winner of Third Round | x number of players |
| Royal Pairs | x12 |
| Yahtzee! | x9 |
| Large Full House | x6 |
| Highway | x6 |
| Double Trips | x6 |
| Four of a Kind | x5 |
| Large Straight | x5 |
| Three Pairs | x4 |
| Full House | x4 |
| Three of a Kind | x3 |
| Short Straight | x3 |
Game Play
The game is played in several turns. A turn consists of 3 rounds.
First Round
The beginning of the first round is the only time players roll their own dice (of their color). They are tossed into the dice cup through the top, so players' dice can be hidden from others. You may need to give the cup a little jiggle to get them rolled properly. These dice are your "hole cards".
The current dealer (it rotates between turns) throws three white dice into the center so all can see (these are "the flop"). Players now see what "hand" they can create by combining their hole cards with the flop.
In the First and Second Round players decide whether they're staying in, or dropping out. If you drop out in these rounds, you are guaranteeing points, but you may not get as much as if you risked and stayed in until the third. Since more dice are added in the second and third round you're more likely to accomplish a good hand which may be worth more, but there's risk involved.
Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise, players announce if they are staying in, or dropping out. The dealer will therefore announce last.
If you drop out (and only if you drop out), you lift up your dice cup, showing all players the result of your dice. You then cross out a circle in the row "1. Runde ausgestiegen" ("Dropped out first round") on your player board. Players who dropped out also check off a circle next to the best "hand" they currently have with the dice, which is created by combining their dice with the white dice in the center of the table.
If you stay in you do not check anything off your board. You're staying in the game, hoping to get greater points in following rounds. Note that by staying in you're foregoing the "1. Runde ausgestiegen" 1 point bonus.
Example: Suzie is dealer and rolls 3 white dice. She decides to drop out of the round and lifts up her dice cup. Her own dice combined with the white dice make Two Pairs (5, 5, 3, 3). She makes two crosses: one at "Out in 1st round" ("1. Runde ausgestiegen") and one at "Two Pairs" ("Zwei Paare"). Suzie will roll a die for rounds 2 and 3, but she is now out for this turn (she will not participate in rounds 2 and 3).
Second Round
Only the players who chose to stay in, and did not drop out, are in the second round. The current dealer starts the second round by rolling another white die in the middle of the table ("the turn"). (They roll the die even if they have already dropped out of the round.) Again, beginning with the starting player in clockwise order, remaining players (those that did not drop out in round one) need to decide if they are out this turn, or if they choose to push their luck. If you drop out in the second round, you may only check off one circle; the row "1. Runde ausgestiegen" cannot be used anymore in the second round. This is balanced, however, as players that drop out in the second round have 6 dice to choose from instead of five.
Example: Even though Suzie has dropped out in the first round, she rolls the next white die, as she is still the dealer. Kate and Davebo decide to remain in the game. Jacob chooses the safe points and drops out now. He can tick off the combination "Full House", as he combines his two red dice with three white dice from the middle of the table.
Third Round
At the beginning of the 3rd round, the dealer rolls the last white die. Now all remaining players must raise their dice cups. Only the player with the best hand (highest ranked on the player board) of 7 dice (2 own dice + 5 white dice in the middle of the table) can tick off "Winner of Third Round" and can tick off his own dice combination. All other players that remained in the game until the third round are not allowed to make any crosses on their player boards. They have pushed their luck, and lost!
Example: In the 3rd round Suzie rolls the last white die. Kate and Davebo now reveal their dice. The best combination for Kate is a Large Straight ("Große Straße"). The best combination for Davebo is a Full House. As a Large Straight is better than a Full House, Kate checks off "Große Straße" and also "3. Runde gewonnen". Although Davebo could have made a Full House 3s over 4s, this makes no difference, as in Zock 'n' Roll a Full House is a Full House; the value of the dice makes no difference.
What to do when there is a tie?
If several players have reached the same best hand, each of those players will cross out their combination respectively on their player board. However, none of these players check off "Winner of Third Round" ("3. Runde gewonnen"). Note that the value on the dice does not break ties! That is, if two players stayed in to the third round, and one had a full house, 3s over 1s, and the other had 2s over 6s, both players get to check off "Full House", and neither checks off "3. Runde gewonnen".
Example: In a later round, once again Kate and Davebo are the last players left in the third round. With the white dice the results rolled during the three rounds, and their own dice, Davebo and Kate both mark a "Four of a kind" on their player boards, but no one can cross off a "Winner of Third Round".
End of Turn
After the end of the Third Round, the turn is over. Deal passes to the left (the player to the left of the player currently with the white dice gets the white dice).
End of Game
The game ends when a player makes a sixth check in a row. The turn will be continued until the end of the 3rd round.
For each check mark in a row there are victory points at the right side of the player board. For example, 2 checks in the row "Large Straße" are counted like this: 2 x 6 = 12 victory points. For each check in the line "Winner of 3rd Round" ("3. Runde gewonnen") a player gets as many victory points as players participate in the game. For example, in a 6-player game it would be 6 points per check.
Whoever scored the most points is the winner of the game. In case of a tie, the winner is the player who crossed out the most in "Winner of 3rd Round". If there is still a tie, there will be several winners, however, each may claim victory when they tell the tale of the game to friends and loved ones.
Example: Kate has dropped out in the 1st round with "Two pairs" ("Zwei Paare") and makes her 6th check mark in the row "Out in First Round". This will make the current turn the last. The other three players continue to play the second and third round regularly, and then scores are tallied. In final scoring, Kate gets a total of 60 victory points.