Liar's Dice (大话骰) Set

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Liar’s dice (大话骰 - dai hua tou, ‘big talk dice’) is a traditional Chinese game played while drinking. It is so commonplace that almost any bar you visit in China or Hong Kong will have a set of dice cups behind the bar for patrons to borrow; in Shanghai it’s very common for patrons to play dice with the (generally young & attractive female) bartender while they offer their custom. There are also versions of this game in other cultures, and it was featured in one of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films, but my exposure to it has been solely from Chinese culture. Infinite variants of the rule set exist… I have done my best to codify the Hong Kong rules I learned, while adding a select few rule variants that make the game more fun, and a rule to mollify my compatriots who learned the Shanghai rules. Every village in China has their own set of rules, it would seem, and there are more established value structures surrounding enforcing multiple bids and the treatment of wilds, but for teaching the game and just having an enjoyable few hours with friends over some beers, I think the rule set I’ve attached hits the spot. I’ve also included a hash table of the numbers (for bidding) in Cantonese, Mandarin, and also hand gestures, which comes in surprisingly handy (no pun intended) in loud bars if you can master it. It should be stressed that while this is a game that is played while drinking, it is not a drinking game per se… in fact, my experience is that I drink less while I’m playing. As with all games, however, there are forfeits, and the traditional forfeit is for the loser of the round to take a drink from their glass, or in certain circumstances (usually after a bold and completely misplaced strategic move) to finish it (干杯 – gambei, ‘empty glass’). I have also played a version of this where the forfeit is to drink from a second, higher-octane bottle, while the players drink beer as they would normally. In certain places in China, this game is also played with the mixture of whiskey and cold green tea; in fact, this is how I learned to play. I do recommend trying this if given the opportunity, as the whiskey imparts a certain courage whilst the green tea prevents the subsequent hangover. There also is no cumulative score or designated end to the game… players cycle in and out at will by round, and one round tends to follow the next until the beer is all gone and the bar is closed.