hist-games: Thanks for the games 'nother question.

[David Parish-Whittaker]

>I have a question about a dice game though. Hazard strikes me as a good fun 
>gambling game for the lads when waiting to go on the battlefield. I have a 
>question about the rules though. I understand the first to get 18,17,16,14 
>or 3,4,5,6 is the winner.

I think you may be referring to the 13th century Spanish game 'Azar' 
(hazzard).  By the 17th century, Hazard was played with two dice.  
Basically, roll the dice twice.  The first roll is the player's and the 
second the caster's.  Then keep rolling the dice, if the player's roll is 
made first, they win, if the caster's is made, he wins.  If the caster 
loses, pass the dice, if not he usually keeps them.

That's the basics.  To add the rest of the rules in-

The first roll must be between 5 and 9.  If not, nobody wins or looses, and 
the dice are passed.  Alternatively, the caster keeps rolling until he makes 
between 5 and 9.  This number, incidentally, is called the "Main", and will 
become the players' number to make as described above.

The second roll is complicated.  If the caster rolls a number equal to the 
Main, he wins.  If he rolls another number between 4 and 10, this number 
becomes his number to make as described above (this is called the "Chance"). 
  If he rolls a 2 or 3 he loses.  If he rolls an 11 or 12, the caster may 
win or lose, depending on what the Main is.  If the Main is a 5 or 9, he 
loses.  If the Main is a 6 or 8 he wins on a 12 and loses on an 11.  If the 
Main is a 7, he wins on an 11 and loses on a 12.

Clear as mud?

Anyway, assumed that both a Main and a Chance are set, from the third roll 
on, keep rolling the dice.  If the Main is matched, the players win, if the 
Chance is matched the caster wins.

There's also usually side bets-  if you're familiar with "proposition bets" 
in modern craps, it's the same idea.  The difference is that the players 
have to negotiate a deal.  Typical bets would be even money that an eight 
would show before a seven.  I remember reading once that a gamester could 
set himself up for good if only he could consistantly get marks (called 
"coneys") to agree on even money on an eight versus a seven.


I play drummer for our ECW group, and I always make a point of bringing dice 
along for those long waits in formation.  The drum head makes a nice gaming 
table