moose craps
From MelloMooseMedia… For some reason
This article is about the dice game. For poop, see moose crap (turd).
Moose Craps is a game that my friend Jimi taught me how to play. Well, actually, he taught me how to play “Racing Horses”, but then I “put [my] moose shit all over it.” Anyway, whatever you call it (please call it Moose Craps), it’s a fun, family-friendly (as long as your family likes to gamble) game that’s easy to learn.
What you need to play
- Game Board
- Deck of Cards
- Two Six-Sided Dice
- Eleven Numbered Tokens (2 thru 12)
- a Small Cup
- Money (optional)
Game set up
Make yourself a game board (see figure 1), or, better yet, buy an Official MelloMoose Moose Craps Game Poster from MelloMooseMerchandise.
figure 1
Number your tokens 2 through 12. Your tokens can be just about anything small enough to fit in the squares on the game board. Bottle caps work, or maybe pennies — I’ve always used army men with numbers painted on their backs (I used one of those white-out pens to write on them). I keep hoping to find little, plastic, toy moose, but until then — army men.
After they’re all numbered, place the tokens on their corresponding squares on the game board starting line.
Now, take your deck of cards and pull out all of the Aces and Kings — you won’t need them. Each card corresponds to a token’s number — a Jack is an eleven and a Queen is a twelve.
How to play
Pick a Dealer. It doesn’t matter how you decide — use the dice — whatever. Then throw your ante into the cup — typically a dime — and have the Dealer deal everyone four cards (feel free to adjust the number depending on how many Players you have).
The cards represent the tokens on the game board, so the cards in your hand represent the tokens you’ll get paid on if one of them is the winner. It’s no big deal if the other Players see your cards — flip them up in front of you if you want.
Here’s the basics: Players take turns rolling the dice. Whatever number comes up, move the corresponding token one square forward on the board. The token that reaches the end of its trail first is the winner and the Player or Players with the matching cards in their hands collect the money.
Action!
The first four numbers rolled are the money numbers — the numbers you gotta pay on every time you roll them during the game. These tokens don’t get to race. The first number will cost you a nickel, the second a dime, the third is fifteen cents, and the last number will cost you twenty.
Here’s a “for example”:
Player two rolls two sixes for a twelve. The number twelve token gets moved back to the ten-cent row. Now every time a twelve is rolled, it costs the roller a dime.
Player three — he rolls another nine. Since the number nine has already been established as the five-cent money number, he pays his nickel and passes the dice.
Actual racing starts when all four money numbers have been established. If you have any cards in your hand that match the money numbers, then toss them — they’re worthless.
Winning!!!
So again, when a token reaches the end of its trail, it’s a winner. Divide up the money among the Players who have the winning token’s cards. The more matching cards you have, the bigger percentage of the pot you win. If you have the only matching card(s) in play, you win the whole pot. If nobody can claim the prize, then everyone antes up again and the money carries over to the next game.
That’s all there is to it. If you have any questions or need to clarify any of the rules, just ask me. Have fun!
Disclaimer
Okay, to appease the MelloMoose legal team, I’m making the following disclaimer:
MelloMooseMedia™ makes no claims of having created this game or of owning the rights to it (also known as the Racing Horse game). The Moose Craps Game Poster was created to enhance the game but is not required to play. Please feel free to copy the layout and make your own game board.
Also, even though it usually makes things more fun and interesting, MelloMooseMedia™ does not officially condone gambling (but I bet it makes your racing more exciting!).
