Mooncake Dice Game
The Mooncake Dice Game is a traditional game played during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The rules of the game are straightforward. Each participant takes turns rolling a set of six, 6-sided dice into a bowl. The result of the roll determines the player's prize. The prizes are limited in number and game continues until all the prizes have been redeemed. A final round of winner-take-all rolls may also be initiated when the game is taking too long to finish.
There are also these specialized rules that are applied in some games:
- Player loses the turn if any of their dice lands outside the bowl.
- Players can steal the grand prize from the current winner by rolling a better set.
- Rolling one of the utlimate sets will award all prizes to the player. In some games, the ultimate set will also steal prizes that have already been redeemed.
In instances where there is a large number of participants, playoff rounds may be introduced to determine the ultimate winners. Only the top performers or winners from each round advance. This may be repeated until only a handful of players remain to participate in the final stage.
Mooncake Dice Roll Ranking
Use the following table to determine the ranke/prize of dice rolls.
| Rank | Prize | Dice Roll | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ultimate/Grand Prize | All 4s | Optional: Take all prizes |
| 2 | All 1s | ||
| 3 | Grand Prize | Six of a kind | |
| 4 | Five 4s | ||
| 5 | Five of a kind | ||
| 6 | Four 4s | ||
| 7 | 2nd Place | Straight / One of each | |
| 8 | Two sets of Three of a kind | Three 4s are not considered under this rank | |
| 9 | 3rd Place | Four of a kind | Four 4s are not considered under this rank |
| 10 | 4th Place | Three 4s | |
| 11 | 5th Place | A pair of 4s | |
| 12 | 6th Place | One 4 | |
| The following rolls are used primarily for ranking purposes | |||
| 13 | None | Three pairs | e.g. Two 5s, Two 3s and Two 1s |
| 15 | Three of a kind | ||
| 14 | Two pairs | ||
| 16 | A pair | ||
Rolls are evaluated according to the highest possible rank. For example, five 3s and a 4 will be rank 5 (five of a kind) not 12 (one 4).
Secondary Ranking
When steals are in effect, all the Ultimate/Grand Prize rolls are further ranked based on the value of the primary match and the sum of the outlier dice. Ranking is arranged by:
- Value of Three of a kind
- Values of pairs
- Sum of other dice
Below are sample Four 4s, arranged by secondary ranking:
- Four 4s and a pair of 3s
- Four 4s and a pair of 2s
- Four 4s, a 5 and a 3
- Four 4s, a 3 and a 1
Secondary ranking is mostly used during the winner-take-all rounds, to ensure a winner. Below are sample Two 4s, arranged by secondary ranking:
- Two 4s, Two 3s and Two 2s
- Two 4s, three 1s and a 3s
- Two 4s, pair of 3s, a 2 and a 1
- Two 4s, a 6, a 5, a 3 and a 2