Chicago Dice Game: Rules, Rounds and Odds

Chicago is a simple dice game played over 11 rounds with two dice. Each round has a target number, starting at 2 and ending at 12. On your turn you roll the two dice once, and if they add up to the target, you score that many points. After round 12, the player with the most points wins. It is quick to learn, good for practising addition, and one of the classic easy dice games for families and classrooms.

What you need

• Two standard six-sided dice, or the dice roller set to two dice.
• Two or more players.
• Paper and a pencil to write down the round and the scores.

How to play

1. Pick who starts. Everyone rolls the two dice and the highest total goes first. Roll again to break a tie. Play then passes to the left.
2. Round one, target 2. Each player rolls the two dice once. If the total is 2, they score 2 points. Any other total scores nothing.
3. Next rounds. The target goes up by one each round: 3, then 4, and so on up to 12. If your roll matches the round’s target, you score that number of points.
4. Keep score. Write down each player’s points after every round.
5. Win. After the round with target 12, add up the scores. The highest total wins. Tied players can roll off with one roll each, highest total wins.

Example

In the round with target 6, Mia rolls a 4 and a 2, which makes 6, so she scores 6 points. Leo rolls a 5 and a 3, which makes 8, so he scores nothing this round. In the next round, the target is 7.

Odds of hitting each target

Two dice make some totals more often than others, which is what makes Chicago interesting. In the table, “Target” is the round’s number, “Chance” is the chance of rolling that total with one roll of two fair dice, and “Avg pts” is the points a player scores in that round on average, which is the target multiplied by the chance.

The middle rounds matter most. A 7 comes up 1 time in 6, while a 2 or a 12 comes up only 1 time in 36. Add the averages together and a player scores about 7 points in a whole game on average. Scores are often low: there is about a 35% chance that a player scores nothing at all over the 11 rounds. These numbers are exact for fair dice and rounded in the table. To see why 7 is the most common total, read our guide to dice probability.

Tips

• Write the targets 2 to 12 down the side of the score sheet before you start, so nobody loses track of the round.
• Chicago is pure luck, so it is a fair game for players of different ages.
• Because scores are low, playing two or three games in a row and adding the totals gives a clearer winner.
• In a classroom, ask students to predict which rounds will give the most points, then compare with the table after a few games.

Variations

• Two rolls: each player may roll twice per round and keep the first roll that hits the target. Scores go up and games feel less empty.
• Three dice: use three dice and targets from 3 to 18, adding all three dice, for a 16-round game.
• Countdown: play the targets from 12 down to 2 instead.
• Lose a point: each miss costs one point, for a game where scores can go below zero.

Where the name Chicago comes from is not clear. If you like simple roll-and-score games, try Going to Boston, where you keep the highest die, or Pig, where you decide when to stop rolling.

FAQ

How do you play the Chicago dice game?

There are 11 rounds with targets from 2 to 12. Each round, every player rolls two dice once. If the total matches the target, they score that many points. The highest total after 11 rounds wins.

How many dice do you need for Chicago?

Two standard six-sided dice, or an online dice roller set to two dice.

What is the average score in Chicago?

About 7 points per game with fair dice and one roll per round.

Which round gives the most points in Chicago?

The round with target 7, with about 1.17 points on average, followed by target 8.

Is Chicago a game of skill?

No. Each player rolls once per round and the dice decide the score, so it is pure luck.