Dice Rowing Race Game: Rules, Stroke Chart and Odds
Dice rowing is a regatta on paper for two to six crews. The course is 2,000 metres, drawn as 40 squares of 50 metres each, and every roll of two dice is one stroke of the oars. Most strokes are good ones, a few are powerful, and now and then a rower catches a crab and the boat stops dead. The first boat across the line wins. You need two dice and a pencil, and a race takes about fifteen minutes. Below are the rules, the stroke chart and the exact odds.
What you need
- Two six-sided dice, or a dice roller set to two dice.
- A course of 40 squares for each boat, drawn side by side as lanes, with a finish line after square 40.
- A counter for each crew, such as a paper boat or a coin.
- Two to six crews, one player each, and a random name picker to give out the lanes.
Who gets which lane?
Put every crew’s name into a random name picker and draw them one by one. The first name drawn takes lane 1, the second lane 2, and so on. Crews take their turns in lane order. Every lane is the same length and every stroke is rolled the same way, so the draw just sets the lanes fairly.
How to play
- All the boats start behind the first square of their lane.
- On your turn, roll both dice, add them up and look at the stroke chart below. Move your boat that many squares.
- Catching a crab: on a 2 the oar blade gets stuck in the water and the boat does not move this turn.
- Finishing: when a boat crosses square 40, the other crews still take their turns in that round. Every boat that crosses the line in the same round counts how far past square 40 it went, and the one that went furthest wins.
- Photo finish: if two boats went past the line by the same amount, toss a coin flip to decide.
Olympic rowing races are 2,000 metres long, and “catching a crab” is a real rowing term for a stroke that goes wrong when the oar gets caught in the water. The chart is a simple home version, not an official game, so agree on it before the start.
The stroke chart and the chance of each roll
In the table, “Roll” is the total of the two dice, “The stroke” is what happens and how far the boat moves, and “Chance” is the exact probability out of the 36 ways two dice can land.
| Roll | The stroke | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Catch a crab: the oar sticks and the boat does not move | 1 in 36 |
| 3 or 4 | Weak stroke: 1 square | 5 in 36 |
| 5 to 9 | Good stroke: 2 squares | 24 in 36 |
| 10 or 11 | Power stroke: 3 squares | 5 in 36 |
| 12 | Sprint: 4 squares | 1 in 36 |
Two strokes in three are good strokes, because the middle totals are the most common, as explained in our guide to dice probability. Weak strokes and power strokes are equally likely, 5 in 36 each, so they balance out. On average a boat moves exactly 2 squares, or 100 metres, per roll. A crab comes 1 time in 36, and about four crews in ten catch at least one crab during a race.
How long is a race?
A crew needs about 20 rolls on average to cover the 40 squares. The fastest possible race is 10 rolls, ten sprints in a row, which practically never happens. In the next table, “A crew finishes in” is the number of rolls one boat needs to cross the line, and “Chance” is how likely that is, rounded.
| A crew finishes in | Chance |
|---|---|
| 18 rolls or fewer | about 12% |
| 19 or 20 rolls | about 44% |
| 21 or 22 rolls | about 35% |
| 23 rolls or more | about 9% |
With two crews, both boats cross the line in the same round about 18% of the time, and a true photo finish, with both boats past the line by the same amount, happens in about 8% of two-crew races. Every crew has the same chance to win. These numbers are worked out exactly from the rules, not simulated.
Tips
- Let one player be the cox and call “Stroke! Stroke!” before each roll.
- Draw the lanes on a long strip of paper so the boats really race side by side.
- For a short race, row 1,000 metres, or 20 squares.
- Add a commentator who calls out the gaps in metres: each square is 50 metres.
Classroom ideas
- Measurement: pupils turn squares into metres. How far is 13 squares? How far to the finish?
- Averages: after a race, each crew divides 40 by the number of rolls they needed and compares it with 2.
- Probability: why is a crab as rare as a sprint? List the ways two dice can make 2 and the ways they can make 12.
- Data: record how many rolls each race takes and make a bar chart for the class.
Variations
- Final sprint: in the last 10 squares, every power stroke or sprint moves 1 extra square.
- Headwind: before the race, roll one die. On a 1, every weak stroke moves 0 squares instead of 1.
- Heats and final: with many players, race in heats of three and send the winners to a final.
- Double sculls: two players share a boat and take turns rolling.
If you like sports played with dice, try the dice cycling race or dice archery next.
From the river to the open sea: try the dice sailing race, where two to six boats race around two buoys and the dice decide the wind.
FAQ
How do you play a rowing race with dice?
Each roll of two dice is one stroke along a 40-square course: 2 is a crab and the boat stays put, 3 or 4 moves 1 square, 5 to 9 moves 2, 10 or 11 moves 3 and 12 moves 4. The first boat across the line wins.
How long does a race take?
About 20 rolls per crew. About 8 races in 10 take between 19 and 22 rolls.
What does catching a crab mean?
In real rowing it is a stroke that goes wrong when the oar gets caught in the water. In the dice game it is a roll of 2, and the boat does not move.
Does the lane matter?
No. Every lane is the same length and every crew finishes the round, so the lane only sets the turn order.
What if two boats finish together?
The boat that went further past square 40 wins. If they are level, toss a coin.
How many players can play?
Two to six crews. Bigger groups can race in heats and a final.