Left Right Center (LCR) Rules: How to Play and Who Wins
Left Right Center, often just called LCR, is a party dice game with no decisions at all. You roll, you pass chips left, right or into the middle, and the last player with chips takes the pot. Because anyone can play it, from small children to grandparents, it is a favourite at family gatherings, holiday parties and office events. Here are the rules, how to play with normal dice, and what our simulations say about who really wins.
What You Need
- Three dice. The boxed game uses special dice marked L, C and R, but normal dice work fine.
- Three chips, coins or tokens for each player.
- Three or more players. There is no real upper limit.
How to Play
- Everyone starts with three chips. Sit in a circle and pick a first player.
- Roll one die per chip. On your turn, roll as many dice as you have chips, up to three. With one chip you roll one die, with two chips two dice.
- Follow each die. Every die tells you what to do with one chip (see the table below).
- No chips? You are not out. Skip your turns, but stay in the circle. Your neighbours can still pass chips back to you, and then you roll again.
- Winning. When only one player has chips left, that player wins the game and takes everything in the center pot.
| Die face | What you do |
|---|---|
| L | Pass one chip to the player on your left |
| R | Pass one chip to the player on your right |
| C | Put one chip in the center pot |
| Dot | Keep the chip |
Playing With Normal Dice
No LCR dice? Use ordinary six-sided dice and agree on a mapping before you start. One common choice:
- 4 = L (pass left)
- 5 = C (center)
- 6 = R (pass right)
- 1, 2 or 3 = keep the chip
This gives the same odds as the real dice: half the time you keep the chip, and each of L, C and R comes up one time in six. You can also roll on our Dice Roller, which handles three dice at once.
Is LCR Really Pure Luck?
Yes, nobody makes a choice in LCR, so skill plays no part. Your seat does matter a little, though. We simulated two million games for each table size, and the last player in the first round wins slightly more often than the first:
| Players | Chance of winning: first seat / last seat |
|---|---|
| 3 | about 31% / 36% |
| 4 | about 24% / 26% |
| 5 | about 19% / 21% |
| 6 | about 16% / 17% |
| 8 | about 12% / 13% |
The reason is simple: the first players start losing chips before the others have rolled. The edge shrinks as the table gets bigger, and at a family party it is too small to notice. If you want to be fair, pick the starting player with a coin flip or let the winner of the last game go last.
How Long Does a Game Take?
Each player's chips drain slowly, since only half of all rolls move a chip. In our simulations the number of rolling turns grows almost exactly with the number of players:
| Players | Average rolling turns per game |
|---|---|
| 3 | about 18 |
| 4 | about 29 |
| 5 | about 40 |
| 6 | about 50 |
| 8 | about 70 |
| 10 | about 90 |
A turn takes a few seconds, so even a table of ten is usually done in well under half an hour.
Variants and House Rules
- Money rounds: many groups play for coins or small bills, and the winner keeps the center pot. Keep it small and friendly.
- Wild dots: some newer editions add a wild symbol that lets you take chips from other players. Agree on the rules before you start.
Where the Game Comes From
Left Right Center is sold in the United States by George & Company, and it became a staple of family and office parties. We could not find a reliable record of who first came up with it, so treat any exact origin story you read with care.
For another game where luck rules the whole table, try Bunco. If you prefer a game with a few decisions, try Pig or Yahtzee. More quick games are in our list of easy dice games.
FAQ
How do you play LCR?
Everyone starts with three chips. On your turn you roll one die per chip, up to three. L passes a chip left, R passes one right, C puts one in the center, and a dot lets you keep it. The last player with chips wins the pot.
Can you play LCR with regular dice?
Yes. A common mapping is 4 for L, 5 for C, 6 for R and 1 to 3 for a dot. This gives exactly the same odds as LCR dice.
Are you out when you have no chips in LCR?
No. You skip your turns but stay in the game. If a neighbour passes you a chip, you roll again on your next turn.
Is LCR a game of skill?
No, it is pure chance. Nobody makes any decisions. In our simulations the player who rolls last in the first round has a small edge, which shrinks with more players.
How many people can play Left Right Center?
Three or more. Larger groups make longer games: about 30 rolling turns with four players and about 90 with ten.