Skunk Dice Game: Rules, Odds and When to Sit Down

Skunk is a push-your-luck dice game that a whole class or party can play at once. One person rolls two dice, and everyone who is still standing collects the total. You can sit down at any time to keep your points, but if a 1 comes up while you are standing, you lose everything you collected in that round. It is a well-known maths lesson game, because every roll asks the same question: stay or stop?

What You Need

• Two six-sided dice, or our Dice Roller set to two dice on a classroom screen.
• A score sheet for each player with five columns headed S, K, U, N and K.
• Any number of players. A whole class works well.

Who Rolls

In a classroom the teacher usually rolls for everyone. In a group of friends, pick a roller at random with the Random Name Picker or let everyone roll one die with the Dice Roller; the highest roll starts. Some groups pass the job of roller on each round.

How to Play

1. Everyone stands up at the start of each round.
2. Roll two dice. Each player who is still standing writes the total in the column for this round. The totals add up as the rolls go on.
3. Stay or sit. Before each new roll, any player can sit down to keep the points they have in this round. Once you sit, you are out until the next round.
4. A single 1 ends the round. Everyone still standing loses all their points for this round. Players who sat down keep theirs.
5. Double 1s are worse. Everyone still standing loses the points of this round and every point they collected in earlier rounds too.
6. Five rounds. Play one round each for S, K, U, N and K. After the last K, add up the columns. The highest total wins.

The Chance of a 1 on Each Roll

With two dice there are 36 equally likely results. A 1 shows on at least one die in 11 of them, so about 31% of rolls (a little less than one in three) end the round. Double 1s come up in just 1 of the 36, or about 3% of rolls. A roll with no 1s is worth 8 points on average, because each die then shows 2 to 6.

The next table shows how fast the risk adds up. “Rolls” is how many rolls you have stood through, “Still standing” is the chance that none of them had a 1, and “Points (average)” is what a standing player has collected by then. These numbers come straight from the 11-in-36 chance above.

Only about one round in three lasts three rolls, and only about one in ten lasts six. For more on how chances like these work, see our dice probability guide.

When Should You Sit Down?

We simulated 200,000 games for each strategy where a player sits down as soon as their round score reaches a target. “Sit down at” is that target, “Game score (avg)” is the average total after five rounds, and “Games ending on 0” is how often the player finished with nothing. These are simulated estimates for one player alone, without trying to beat anyone.

A quick rule of thumb gives the same answer: one more roll wins about 8 points 69% of the time, about 5.6 points on average, and risks losing your round points 31% of the time. Once your round points pass about 18, the risk is bigger than the gain.

• Sit somewhere between 15 and 20 points if you just want a good score. In our simulation that gave the best average, about 36 points per game.
• Sitting early is safe but small. Sitting at 5 almost never ends on zero, but the average drops to about 27.
• Standing long is exciting but costly. Waiting for 40 points gives a zero score in more than half of the games.
• Play the scoreboard. In the last round, if you are far behind, you have to stand longer and hope. If you are well ahead, sit down early.
• Remember double 1s. With a big total from earlier rounds, a double 1 costs you more, so sit a little sooner late in the game.

Skunk in the Classroom

Skunk is a natural maths lesson. Before you play, ask the class to guess the best time to sit. After a few games, let them count how many rolls had a 1 and compare it to 11 out of 36. Older pupils can list all 36 results of two dice in a grid and colour the ones with a 1. For more games like this, see our classroom games.

Variations

• One die: roll one die and lose the round on a 1. Rounds last longer (the chance of a 1 is only 1 in 6).
• Turn-by-turn Skunk: each player rolls on their own turn instead of one roll for everyone. This is very close to the game of Pig, which uses one die.
• Longer word: use a longer word for more rounds, for example the name of your class or school.
• Silent sitting: players decide on paper before each roll, so nobody copies anyone else.

You will find more ideas in our list of easy dice games.

Where the Game Comes From

Skunk is widely used in school maths, and it is often traced to a 1990s maths teaching article about choice and chance. Many teacher guides and books have printed versions since, so rules differ a little from class to class. Agree on the double-1 rule before you start.

For a group game where everyone shares one growing pot and a 7 wipes it out, try the Bank dice game.

FAQ

How do you play Skunk with dice?

Everyone stands. Two dice are rolled and everyone standing adds the total to their round score. You can sit down to keep your points. A single 1 wipes out the round points of everyone standing, and double 1s also wipe out their earlier rounds. Play five rounds for S-K-U-N-K; the highest total wins.

What are the odds of rolling a 1 in Skunk?

With two dice, at least one 1 comes up in 11 of 36 results, about 31% of rolls. Double 1s come up in 1 of 36, about 3%.

When should you sit down in Skunk?

In our simulation, sitting when your round score reaches 15 to 20 gave the best average score. Change that if you are far ahead or far behind near the end.

Why is the game called Skunk?

The five rounds are named after the letters of the word SKUNK. Any five-letter word works the same way.

Can you play Skunk online?

Yes. Put our free Dice Roller on a screen set to two dice, and have players keep score on paper.