Twenty One

This is a simple dice version of the card game (known as Blackjack in the USA, Pontoon in the UK, and Vingt-et-un in France), played with a single die.

Play:

Players in turn aim to score 21, or as near as possible to it, by throwing the dice as many times as desired and adding up the numbers thrown. A player who totals over 21 is bust and is out of the game. The player whose total is nearest 21, after each player has had a turn, wins the game. In the case of an equally high total, a play-off is made.

Variations:

Two dice are sometimes used to speed up play, one of them being discarded once a player totals 14 or more.

A version in which the target total is 36, not 21, is also played.

When gambling, each player puts one unit into the pot at the start of the game. Any player who busts, puts an additional unit into the pot. The winner takes the pot or, in the case of an equally high total, a play-off may be made or the players divide the pot equally among themselves.