How to Play Liar’s Dice: Rules and Fun Variations

Liar’s Dice is a fun mix of strategy and luck, where your skills in deception and reading others come in handy. You might be familiar with it as ‘Pirate’s Dice’ from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Here, we provide the full rules for both the traditional version and the entertaining Poker variation.

In the traditional version, each player has their set of dice, and scoring follows the original rules. In Poker Liar’s Dice, a single set circulates among players, and the game is played with poker hand rules.

Note: Partygamespedia is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

How to Play Liar’s Dice

Before commencing the game, determine the starting player by having all participants roll two dice each. The player with the highest roll initiates the game.

Subsequently, the game proceeds in a clockwise direction, following the typical pattern of most games.

Gameplay

All players simultaneously roll their dice while keeping them covered with their cups. Each player privately checks their rolled numbers.

If the dice happen to land on top of each other, all dice must be rerolled. Therefore, it is essential to use cups large enough to accommodate the rolls.

The first player then makes a bid, providing an estimate of how many times a specific number has been rolled across all players. For instance, the initial bid could be “seven 5’s.”

The next player has three options:

1. Make a higher bid:
   • Increase the quantity of any number, such as “eight 3’s” or “nine 6’s,” etc.
   • Maintain the same quantity but select a higher number. In this scenario, “seven 6’s” is the sole option.
2. Challenge the preceding bid if they suspect it is a bluff.
3. Call the bid if they believe it accurately represents the quantity of that number.

• If they make a higher bid, the turn goes to the next player. They have the same three options to choose from.
• If they challenge the bid, all players reveal their dice and sum up the amount of that number. This can lead to two outcomes:
  1. The bid was indeed false: the player who made this bid loses one die.
  2. The number of rolls is equal to or higher than the bid: the challenging player loses one die.
• If they call the bid, all players reveal their dice. If the bid is exactly correct, the challenging player retrieves a lost die. If not, they lose a die.

One round continues until one player challenges or calls a bid. The loser of that round loses a die and begins the next round. When a player has lost all their dice, they are out of the game. This continues until there is just one player remaining.

The game ends when one player has eliminated all the other players.

Liars Dice Rules

• Gather the eliminated dice in a bag or cup to conceal the count from other players. It is essential for all participants to monitor the remaining dice throughout the gameplay.
• The allocation of dice per player is capped at five. Consequently, calling a bid becomes futile when a player still holds five dice.
• Upon losing their final die, the player to the left of the eliminated participant commences the next turn.

Drinking Rules

Transform Liar’s Dice into a drinking game with the addition of the following rules:

1. The player who loses a die must take a sip for each roll of that bid.
2. Upon losing all their dice, a player is required to chug their drink.
3. The winner has the authority to select one player to chug their drink.

Liar’s Poker Dice

In this alternative version of Liar’s Dice, a single set of dice is placed on the table and circulates among players. Here, participants anticipate poker combinations instead of predicting the total number of dice faces.

Similar to the original version, the game unfolds over multiple rounds until only one player remains.

To start the game, each player rolls one die to establish the starting player, with the one obtaining the highest number taking the lead.

Gameplay

• The player who starts rolls the five dice and privately examines the results. Subsequently, they declare a poker hand according to the following poker rules, ordered from highest to lowest:
  • Five of a kind
  • Four of a kind
  • Full house (three of a kind + a pair)
  • High straight (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
  • Low straight (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
  • Three of a kind
  • Two pair
  • One Pair
  • Highest single number

Refer to the image below for an overview of the various hands and their sequence. It can be helpful to take a screenshot or print the image, ensuring that everyone can easily access the order during gameplay. This can significantly enhance the smoothness of your gaming experience.

The subsequent player is presented with two options:

1. Embrace the hand: If they opt to embrace the hand, the dice transfer to that player.

Upon examining the dice, they have the flexibility to reroll any number of dice and declare a hand superior to the previous one. The turn then shifts to the next player, who must decide whether to accept or challenge the new hand.

For example, if the previous roll was three of a kind and the player chooses to reroll four dice, they must bid a low straight or higher.

2. Challenge the hand: If the player decides to challenge the hand, all dice are unveiled.

• If the hand falls short of the bid, the bidding player forfeits a token or coin to the pot.

• If the hand matches or exceeds the bid, the challenger loses a coin or token.

Similar to Traditional Liar’s Dice, a round persists until a player challenges a bid, and all dice are exposed.

Upon depleting all their tokens, the player faces elimination from the game. The ultimate winner is the last player remaining.

Optional Variations:

• Players have the opportunity to reroll their die up to three times before declaring their hand. Following each roll, they can set aside dice and proceed to roll the remaining ones.

Liar’s Poker Dice Drinking Rules

To turn Liar’s Poker Dice into an entertaining drinking game, incorporate the following rules:

1. Whenever a player loses a coin, they must take a specific number of sips, determined by the bid’s hand. The higher the bid, the more sips—considering there are nine different hands, the highest, like five of a kind, could require nine sips!
2. If a player loses all their counters, they’re required to finish their drink.

Always remember that the essence of a drinking game is to enjoy and create memorable interactions with friends or family. Ensure that everyone is comfortable with the rules and the drinking levels. Understand your limits and keep an eye out for one another, promoting a healthy and responsible atmosphere for everyone involved. Cheers!

Wrap Up

The Liar’s Dice game featured in Pirates of the Caribbean is not just fictional; it’s a real and enjoyable game. With both variations of Liar’s Dice rules, you and your friends can have loads of fun for hours! Feel free to switch between the versions and share which one you prefer.

If you’re seeking a similar dice game, consider trying sevens, elevens, and doubles, or the popular game ship, captain, and crew.

Many dice games can be played as both a drinking game or a regular game, offering numerous options to choose from.

If you opt for a drinking version, remember to consume with moderation. Know your limits and look out for one another. Avoid pressuring others into drinking and resist any pressure directed at you. The primary objective is to have fun.