Most modern gambling games are played with cards, but many years ago Chinese immigrants played an interesting game that used three six-sided dice and a bowl. It goes by many names besides Chinchirorin, including Cee-lo, Four-Five-Six, Dice, and more. Despite its history, this game is still played today, and even gained a bit of popularity when it was included in Genso Suikoden; a video game series that was first released for the PlayStation console in 1995.

When you play, you only need three dice, a bowl, and at least one other player besides yourself, though more is recommended. This is a gambling game and there are different variations, but the main two are described below. The first is where all the players bet against the bank, and the second is a ‘winner takes all’ game.

Chinchirorin with a banker

One person is the banker and everyone else makes equal dollar bets against the bank. The declared banker player must make an initial bet known as central bet. Once it has been placed, the other players can fade away or cover a portion of their bet. Each player, starting to the left of the bank, may fade a portion of the bank until the players cover the entire bank or until all players have had a chance to place their bet. Once the bets are made, the dice are rolled. If the banker automatically wins (if the banker rolls 4-5-6), then the banker gets all bets, if the banker automatically loses the roll (rolls 1-2-3), then the banker loses all bets. . However, if the banker neither loses nor wins on the first roll of the dice, then the banker must keep rolling until he gets a win, a loss, or a fixed point.

A fixed point is where there is a pair of dice and then an extra one (like 3-3-6). The single die will become the bankers point and then all other players can roll. Starting from the left of the dealer, each player will roll until they automatically get a win, a loss, a triple, or any point. If they score one point more than the bankers, they win their bet, and vice versa if they score one point lower. If they get the same point as the banker, then it is a tie and there is no winner or loser. This continues until all players have rolled and then the game restarts.

Chinchirorin without a banker

This is where all players are equal and no one is the banker. At the start of each round, players will agree on a bet, put that money in a stack, and then start rolling the dice. Whoever has the best roll wins; this includes auto wins and the high point. Once the winner is determined, they get all the winnings and then a new round begins.