Instructions

Bluff & Burn: Game Instructions

Objective

The goal of Bluff & Burn is to roll the highest-ranking poker hand using five dice. Outwit your opponents by rolling a superior hand or master the art of the bluff to be the last player standing!

Components

  • 5 Poker Dice (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine)
  • Wooden Box (for shaking/rolling)
  • Hand Rankings (shown on the inside of the wooden box lid)

Setup

  • All players sit around the game area within reach, with the wooden box and dice.
  • Decide who goes first. You can roll one die each (highest roll begins) or choose randomly.

Gameplay

Starting a Round

The first player takes the wooden box and dice. You have up to three rolls (only to start a new round) to achieve the best possible poker hand.

  • After your first, second, or third roll (whichever you choose), you must call your hand aloud. It's up to you if this is a true hand or a bluff!
  • Once you've called your hand, pass the box to the player on your left.

Continuing a Round

When you receive the wooden box:

  • Option 1: Challenge the Previous Player's Hand
    • Before you do anything else, you can choose to challenge the previous player's declared hand. To challenge, simply say, "I call Bluff!"
    • If you challenge, the player who called the hand must reveal their actual dice.
      • If the revealed hand is true (matches what they called), you, the challenger, receive one strike.
      • If the revealed hand is a bluff (does not match what they called), the bluffer receives one strike.
    • After a challenge, the dice are reset, and the player who received the strike starts a new round (see above, Starting a Round).
  • Option 2: Accept the Previous Hand and Take Your Turn
    • If you do not challenge, open the lid and examine the dice.
    • Decide which dice you want to keep (those that form part of a good hand) and which you want to re-roll.
    • Place the dice you are keeping in the dice trough. Close the lid and roll the remaining dice.
    • Open the lid, examine the dice, and call your hand (again, true or bluff – it's your call!).
    • Then, pass the box to the player on your left.

Elimination

If a player accumulates 3 strikes, they are eliminated from the game. Play continues among the remaining players until there is only one person left standing. That person is the winner and earns the bragging rights as the Bluff & Burn Champion!

Hand Rankings (from Highest to Lowest)

  • Five of a Kind: All five dice show the same face (e.g., A-A-A-A-A). Highest ranking hand.
  • Four of a Kind: Four dice show the same face (e.g., K-K-K-K-9).
  • Full House: Three of one face and two of another (e.g., Q-Q-Q-10-10).
  • Straight (High): A-K-Q-J-10 (sequence of consecutive faces).
  • Straight (Low): K-Q-J-10-9 (sequence of consecutive faces).
  • Three of a Kind: Three dice show the same face (e.g., J-J-J-A-9).
  • Two Pair: Two sets of matching faces (e.g., 10-10-9-9-K).
  • One Pair: Two dice show the same face (e.g., K-K-A-Q-J).
  • Runt/Bust: No matching faces or straights. Lowest ranking hand.