Sailors' games...

[Calico Jack]

Ahoy all.

Here at the Museum, we regularly show off some Sailors' games, knowing their history and how far back they go in the British Navy and merchant service, etc etc. Games such as quoits, Nine Men's Morris, and Hazard. With this Disney film showing off Liar's Dice, I expect it to have a sudden soar in popularity, as well as visitors telling _us_ about it, whenever we're talking about Hazard.

A quick search back through a number of text sources indicate that just about everybody seems to be quoting each other in that it is supposedly "centuries old" in the Royal Navy, but no one seems to supply dates or sources. Anyone know how old Liar's Dice [or its variants] actually _is_ in the Royal Navy? The Spanish Navy? Whomever? What's its actual history?

Yes, I know that gambling aboard ship even in the Great Age of Piracy often included dice gambling, but that may well have been Hazard [which is similar to Craps, but at _least_ as complicated in its rules]. What's the skinny on Liar's Dice?

[oderlesseye]

We just picked up the POTC2 version of the liars dice Game. Though

no history is included they provided a phone#. 877-374-3634

[The Doctor]

And exactly would one be finding that version, mate?

[Capt. Sterling]

Said to have been passed down by the ancient Incas, Liar's Dice is a game of bluffing and chance. Each player attempts to out-bid, out-bluff and out-last their opponent by issuing bids or challenges. Liar's Dice comes with four shakers and four sets of five dice. Beautifully packaged in a wooden dice-box, Liar's dice is suitable for display in a home or office.

Above info from yesteryeargames.com...

[Calico Jack]

Aha!

So, current theory on the origins of Liar Dice, according to a number of at least semi-reputable sources [that is to say, better trhan Milton Bradley or Wikipedia]: Sometime roughly around 1530, a dice game was brought to Spain by sailors from their "American Trade" [as it were]. This _may_ have originally be a Native American game, as it holds some similarity to Incan dice games, but this provenance is speculative. What is known is that it spread amongst the Spanish-speaking peoples [probably including sailors, as it was brought from North America] as the game "Perudo" - forms of this game also appeared thereafter ['though when is uncertain, the multinational nature of ships' crews until the end of the 1700s at the least, makes transfer from one culture to another by sailors reasonable] amongst French and English, in English known as "Bluff" or "Liar Dice." Perudo is what the Liar Dice game in PotCDMC was based closely upon. Note that a number of other bluffing dice games are _also_ called Liar Dice, but seem to have no direct relation to Perudo.

So it _seems_ that Disney and company may well have got it right. If Perudo or Liar Dice did originate in MesoAmerica and did get adopted by the Spaniards there, it likely made it to the Spanish Main amongst sailors, and thus would spread by the multinational nature of ships' crews.

[Mimi Foxmorton]

Mad Jack-

I found mine at Barnes & Noble bookstore $19.99

Over in 'pop' (or somewhere) Patrick Hand has a thread about the Pirate Dice game......

Another fine game is Front Porch Classic's "SHUT THE BOX" wich has an authentic nautical history as well. Also....a beautifully designed set!

A true display piece!

Bilge Munky's site has LOADS of answers...reference....reviews...on just about every game imaginable. Plus, it's a great site!

www.bilgemunky.com

(sorry I don't know how to do that click-on thing.....)

Have fun playing!

~Foxmorton

[Captain Bob]

www.bilgemunky.com   

(sorry I don't know how to do that click-on thing.....)

Have fun playing!

~Foxmorton

Watch closely.

[url=www.bilgemunky.com]bilgemunky[/url]

Et voilá: bilgemunky. And that's how you do a click-on thing.

Simple, yes?

~~Cap'n Bob

[Mimi Foxmorton]

Aye then Cap'n Bob....the whole concept escapes me.........

I be no good at putty-inny thingies either......

I jus' tapes me avatar t' me computer screen........

(But, thanks for carin'.......)

~Foxmorton

[CaptainJackRussell]

An rather old game we play over here is "Seven".

First, you need two 6-sided dice. If you want to have period ones, take a bullet for Brown-Bess and hammer all sides flat (corners will remain round, that's why dice mastly until today have that shape) and with something pointed-edged make the eyes.

Then, you need a chart. Paper, leather, wood, directly on the planks...doesn't matter.

Now, you draw a square. Writ "7" in it. Over this and under this, every side 4 more squares, nice looking, and crown it with a last square on every side, right in the middle (or, uglywise, somewhere else).

In the crowning ones, you write a "2" and a "12". Other numbers spread in the leftover squares.

Then you take coins. Set a limit of coins, depending on the numbers of the players. With five players, 10 coins are enough to fill an evening.

Now you start (choose the starter by rank, gun or whatever). Roll the two dice. Add the eyes. On that field you have to place a coin. Is there already one, you may take one. Never do this if you roll "7". If this happens, all players have to shout "SEVEN", and the player in turn has to place a coin in. Never!!! take something out of the "7", if you not:

-Roll a 2: In this case you may empty the "7".

-Roll a 12: In this case you may take all money on the plan.

Continue until all money has a new owner... or just two players are left, then the one with the most coins won. Your decision.

Enjoy!