The Game of Crown and Anchor (1850)

About this game

Crown and Anchor is a pure betting game involving 3 dice with symbols on them: Heart, Club, Diamond, Spade, Crown and Anchor. (The Flemmish version called "Anker en Zon" had a 'Sun' symbol instead of the 'Crown'.) The player places bets on a cloth or board with the same six symbols as featured on the dice. Payout corresponds to the number of dice showing one or more of the symbols the player bet on. Payout is 1:1 for a single, 2:1 on a double and 3:1 on a triple. Apparently, the odds are in favor of the banker by around 8%. Evolved into the casino game Chuck-A-Luck. This game is similar to the Chinese game Hoo Hey How.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 12.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 9 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.