3 Dice Football: The casino game that failed to touchdown in Vegas!
In the greater scheme of gambling-things, there are far more games that didn’t make it in Vegas than those that did. We’ve been talking about some of these and other classics that you won’t find in any casino these days. Hazard, for instance, was essentially the oldest ancestor of Craps, dating back to the 13th century.
Today’s by-gone game of interest is a bit different. This one isn’t all that old. It did make it to the gaming floors of Las Vegas, but somehow – despite the ever-present love for American football rules throughout the US and Canada – it just didn’t last. I’m talking about a game that quickly came to be known as Football Dice.
3 Dice Football Kicks Off, But Fails to Touchdown
Three Dice Football was an official game of multi-patented creator Jamie Abrahamson, whose life interest, in his own words, is to “create ways for people to lose their money”. He spent 5 years developing this game, obtaining a patent in 2008, securing a field trial at O’Sheas Casino on the Vegas Strip in 2011, and eventually packing it up on 2013.
As the name implies, the craps-hybrid saw shooters tossing three dice – two green and one red – in hopes of achieving a touchdown. The table layout was perfectly suited to the game, mimicking a football field, but with only 20 yards on each side of center field. Players could bet on Touchdown or Defense (akin to craps’ Pass or Don’t Pass), or a host of prop bet bets in between.
How to Play 3-Dice Casino Football
When a shooter first takes the dice, the ball starts on the 20 yard line. The three dice are tossed. The sum of the two green dice, minus the number on the red dice, determines the yards traveled in each play.
Ex: 4 + 6 – 3 = 7 yards (gain 7 yards)
Players have 3 downs to move ahead at least 10 yards. Doing so begets a 1st Down, thereby granting three more attempts to reach the goal line. Advancing 20+ yards before rolling a penalty results in a touchdown.
A Penalty occurs if the sum of the green dice is less than the number on the red dice. The player will always lose 1 yard in case of a penalty
Ex: 2 + 2 – 6 = -2 yards (Penalty, lose 1 yard)
The player scores an Automatic Touchdown if any triples are rolled at any point during a shooter’s turn.
Ex: 4 + 4 + 4 = Touchdown!
Bets & Pay Table
| Bet | Description | Pays | House Edge |
| Touchdown | Multi-roll bet, play will result in touchdown before turnover | 1 to 1 | 3.62% |
| Defense (Turnover) | Multi-roll bet, play will result in turnover before touchdown | 4 to 5 | 6.74% |
| Trips Touchdown | Single-roll bet, player will roll any triples | 33 to 1 | 5.56% |
| Turnover | Single-roll bet, play will result in turnover | 66 to 1 | 6.94% |
| Penalty | Single-roll bet, play will result in penalty | 11 to 1 | 5.56% |
| Cover 3 | Single-roll bet, play will result in turnover, touchdown or penalty | 7 to 1 | 3.70% |
| No Gain | Single-roll bet, play will result in 0 yards gained | 5 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Big Play | Single-roll bet, play will result in 7+ yards or a trips touchdown | 4 to 1 | 5.09% |
| Over 4 Yards | Single-roll bet, play will result in 5+ yards (trips TD pays 7 to 1) | 1 to 1 (7 to 1) | 4.63% |
| Under 4 Yards | Single-roll bet, play will result in 3 or less yards, penalty or turnover | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
Gone from Vegas, but Playable at Home
This football-lovers gambling game may no longer be available in North American casinos, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still play at home with a few friends. It’s easy enough to set up a table. All you need is a yard-line diagram from the 20 to the goal line, and some type of token to denote placement of a football. Pen, paper and a coin, with a few color-coded betting chips, will do the trick. Or, get something sturdier and apply your own artistic skills to make it a bit cooler.
Despite the long odds, this is a super a fun game to play. Next time you invite your friends over for Sunday football, give this a try while waiting for kick-off. With or without bets on the table, it’s a great way to pass the time.
