Each player starts with 3 chips. On your turn, roll the LCR dice — one die per chip you hold (max 3). L passes a chip left, C puts a chip in the center pot, R passes a chip right. A dot means keep the chip. Last player with chips wins the pot.

What do the LCR dice symbols mean?

L = pass one chip to the left. R = pass one chip to the right. C = put one chip in the center pot. A dot (●) = keep the chip, nothing happens.

Can you win LCR with zero chips?

No — you're eliminated if you have no chips. But if chips come back your way from other players' rolls, you re-enter the game.

How many dice do you roll in LCR?

You roll as many dice as you have chips, up to a maximum of 3. If you have 1 or 2 chips, you only roll that many dice.

What happens when only one player has chips?

That player wins and takes all the chips in the center pot — even chips that were passed to the center during the game.

Is LCR a game of pure luck?

Yes, completely. There are no decisions to make — just roll and follow instructions. That's what makes it popular at family gatherings and fundraisers.

Left Center Right (LCR) Rules, How to Play LCR Dice Game

The wildly simple party dice game. Pass chips left, right, or into the pot, last player with chips wins everything.

1 What Is Left Center Right?

Left Center Right (LCR) is a dice game for 3 or more players (best with 4–8) requiring only the three special LCR dice and chips or tokens. Players roll dice and pass chips to the left, right, or into a center pot. The last player holding any chips wins the entire pot. A full round takes 5–15 minutes.

LCR was created by George Rebelo and published by George & Company LLC in 1992. It has sold millions of copies and remains one of the most popular social dice games in the US, beloved for requiring zero strategy, just chips and chaos.

2 Setup

Give each player 3 chips (coins, poker chips, or any tokens work).
Sit in a circle. Determine who goes first (youngest, or any method).
Play proceeds clockwise.
No board needed, just the three dice and tokens.

3 How to Play LCR

On your turn, count your chips. Roll one die per chip you have, up to a maximum of 3 dice.
If you have 0 chips, you skip your turn (but stay in the game, you may receive chips from others).
For each die result, follow the instruction immediately:
- L → pass one chip to the player on your left
- R → pass one chip to the player on your right
- C → place one chip in the center pot
- ● (dot) → keep the chip, do nothing
Pass dice clockwise. Next player takes their turn.

4 LCR Dice Symbols Explained

Symbol	Action	Notes
L	Pass 1 chip to your left	The player directly left of you
R	Pass 1 chip to your right	The player directly right of you
C	Put 1 chip in the center pot	Chips in the pot are out of play until game ends
● (dot)	Keep the chip	No action required

Standard LCR dice have: L, L, C, C, R, R, dot, dot, dot, wait, the standard split is: one face each for L, R, C and three faces for dots. So 3/6 = 50% chance of keeping a chip on any single die.

5 Winning LCR

The game ends when only one player has chips remaining. That player wins and collects all chips in the center pot plus any they were holding.

Note: A player with 0 chips is not eliminated, they still take their turn (rolling no dice) and can receive chips passed to them by adjacent players. The game can swing dramatically in the final rounds.

6 LCR Tips (Yes, There Are a Couple)

LCR is essentially pure luck, the dice decide everything. But a few meta-tips:

Sit next to players who tend to roll poorly. Neighbors pass chips, and getting chips from active players keeps you in the game longer.
Don't count yourself out at zero chips. Players come back constantly in LCR, the game swings a lot at the end.
Speed matters more than anything. Keep the pace up, LCR is best when it moves fast and doesn't let players overthink the zero strategy involved.

7 LCR Variants

LCR Wild: Adds wild cards that let you steal from the pot or skip players. More chaotic version.
LCR Dice with Money: Play with dollar bills instead of chips, the winner takes the cash. Popular at adult parties.
Themed LCR: Hasbro and others sell holiday/team edition versions with themed dice and tokens.
Big Pot LCR: Each player starts with 5 chips instead of 3, longer game with larger pot.

8 Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play LCR?: Each player starts with 3 chips. On your turn, roll the LCR dice, one die per chip you hold (max 3). L passes a chip left, C puts a chip in the center pot, R passes a chip right. A dot means keep the chip. Last player with chips wins the pot.
What do the LCR dice symbols mean?: L = pass one chip to the left. R = pass one chip to the right. C = put one chip in the center pot. A dot (●) = keep the chip, nothing happens.
Can you win LCR with zero chips?: No, you're eliminated if you have no chips. But if chips come back your way from other players' rolls, you re-enter the game.
How many dice do you roll in LCR?: You roll as many dice as you have chips, up to a maximum of 3. If you have 1 or 2 chips, you only roll that many dice.
What happens when only one player has chips?: That player wins and takes all the chips in the center pot, even chips that were passed to the center during the game.
Is LCR a game of pure luck?: Yes, completely. There are no decisions to make, just roll and follow instructions. That's what makes it popular at family gatherings and fundraisers.

Left Center Right (LCR)