1 Overview
Ship Captain Crew (also called Ship of Fools, 6-5-4, or Captain-Cook) is a classic pub dice game played with 5 standard dice and a betting pool. Each player tries to roll a 6 (the Ship), a 5 (the Captain), and a 4 (the Crew) in sequence across up to 3 rolls, then scores the sum of the remaining 2 dice as "cargo." Highest cargo wins the pot. Simple, fast, and perfect for groups.
2 Setup
- 5 standard six-sided dice
- A pot or kitty — each player antes one chip/coin/dollar
- Choose who goes first (highest single die roll, or youngest player)
3 Gameplay
On your turn you get up to 3 rolls. After each roll, you must set aside qualifying dice in order:
- First, you need a 6 (Ship) — once you have it, set it aside.
- Then you need a 5 (Captain) — set aside.
- Then you need a 4 (Crew) — set aside.
- Once you have 6-5-4, the remaining 2 dice are your Cargo. Roll them to maximize their sum.
You cannot claim a 5 before you have a 6, or a 4 before you have a 5. But you can collect multiple qualifying dice in the same roll — if your first roll is 6-5-4-3-2, you immediately set aside 6, 5, and 4 and roll the remaining 2 dice for cargo on your next roll.
You may re-roll cargo dice (the last 2 dice) even after collecting 6-5-4, as long as you haven't used all 3 rolls. Most players re-roll cargo hoping for higher numbers.
4 Scoring
Your score is the sum of your two cargo dice (maximum 12, minimum 2). If you fail to collect all of 6, 5, and 4 within 3 rolls, your score is 0 for that round — you cannot win.
| Cargo Sum | Notes |
|---|---|
| 12 | Perfect score — both cargo dice show 6 |
| 11 | Very strong — usually wins |
| 2–10 | Competitive range — depends on other players |
| 0 | Didn't get 6-5-4 — you cannot win this round |
In case of a tie (multiple players with the same cargo sum), tied players re-roll their two cargo dice and the new sum breaks the tie. The winner takes the pot.
5 Variants
Drinking Game Version
Loser of each round drinks instead of (or in addition to) losing chips. Common at pubs — lowest cargo drinks, or the player who fails to collect 6-5-4 drinks double.
Rounds Version
Play a set number of rounds (often 3 or 5). Track scores. Player with the highest cumulative cargo total wins. Everyone antes again each round.
Six-Player Tournament
Two preliminary rounds reduce to the two highest scorers, who face off in a final. Winner takes all. Good for larger groups.
Wild Captain
A roll of 1 can be used as any missing required die (6, 5, or 4), acting as a wild. Makes the game slightly easier and faster.