Ship Captain Crew

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:

1. First, you need a 6 (Ship) — once you have it, set it aside.
2. Then you need a 5 (Captain) — set aside.
3. Then you need a 4 (Crew) — set aside.
4. 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.

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.

6 FAQ

7 Strategy & Tips

When to Re-Roll Cargo

Once you have secured 6-5-4, you face the key decision: accept your current cargo total or roll again. Mathematically, you should re-roll two dice any time the expected improvement outweighs the risk. Since the expected value of two dice is 7, always re-roll if your cargo total is below 7. If your cargo is exactly 7, re-rolling is neutral. Re-roll aggressively on cargo totals of 2 through 6 — you are very likely to improve. Stand on 9 or better if you know a weak opponent already posted a low score.

Adjusting to the Field

In a larger group, you need a higher cargo score to win because more players means more chances someone will roll high. With 6 players, a cargo of 8 will rarely win; with 3 players, a cargo of 9 might be enough. Track what other players have scored before you re-roll your cargo — if everyone else failed to get 6-5-4 or posted very low scores, even a cargo of 7 may be enough to win, and re-rolling risks losing dice unnecessarily.

Prioritizing the Sequence

Your first priority is always collecting the 6-5-4 sequence. Never set aside a 4 or 5 before securing the 6; the game requires the sequence in strict order. If your first roll shows a 5 and no 6, set aside nothing — re-roll all five dice hoping for the 6 next time.

The Last Roll Gamble

Going into your third and final roll with a cargo total of 6 is a tempting gamble. Two dice averaging 7 means you should re-roll, but a bad third roll might leave you with a lower total. Remember: if you have already used rolls to collect 6-5-4, you only have remaining rolls for cargo. Budget your three rolls carefully and know when you are on roll 3 before deciding to push.

8 Common Mistakes

• Setting aside a 5 or 4 before a 6: The most frequent rules error. You must have the 6 (Ship) before you can claim the 5 (Captain), and the 5 before the 4 (Crew). No shortcuts.
• Forgetting to re-roll cargo: Many new players collect 6-5-4 on roll 2 and forget they have one more roll available for the cargo dice. Always check how many rolls remain.
• Rolling all 5 dice after a partial collection: Once a qualifying die is set aside, only non-qualifying dice are re-rolled. Accidentally including a set-aside die in the next roll is a common table error.
• Not watching opponents' scores: The decision to re-roll cargo should always factor in what scores have already been posted. Re-rolling a cargo of 10 against a table where nobody else has scored is a gamble you don't need to take.
• Miscounting the pot: In drinking/betting versions, keep the antes organized and confirm the pot size before each round begins to avoid disputes.