1. How To Play Pig Dice
2. Games Played With Dice Only
3. Pig Dice
4. Pass The Pig Dice Game

To play this game you need an ordinary 6-sided die. Each turn of the game consists of one or more rolls of the die. You keep rolling until you decide to stop, or until you roll a 1. You may choose to stop at any time. If you roll a 1, your score for that turn is 0. A destination for the avid collector and weekend hobbyist alike, Our Pastimes features articles and tips about your favorite cards & games, hobbies and more.

Pig was was first recorded by the American magician John Scarne in the 1940s. It can help players develop skills in arithmetic and strategy. Teacher Peter Kane recommends it as an alternative way to get pupils doing maths. He suggests playing the game with the whole class during Maths Week as a Maths Week activity. Afterwards, teachers can download and print Pig certificates from our website for participating students. After reviewing the rules below, students should be ready to roll!

We will make PIG Maths Week 2020 certificates available for teachers to download during Maths Week.

An online version was developed by Maths Week for pupils of all ages and can be played in teams of 2 – 6 players.

Click on the image of the playing screen

There are 2 levels:
Basic PIG game – suitable for 3rd and 4th classes (need 1 die for each group)
MultiPIGationgame – more challenging for 5th & 6th Class. (dice needed for each group)

Basic PIG
PIG is a game for 2 to 6 players.

1. Players take turns with a die.
2. On a player’s turn he/she can roll a die as many times as they like.
3. If a roll is a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, the player adds that many points to their score for the turn.
4. A player may choose to end their turn at any time and “bank” their points.
5. If a player rolls a 1, they lose all their unbanked points and their turn is over.

How To Play Pig Dice

Beginner’s Game: The first player to score 50 or more points wins.
Advanced Game: The first player to score 100 or more points wins.

MultiPIGationgame

The multPIGation game will stretch the pupils a bit more.
This is similar to basic PIG but players throw 2 die and multiply the two scores.
Even number can be banked but odd answer loses point/turn.

See also Monster Game: a similar game that you can make up yourself and doesn’t require dice. Click on the picture to see instructions.

There are lots more fun learning activities available for home-learning on our Maths at Home Activities Page

A variation of the dice game Pig. In this game players roll two dice.

Games Played With Dice Only

Big Pig

Pig Dice

Goal: Avoid rolls containing a single 1 and be the first to score 100.

Play: Any number of players can play, gameplay is best for 3-5 players. Two dice and a notepad is required. One player begins and play continues clockwise.

Player begins by rolling the die.

Pass The Pig Dice Game

• If the player's roll contains a single 1, they score nothing and their turn ends.
• If the player rolls a 1-1, the player receives 25 points (Big Pig).
• If the player rolls any doubles, they receive double the sum of both dice.
• If the player rolls any other outcome, the points are added to their turns total.

A player can continue to roll as long as they are receiving points and not rolling a single 1. A player should announce their accumulated score during their turn. A players turn ends one of two ways.

• A player can hold before they roll a single 1. Record the players accumulated score on a notepad. These points are now safe for the rest of the game.
• A player rolls a single 1. They lose their turn and the accumulated points for that turn are lost.

Records all scores to the notepad and keep a running total. The first player to reach a total of 100 is the winner.