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How to play LCR (Left Center Right): roll special dice, pass chips left, right or into the pot, and hope you are the last person still holding chips.
The game you need: LCR Left Center Right
Three dice and a tin of chips that turns any table into a five-minute circle game. It costs about $9.
Price band: Under $10 (about $9) · Check today’s price on Amazon
What you need for LCR
Three LCR dice (or ordinary dice using 4=L, 5=C, 6=R and 1–3 as dots) and three chips per player. The box covers about eight players; add coins for larger circles.
LCR setup
Sit in a circle. Give everyone three chips. Leave a clear center space for the pot. Highest roll of dots can start, then play clockwise.
On your turn
Roll one die for each chip you currently hold, up to three dice. Resolve every face:
- L — pass one chip to the player on your left.
- R — pass one chip to the player on your right.
- C — put one chip into the center pot.
- Dot — that chip stays with you.
If you hold zero chips, you skip rolling but stay in the game—neighbors can still pass you chips. When only one player still has chips, the game ends immediately and that player wins the pot.
Why there is no strategy
You never choose which die counts or whether to stop. The fun is watching chips ricochet while someone with a huge stack suddenly empties into the pot. That makes LCR ideal for mixed ages and guests who refuse to learn long rules.
House variations
- Money pot. Some groups ante a dollar chip; winners take cash. Agree before the first roll.
- Wild dot. Rare house rules let a triple-dot steal from the pot—skip unless everyone wants chaos.
- Team seats. Couples can share a chip pile at huge parties.
- Junior chips. Use candy instead of plastic for kids’ tables, then eat the pot.
Common LCR mistakes
Players with no chips sometimes leave the circle thinking they are eliminated. They are not. Others forget to reduce dice when they drop below three chips. Keep a caller watching stacks.
Rules summaries from LCR publishers and teaching sites match the tin insert. Grab the set for about $9 when you need a pocket party game.
Related dice games
If your group wants decisions with their dice, try Pass the Pigs or TENZI next. Our Pass the Pigs vs LCR comparison covers that choice. LCR stays the pure luck palate cleanser between heavier board games. See best dice games for more options.
Hosting LCR with a crowd
Dump chips into a bright bowl so the pot is obvious from every seat. Clear centers prevent mid-roll confusion.
Count dice against chips every turn for new players. People forget to drop to one die when they hold one chip.
Keep players with zero chips in their chairs. Empty hands still mean you can receive a pass.
For money pots, collect antes before the first roll and write the amount on a sticky note. Surprises breed bad feelings.
Swap to candy chips for kid tables, then eat the pot. Plastic chips belong back in the tin before bedtime.
LCR is perfect between dinner and dessert when nobody wants a rules lecture. Keep the tin near the serving spoon drawer so it actually gets used.
Teach left and right with a quick point around the circle before the first roll. That thirty seconds prevents half the mistakes.
If the pot grows huge, remind winners they collect everything. Surprised faces are part of the charm.
LCR teaches sharing without a speech. Kids learn left and right by moving chips, not by worksheets. Adults learn patience when a huge stack vanishes into the pot on a single C. Keep the teach under a minute and the jokes plentiful. If someone wants strategy, point them to Pass the Pigs next. Photograph the final chip piles only if winners agree; bragging rights can stay verbal.
A sample LCR turn
Say Maya starts her turn with three chips, so she rolls all three dice. She gets L, C and a dot. One chip goes to the player on her left, one goes into the center pot, and she keeps the third. On her next turn she holds only that one chip (unless a neighbor passes her more), so she rolls just one die. If that die shows R, her last chip goes to her right, and she sits with zero chips until someone rolls an L or R her way.
That swing is the whole appeal: big stacks shrink fast, empty seats come back to life, and nobody is out until the final chip moves.
LCR FAQ
How many players for LCR?
At least three. The box lists up to about twelve with extra chips.
How long does LCR take?
Usually 5–15 minutes.
Can kids play LCR?
Yes—ages about five and up once they can pass chips left and right.
Where are the official LCR rules?
The tin insert plus standard Left Center Right write-ups (dots / L / C / R) used for this guide.
