The definitive guide to Left Right Center game rules with money (or chips or candy!)
Note: we call the game Left Center Right (LCR), after the original founding of the game. Some people call it “Left Right Center” or some other combination, but it’s all the same dice game.
LCR is a quick-to-learn game that can accommodate as many people as you can fit around a table, making it perfect for gatherings of nearly any size. Whether you have a small group or a large party, the game adapts easily.
Additionally, LCR is a great alternative to more complex board games for casual settings like game nights and family gatherings.
LCR is a game where players throw dice to determine their actions, and so long as all your players are comfortable with playing for some real table stakes.
What you need to play LCR for money
- Three six-sided dice with special markings for “L”, “C”, “R”, and “•••”. (Regular six-sided dice are hard to adapt to LCR, but we’ve posted a key below)
- At least three players, and you can easily add up to six or more.
- Quarters or coins, dollar bills, recognizable tokens, or poker chips. You can also use candy or other valuable objects if you’re playing with kids. Items of financial value, like coins and dollar bills, can increase the stakes and engagement in the game. Players can use checkers as alternative tokens, too.
Your goal is to be the last player with chips (or all the money) left.
Setting up LCR for the first round
- Give each player three chips or an equal amount of money.
- Everyone pays in. If each player contributes a $100 bill to the pot, then each player gets $33 and that also needs to be split into thirds so you can divide your cash left, to the center, and to the right, which can get complex to shuffle around. We recommend using chips or tokens in lieu of cash, but if you use cash buy-in with a number divisible by the number of players, so if you have three players, consider contributing $150 each so each player can have $50 x 3 ready to split left, center, or right to start. Using numbers that are easily divisible ensures a smoother setup and avoids complications.
- Define a center pot, bowl, or just a large open space in the middle of the table.
- Choose a first player, either by age, who just celebrated a big milestone, or whoever has the most dots on a first roll of the dice.
How to start playing Left Center Right
LCR is fast-paced, so on your first turn rolling you’ll roll all three dice you start with. Each of your dice will determine where your chips go:
- L = Pass a poker chip, your coin, dollar, or candy to the player on your left. The chip is passed based on the outcome of the dice roll.
- R = Pass a chip to the player on your right (or around the table if at the end). The chip passes to the right depending on the dice roll.
- C = Place a chip in the center pot
- Dot = keep that chip
Obviously, you want to roll ••• as much as possible to retain the cash or poker chips.
Play continues clockwise and the next player rolls following the same format.
Playing with regular 6-sided dice?
The number on each die determines the action:
- 1, 2, or 3 means keep the chips
- 4 means pass a chip to the player on the lef
- 5 means put a chip in the center pot
- 6 means pass a chip to the player on the right
It's not as elegant or quick to discern, but it works if you don't have any LCR dice.
Example LCR gameplay
As each person continues playing, their available dice to roll will likely decrease. You will only ever roll a maximum of 3 dice, but you may only be able to roll no dice or just 1 or 2 dice depending on how many tokens you have.
For example, if you have two chips left (or tokens or Jolly Ranchers or whatever you’re playing with), you’ll roll two dice. This diminishes your risk and rewards.
If you don’t have any chips left, you skip your turn until someone has to pass you a chip later, then you’re back in the game.
Each person rolls, then the next person goes. Play continues clockwise, and you all continue taking turns until only one person has chips left. The whole game – and the whole pot – can turn on a single dice roll!
Additional tips for playing Left Center Right with money or chips
- Keep some extra tokens or poker chips nearby in case someone joins mid-game. LCR is one of the many fun dice games that can be enjoyed in group settings
- Poker chips are a more elegant and cleaner way to move money around amid the dice game
- Using a dice tray can ensure everyone sees the dice as each player rolls. That can be handy if the dollars and stakes really rise
- Rather than retaining the whole pot for themselves, players could be rolling the dice for charity. Let each player compete for a charity or nonprofit of their choice, and if they win, they donate the cash to their cause