What does the Star mean in the LCR game? It’s wild!
When used, the star in the Left Center Right (LCR) dice game adds new gameplay significance
The star in the Left Center Right dice game is usually part of “LCR Wild” dice sets, which are separate from the standard LCR game kits. It’s not included in our online Left Center Right game, either, since it’s technically not a standard part of the game, but is instead its own variation.
In the LCR Wild variation, the star becomes a powerful symbol. Rolling one star allows a player to take a chip from another player, two stars allow taking two chips from one player or one chip from two players, and rolling three stars wins the game by taking all chips from the center pot.
If you have a dice set with a star, you can optionally ignore it so the star has no special effects and behaves just like the dot (•) symbol, meaning players keep their tokens for that roll.
Example player rolls in the Wild LCR dice game
In each of these examples, we’re playing with four players. However, the rules apply equally to 2, 3, or more than 4 players, depending on your placement around the table. We also use the words “token” and “chip” interchangeably since some people play with poker chips and some play with some other token of their choice, like coins, candy, or another object.
Generally, LCR rules follow:
- Standard rules apply for Left player, Center (as in, “center pot”), or Right player dice rolls.
- Standard rules apply when rolling a dot •, which is your best-case scenario for maintaining chips.
- All players start with three chips, though some house rule variations allow players to start with more.
- Decide before the game begins if a star should allow a player to roll the dice again. You could also opt to require two stars minimum to roll the dice on the same turn.
- Take turns rolling at the beginning to determine who goes first, such as the highest single dice roll. You could also opt for whoever is the youngest player, oldest, or had the most recent birthday.
- Visit our official rules page for more on the standard LCR dice game rules.
Example: Player 1 rolls a single star
Assuming the game has progressed a few rounds, there may be several chips remaining among all players and in the center pot based on the standard rules for handing chips to the Left, Center, or Right.
If Player 1 rolls a single star among all the dice they have, even if it’s just one die, they can “steal” a chip or token from any other player of their choice.
- It’s recommended to take chips from whichever player has the most chips remaining, since whoever holds all the chips wins the game!
- Many players continue to roll the dice if they roll a star. This house rule variation should be decided before the game starts.
Example: Player 2 rolls two stars
Upon rolling two stars, you have the option of taking two tokens from a single player, OR taking one token each from two players.
- Taking two tokens from a single player is recommended if they have a lot of chips remaining compared to other players.
- Taking one token from two players is recommended if the remaining tokens left are disbursed more or less equally across players.
- You could also opt to take two tokens from a single player regardless of the tokens left simply to rob them of all or nearly all the chips!
Example: Player 3 rolls two stars
A player who rolls two stars after one player rolls two stars themselves can “claw back“ their tokens or opt to further take tokens from other players.
- If playing with two players, this can quickly evolve into swapping tokens back and forth rapid-fire.
- If playing with three or more players, you have lots of options in who to steal tokens from!
- Try playing LCR game nights with six or more players! It’s a fantastic way to introduce a fun bit of chaos into the game.
Additional FAQs about the star in the Left Center Right dice game
Do we need dice with the star to play LCR?
You could take standard LCR dice and put a sticker over one of the dots to represent a star. Or, treat all the dots as stars (which would make for very short games). We recommend using a sticker versus a permanent marker since stickers are easier to remove.
Is LCR Wild different from Right Center Left Wild, Left Right Center, or Right Left Center?
The LCR dice game sometimes gets called Right Center Left, Left Right Center, or some other combination. The most common and the original name is Left Center Right.
LCR Wild follows this same variation, with some people referring to it as Center Right Left Wild or Left Right Center Wild or some other variation. They are all the same game. Just that the “Wild” variation involves dice that use a star.
Can I play LCR Wild with a standard set of dice?
You could take a standard set of dice and place a sticker on one of the dot sides to treat it as a star if your dice does not have any stars. We don’t recommend placing a permanent marker on it, though. Stickers are easy to peel off!
What if I have one last chip and a player rolls three dice all stars?
If a player rolls three dice that are all stars, they automatically win the game. This can dramatically speed up gameplay since a 3-of-a-kind in all stars could even happen in the first round!
Play LCR Dice Game under standard rules online for free
You can play Left Center Right anytime online for free at leftcenterrightgame.com. And for other fun games, visit our other games at PlayBunco.com and MexicanTrain.com. These classic, great games are available for free with no downloads required and no sign-up forms!