1Object of the game
Be the only player left holding chips. You can't steer the dice, so you win by luck: chips leave your hands through L, R, and C rolls and come back when your neighbors roll toward you. A player with zero chips is still in the game until someone else wins.
2Setup
- Sit in a circle so everyone has a clear left and right neighbor. You need at least 3 players.
- Give each player 3 chips. The boxed game from George & Company includes 24 chips, enough for 8 players; for a bigger group, add coins, buttons, or chips from another set.
- Set out the 3 LCR dice. Each die has an L on one face, a C on one face, an R on one face, and a single dot on the other three faces.
- No LCR dice? Use regular dice and treat 1, 2, and 3 as dots, 4 as L, 5 as C, and 6 as R.
- Clear a spot in the middle of the table for the center pot, and pick anyone to roll first. Play then passes clockwise, to the left.
3The play
- Count your chips. Roll one die per chip: 3 dice if you have 3 or more chips, 2 dice with 2 chips, 1 die with 1 chip. With 4 or more chips you still roll only 3 dice.
- For each L, hand one chip to the player on your left.
- For each R, hand one chip to the player on your right.
- For each C, put one chip in the center pot. Chips in the center stay there until the game ends.
- For each dot, do nothing; you keep that chip.
- If you have no chips, you don't roll. Your turn is skipped, but you stay in the circle, because a neighbor's L or R can hand you a chip and put you back in play.
4End of a hand
There are no rounds to score. Turns keep going around the circle, and players with zero chips are skipped but not eliminated. The game ends the moment only one player still holds any chips. That player doesn't need to roll again and doesn't need all the chips; many will already be sitting in the center.
5Scoring
LCR has no points. Each die face tells you where one chip goes, and the only thing that matters is who has chips when everyone else is out.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| L | Pass 1 chip to the player on your left |
| R | Pass 1 chip to the player on your right |
| C | Put 1 chip in the center pot |
| Dot (3 faces on each die) | Keep the chip; nothing happens |
| 3 or more chips | Roll 3 dice |
| 2 chips | Roll 2 dice |
| 1 chip | Roll 1 die |
| 0 chips | Skip your turn, stay in the game |
| Last player holding chips | Wins the game and the center pot |
With regular dice, 1 to 3 are dots, 4 is L, 5 is C, and 6 is R. Half of every die is dots, so each die you roll has an even chance of keeping your chip. Chips that go to the center never come back into play.
6Winning
As soon as only one player has chips, that player wins and takes everything in the center pot. The winner doesn't roll again, even with just one chip left. To play another game, gather all the chips and give each player 3 again.
7A worked hand
Four players sit clockwise: Ann, Ben, Cal, and Dee. Each has 3 chips, so there are 12 chips in play. Ann rolls three dice and gets L, C, dot. She passes 1 chip to Ben on her left and puts 1 in the center, leaving her with 1. Ben now has 4 chips but still rolls only 3 dice: R, R, dot. Two chips go right to Ann, so Ann has 3 and Ben has 2. Cal rolls C, C, C and puts all 3 chips in the center; he has 0, and the pot has 4. Dee rolls L, dot, dot and passes 1 chip to Ann, her left-hand neighbor around the circle. After one lap: Ann 4, Ben 2, Cal 0, Dee 2, center 4, which still adds up to 12. Ann rolls three dice again and gets R, dot, dot, sending 1 chip right to Dee. Ben, with 2 chips, rolls two dice: L, dot. His chip goes left to Cal, who now has 1 chip and rolls one die on his next turn. Cal is back in the game with a single chip.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Last chip goes in the center
- Dice Game Depot describes a version where the last player with chips must still roll a C to put their final chip in the pot and win.
- Dots to win
- In another variant from Dice Game Depot, the last player holding chips must roll all dots to claim the win. Any other roll moves chips as usual, and the game continues.
- LCR Wild
- George & Company sells a separate LCR Wild edition. Dice Game Depot describes its wild face as letting you take a chip from any opponent.
9Mistakes people make
- You roll one die per chip, up to a maximum of 3 dice. Having 5 chips doesn't mean rolling 5 dice.
- A player with no chips is still in the game. They skip their turn but can get chips back from a neighbor.
- Chips in the center stay there. The winner collects them only after everyone else is out of chips.
- The game ends as soon as one player holds all the remaining chips outside the center. That player doesn't roll again.
10Playing better
- There are no choices to make, so the only skill is keeping the game moving. Roll right away, say what you rolled, and pass chips before the next player picks up the dice.
- Don't write off a player at zero. They're one neighbor's L or R away from being back in, and players at zero win games all the time.
- Count the pot out loud now and then. When the game ends fast, nobody argues about how many chips the winner takes.
- Pass chips to the correct side. Left is the next player to roll in clockwise play, and right is the player who just rolled.
- For young kids, use the regular-dice version and let them call out the letter for each number. It's easy counting practice.
Left Right Center: questions people ask
- How many chips do you start with in Left Right Center?
- Each player starts with 3 chips. The boxed LCR game includes 24 chips, which covers 8 players at 3 apiece. For more players, add coins, buttons, or spare poker chips so everyone still starts with 3.
- How many dice do you roll in LCR?
- Roll one die for each chip you hold, up to 3 dice. With 3 or more chips you roll all 3 dice, with 2 chips you roll 2, and with 1 chip you roll 1. With no chips, you skip your turn.
- What do the dots mean in LCR?
- A dot means you keep that chip and nothing happens. Each LCR die has three dot faces plus one L, one C, and one R. That means every die you roll has an even chance of leaving your chip where it is.
- Are you out if you have no chips in Left Right Center?
- No. A player with zero chips doesn't roll, but they stay in the circle. If the player on their left rolls an R or the player on their right rolls an L, they get a chip and are back in the game.
- How do you win Left Right Center?
- You win by being the last player who still has chips. The game ends the moment everyone else is at zero, even if you hold only one chip. The winner collects every chip in the center pot.
- Can you play LCR with regular dice?
- Yes. Use three standard six-sided dice and treat 1, 2, and 3 as dots, 4 as L, 5 as C, and 6 as R. That matches the three dot faces and one face each for L, C, and R on real LCR dice.
- How many people can play LCR?
- LCR needs at least 3 players, and George & Company lists it for 3 or more. The 24 chips in the box cover 8 players. Bigger groups work fine if you bring extra chips or coins, though the game takes a little longer.
LCR is a registered trademark and Left Center Right is a trademark of George & Company LLC. This page describes the rules for players and has no connection with the trademark owner.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- BIG LCR Left Center Right Dice Game, George & Company LLC (dicegames.com). Read September 29, 2026.
- How to Play Left Center Right, Cool Old Games. Read September 29, 2026.
- Left Right Center Rules: How to Play LCR Dice Game, Official Game Rules. Read September 29, 2026.
- LCR Dice Game Rules, Dice Game Depot. Read September 29, 2026.
Also on the table: Bunco, Farkle, Yahtzee, Shut the Box.