Chuck-a-luck is a simple guessing game played with three dice in a "chuck cage," an hourglass-shaped cage that rotates. The layout has a numbers bet, a field bet, and an over 10 and under 11 bet.
The numbers bet has six numbered squares, 1 to 6; place your bet on a number and win according to how many dice show the number you bet on. If one die shows the number, you're paid even money. If two show it, you win 2-1. If all three show it, you're paid 3-1 (some online casinos pay 10-1 on three matches).
A field bet wagers that all three dice will add up to one of the numbers featured on the field: 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, and 16. You're paid 1-1 on a winning field bet.
Finally, you can place a bet in one of two over-10 or under-11 squares; you're wagering that the total of the dice will be greater than 10 or less than 11, respectively. The payoff in both cases is 1-1.
According to Michael Shackleford, the Wizard of Odds, the house edges are as follows: any bet on the numbers, 7.87%; a field bet, 15.74%; and under 10/over 11, 25%.
Chuck-a-luck originated, according to lore, in jolly old England, where it was known, for some reason, as Sweat Cloth. It evolved, apparently, from a game called Crown and Anchor, played by sailors and soldiers in the British military. Crown and Anchor was played with dice marked with symbols (heart, diamond, spade, club, crown, and anchor) instead of spots. In the early versions of the game, the dice were thrown from a cup or "chucked" -- and the games nickname was Chucker Luck. Cheating dealers used weighted dice and controlled rolls, so eventually, due to the practice of trick dice throwing, the cup was replaced by the birdcage, which was flipped several times by the dealer for the dice to drop and settle on their symbols or spots. The game has also been known by the names Bird Cage, Chuck, and Chuck-a-Luck.
The last casinos we saw chuck-a-luck still offered were at Binion's, New York-New York, and the Riverside in Laughlin. Calls to all three confirmed that New York-New York is the only one of these that still carries the game -- you'll find it opposite the high limit pit.
Sic bo is an Asian game played with three dice and a somewhat more complicated layout; it has 21 possible bets. Like chuck-a-luck, it's rare, usually only found in casino pits that offer only Asian games, including New York-New York (in front of the dice pit).
