Bunco...for Losers...

So a lot of my friends know I play Bunco. Not just in one group...but in two! I love it - it is so much fun and a great excuse to get together with girl friends and talk, play, and drink wine. Sometimes lots of wine! The first group I joined consists of mostly girls from Arab, AL who are friends of my husband and sister-in-law. I've been friends with these girls since Jarren and I first started dating four years ago and this month will be our 15th month playing. The second group I started with Haley (sister-in-law) and Mirandy (good friend!) as a group for all Huntsville girls. I am really enjoying getting to know these girls and am hoping they will be good friends...

But... there's always a but...

...but I can't seem to WIN and it's making me CRAZY!

Quick set of notes - Bunco is played with 12 players at tables of four. The person diagonal from you (if you're at a square table) or across from you (if you're at a round table) is your "partner". You keep score together for that round. Then, you go in a circle and each take turns rolling 3 dice. You start with number 1 and each time one of the dice is rolled with a 1 on it, you count it as one point. You're trying to get to 21 points total with your partner. If you win 3 of the same number that is not a 1, it counts as 5 points and a little Bunco. If you roll 3 ones, it counts as a big Bunco and 21 points and you and your partner each get to mark a win. There's more to it, but there's the gist...it's a dice game of pure luck. No skill involved what-so-ever. Each person puts in $6 at the start of the game and at the end (we play usually 4 or 5 rounds of 1-6 so a total of 24-30 games per night), we dole up the money by the person with the most Big Buncos gets the highest amount of money, person with the most Little Buncos gets the next highest amount, person with the most Wins gets the third highest amount and the loser (person with the least of Big Buncos, Little Buncos and Wins combined) gets their $6 back.

That being said, I have now played a total of 19 times between the two groups (the new Huntsville group just played our third time last night) - 19!!! I have managed to win money a total of twice. That is two times ladies and gentleman. I have put in a total of $114 and gotten back a total of $30. Do that math. I've lost $84 playing a dice game of luck. Someone please NEVER NEVER NEVER let me EVER go to the casinos and try to gamble. Clearly I have no luck. I can't even win at being the LOSER! What is up with that??? Someone...for the love...tell me what I'm doing wrong...