Glückshaus

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Dice
Period: 1500+

History

Glückshaus, is German for “lucky house,” or “house of fortune” and seems to be a modern name for a simple German gambling game using dice, coins/tokens, and a board dating back to the 1500’s.
Some of the early names for the game refer to the number seven “Die lustige Sieben” (The Funny Seven) due to the importance of the “7” space on the board. The board was normally divided into ten spaces numbered 2 – 12, with the number 4 missing. Most boards were plain, and simply drawn, or painted on a wooden board or table top, although a more elaborately decorated board (dated to 1583) has figures painted on it that resemble German playing cards. The spaces for the numbers 2 (The Pig, or Lucky Pig), 7 (The Wedding), and 12 (The King), are the only spaces that have consistent names or markings. Players start with an equal number of coins/chips (10, or 12 recommended).

Rules

The game begins with an empty board. Players take turns rolling two dice. If the corresponding numbered space on the board contains a coin, the player takes it. If the space is empty, they pay a coin on that space. The exceptions are:

  • If a player rolls 7 (“the Wedding”), a coin is always placed on that space. (You always bring a present to a wedding).
  • A roll of 2 (“the Lucky Pig”) takes all the coins except those on 7.
  • A roll of 12 (The King) takes all the coins on the board (everyone pays taxes to the King).
  • On a 4, nothing happens.

Optional rules

  • On rolling a 4, pay one coin to the “house” or owner of the board. (Although we have seen no documentation for this explanation, it would have been a way to pay an innkeeper for supplying the game board and dice.)
  • On rolling a 4, let the player roll again.
  • After someone empties the board by rolling a 12, have all the players ante an equal number of coins to fill the board.
  • After someone rolls a 12, and empties the board, they roll the dice again. If the second throw is not a 2 or 12, the player pays a coin to that space. If the second throw is 2 or 12, then the player must place one coin on each of the spaces (or as many spaces as he can, starting with the lowest number).
  • As long as the space corresponding to the result of the dice roll has fewer coins on it than its number, you have to place a coin there. Only a “full” space can be taken. For example: If there are five coins on the five space the player rolling a total of 5 wins them.