DOC 36 -- Glückhaus

Glückhaus is a late-medieval/early-modern German gambling game that was played with two dice and a board with numbered squares on which coins were placed. The boards were made out of wood and were often elaborately decorated with various scenes and designs. The board contained ten squares numbered two to twelve, excluding the number four. The players would take turns rolling the dice and usually adhered to the following rules:
 

1. The game begins with all players putting one coin on the 7 square.

2. If a 4 is rolled, the player skips his/her turn.

3. If a 7 is rolled, the player puts a coin on the 7 square. (The 7 square was called "The Wedding" and players always put a coin on 7 because one always brings a gift to a wedding.)

4. If a 2 is rolled, the player takes all coins on the board, except for those on the 7 square. (The 2 square is called "The Lucky Pig.")

5. If a 12 is rolled, the player takes all coins on the board, including those on the 7 square. (The 12 square is called "The King" and players take all coins when they roll a 12 because nothing can be denied to a king.)

6. If any other number is rolled (3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11), the player checks that square. If there is a coin on that square, the player takes it. If there is no coin on that square, the player places one coin on the square.

7. In the Middle Ages, presumably you were out of the game when you had lost all of your coins. But you might be able to remain in the game if you could borrow more money from a friend or another player. In our game, each player will be given only 10 coins. Thus, you are out of the game when you have lost all of your 10 coins.

Sources: Glückhaus [http://sd.znet.com/~savaskan/germans/gluckhaus.html]; Gluckhaus (House of Fortune) [http://www-cs.canisius.edu/~salley/Articles/gluckshaus.html]