DICE

singular Die, small cubes used as implements for gambling and the playing of social games. Each side of a standard die is marked with from one to six small dots (spots). The spots are arranged in conventional patterns and placed so that together with the spots on the opposite sides they always total seven: one and six, two and five, three and four. The combinations of the six spots plus the number of dice in play determine the mathematical probabilities. In most games played with dice, the dice are thrown (rolled, flipped, shot, tossed, or cast) from the hand or from a receptacle called a dice cup, in such a way that they will fall at random. The spots that face upward when the dice come to rest are the deciding spots. The combined number of the spots on the topmost surfaces of the dice decides, according to the rules of the game being played, whether the thrower (called the shooter) wins, loses, continues to throw, or loses possession of the dice to another shooter. For individual dice games, see Craps; Barbooth; Chuck-a-Luck; Grand Hazard; Hazard.