Bunco for a larger group?

[bjscheel]

I'm looking for an idea for a group of all ages to do at a family retreat and have been reading about Bunco. All the rules say 3 tables of 4 people. I don't know how many we'll have show up. Is there any reason we can't have more tables of people (instead of High, Middle, Low have several Middle)?

I'm thinking that would be less confusing than having say 3 groups each having a High, Middle, and Low- especially if the High tables are each ringing bells.

I've never played, and I'm trying to determine if I can make it go smoothly.

 

[tinatark]

The only way I would think it would work like that would be if you have teams for each seat - say, instead of 2 partners of 2 at each table, 2 partners of 4 per table.

As a twist, I would have everyone change partners when they change tables individually.

 

[bjscheel]

Thanks. I just found a blog where the writer has had groups of up to 200. She described a party at her house where she had the tables numbered 1-9 instead of High, Middle, and Low. I think that could work nicely. I don't think I would have more than 36.

I was also thinking what if our people don't divide evenly into 4's, but I just realized there are four in my family- I will use my own family as needed to make the group divisible by 4.

I've read that you just record a W for Win and L for Loss, rather than your points. So does each person keep track of their own points, and just the head table needs to keep track of when a round reaches 21 total points?

 

[Nicolepa]

You have to be divisible by 4, but you can have more tables if needed. If you end up with a table of 2 or 3 you can use "dummies", usually a stuffed animal and the other players roll for him. You really can't do more than 2 because if they all end up at the same table then there is one person all alone, playing and keeping score for 3 imaginary friends.

 

[zurgswife]

I've played with upwards of 20 tables.

It's been so long I'm having trouble remembering but I think we played until one of the 60 people got the winning hand and then each table played in pairs and the pairs would move to the next table if they won and the losers would stay at the table. I forget after that what happened.