Hog

Hog

Background:

The dice game HOG was developed by the Mathematical Sciences Education Board (1994) and is described in Bohan and Schultz (1996). The game has been played with a wide variety of audiences including graduate students in mathematics, Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students, students in undergraduate introductory statistics courses, and elementary and secondary school students. The authors have also played HOG numerous times in Statistics Education through Quantitative Literacy (SEQuaL) workshops for K-12 teachers at sites throughout Pennsylvania. The rules for the game are as follows:

This "Pig" game variant differs from Pig dice in that the number of dice must be determined prior to a single roll of the dice.

Game Play:

Players take turns rolling dice. Each player may choose any number of dice from one up to the total number of dice available. (We recommend that at least ten dice be available for each player or team.)

The number of dice a player chooses to roll can vary from turn to turn.

The player's score for a turn is zero if at least one of the dice comes up with the value one. Otherwise, the player's score for the turn is the sum of the faces showing on the dice. (Rolling a one sets only the score for that turn to zero, not the total cumulative score for the player.)

A cumulative running total of the scores is kept for each player.

The first player to reach or exceed a predetermined score (100 works well) wins the game. If more than one player reaches the predetermined score on the same turn then the player with the highest point total wins the game.

http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v11n2/feldman.html


Variations

Big Hog (Pig):

This variation is the same as Two-Dice Hog (Pig), except:
- If two 1s are rolled, the player adds 25 to the turn total.
- If other doubles are rolled, the player adds twice the value of the dice to the turn total.
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SKUNK:

Not to be confused with the commercial game Skunk, SKUNK (a.k.a. THINK) is a variation of Two-Dice Hog (Pig) that is played with large groups. Rather than rolling in turn, all players begin the round standing. At any point in the round, a player may hold by sitting down. The round continues until a 1 is rolled, or all players have sat down.

Skunk is played in five rounds, and scoring is recorded in a 5-column table with columns labeled with the letters of the word "SKUNK". The first round score is entered in the "S"-column, the next in the first "K"-column, and so on. After five rounds, the highest-scoring player is the winner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_(dice)#Big_Pig

Busted Hog:

- If 3 ones (pigs) are rolled in a single roll the player loses all point accumulated for the game. The dice are passed to the next player, and the player rolling the 3 pigs must start accumulating points on his next turn.

Tips
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For the latest on human play strategies, search for the article "Practical Play of the Dice Game Pig".

However, it's more fun to learn good play for yourself. Here are steps for improving your Pig play:

- Ignore your number of rolls. Whether you've rolled three 2's or one 6, you still have the same turn total at stake. The die doesn't remember how many times it's been rolled. Learn to pay attention only to the scores and turn total.

- Find a good general hold value. Hold with too low a turn total and you'll make frequent progress too slowly. Hold with too high a turn total, and you'll make rapid progress too infrequently. Find the balance.

- Adjust for the opponent's score. When you're ahead, you can hold at lower values. When you're behind, take greater risks.

- Learn when to go for the goal. There comes a point when the opponent is close enough to the goal that you need to try for the goal in a single turn. To win more often, you need to be willing to lose more spectacularly.

- Have fun. You'll be frustrated if winning is the only way you have fun. If learning to be a better player is fun for you, the AI will provide plenty of opportunity to hone your Pig skills. Enjoy!