Egyptian sticks, Rolling sticks Dice for Senet

Egyptian sticks, Rolling sticks, Dice for Senet

Stick Dice have been found in tombs with a board that we call Senet.  Those rolling sticks, were long like chop sticks and just a little bit thicker and they taper on their ends which were decoratively carved. Sticks are not quite like 2 sided dice. With a true 2 sided die you have a 50/50 chance of it landing on either side. but since these are half round on one side and flat on the other the probability is closer to 33/66. (I am not mathematically inclined so if you know the exact probability let me know and I will up date this to reflect that.)

There are other rolling sticks that were 3 sided, and I will cover that in a future post when I am making a board game that calls for them.

I will give you the rule sets for rolling for the game of Senet, and also for using them for games of chance the way we use dice or knuckle bones.

Some types of games will be listed after that at the bottom of this page.

Using Rolling sticks for Games of Chance

When using Egyptian sticks as a game of chance the 2 sides of the stick have a set value of Gold = 1, and Black =2.  (I will list examples of games after I explain scoring styles.)

One Scoring style is count the sticks at their true values. Meaning they are not canceled out or adding any value by touching. Photo 1 would be a score of 4 because 2 black are showing: if they were gold side up then it would be a score of 2.

Unlike other rolling items, sticks can land crossed or touching and that adds new and exciting rules to the game. These rules have a few names. Breeding Rules, or Making Bacon, or Multiplying rules. These are the rules;

If 2 stick are touching, and they both show the same face value they add one  extra face value to that roll.

Photo 1. shows 2 sticks touching with black facing up they have a value of 3 black sticks. Black being value of 2 each so the score of those is 6. Some people do Play with the rule that the touching only adds 1 whether it is gold or black

Photo 2 shows 2 sticks touching with opposite colors showing.
If 2 sticks are of opposite colors then they cancel out each other and have no value.

Where it gets convoluted is when you have multiple sticks touching of the same color. That is because you have 2 different scoring styles available.

Photo 3 shows 3 sticks all with black up. This roll can be scored as either times 5 or times 6.

Since they are black they have a value of 2 each, so that means it would either be 5 X 2 =10 or it can be 6 X 2 =12.

Either of these can be right because there are 2 ways to count the sticks.

The first way is to count each stick then add each cross section with that you get 3 sticks and 2 cross sections = 5.

The second way is to count each stick with its' crossing so the center stick that is touching 2 separate sticks has 2 crossings to count. 

When playing you have to agree on scoring before the round starts because it will effect how you score the rolling outcomes that are seen in Photo 4 and Photo 5. 

Photo 4 can be 0 because the gold cancels out the entire pile or 2 because there is only one not touching the gold. Or a you can call the roll a hot mess (or, if you prefer lewd comments, an Orgy), and just re-roll.

Photo 5. 3 black x 2 value = 6 score or I suggest you can call that a Hot Mess / Orgy and re roll

Photo 1.

Photo 2.

Photo 3.

Photo 4.

Photo 5.

Stick Roll Rules and Values for playing the Game of Senate

For the use with the game Senate rolling sticks roll values are as follows

1 gold up, 3 black up = 1 + roll again if you can use the 1

2 gold up, 2 black up = 2

3 gold up, 1 black up = 3

4 gold up, 0 black up = 4 + roll again if you can use the 4

0 gold up, 4 black up = 5 + roll again if you can use the 5

If you can not move on your turn you pass the sticks and your opponent take their turn.

Photos below to illustrate rolls

1 gold up, 3 black up = 1 + roll again if you can take use the 1

2 gold up, 2 black up = 2

3 gold up, 1 black up = 3

4 gold up, 0 black up = 4 + roll again if you can take use the 4

0 gold up, 4 black up = 5 + roll again if you can take use the 5

Some games you can call for using Sticks for gaming

(Declare at the start if there are or are-not Multiplying rules)

The highest score in X# of rolls 
The most 2's in X# of rolls (Mining for Coal)
The Most 1's in X# of rolls (Going for the Gold)
The Lowest score in X# of rolls
Using Senet rolling rules the highest score (there are no multiplying rules in Senate, but you can make up some)
Be creative and I am sure you can create even more combinations.