Dice. Dice

dice). In Central Asia and the Caucasus they are called zary (zariki); units - zarik. The common name is “cube”.

Dice(in English "dice", derived from Old French dé, as well as from Latin datum, meaning "given; that which is given or played out") is a small object that, when dropped on a flat surface, takes one of several possible stable positions. Dice are used as a means of generating random numbers in gambling Oh. They are also widely used in board and role-playing games.

A traditional die is a die with a number from 1 to 6 printed on each of its six faces. The purpose of the die is to display a randomly determined integer number from one to six, each of which is equally possible due to the correct geometric shape. Exists great amount varieties of dice: by shape - dice can be polyhedral or irregular in shape, by information content - symbols can be printed on their faces instead of numbers. Differences like these allow dice to be used to produce results other than the classic 1-2-3-4-5-6 pattern. There are also dice that are weighted on one side or with other changes invisible to the eye, designed to rig the results. The purpose of such dice is to deceive other players for the sake of winning money or just for fun, such as magic tricks.

A die is usually made in the form of a cube with numbers from 1 to 6 printed on its sides (they are usually placed so that the sum of the numbers on diametrically opposite sides is 7). A dice can be considered as a random number generator in an integer interval with almost the same probability of hitting all numbers in the interval. Such generators are designated 1dN.

So, for example, a regular die is 1d6; flipping a coin is the job of a 1d2 generator, etc.

The abbreviation MdN denotes the sum of M applications of 1dN. It should be noted that MdN gives integers in the range . The probability of a number falling out of this interval increases as it approaches its middle (see binomial distribution).

So, for example, using a d4 die and rolling it twice, we get a 2d4 generator, giving the following options:

Zocciedron

An example of a generator that does not fall under the definition of MdN: a deck of cards to which the drawn cards are not returned. It will be 1dN only for the first attempt, the distributions of subsequent attempts will depend on the previous results.

Other excavations of ancient burial sites of the Indus civilization indicate a South Asian origin for dice. The game of dice is referred to as Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda and in the Buddha's list of games that he would not play. In the Indian epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira and the Kauravas gamble the northern principality of Hastinapura, over which a war breaks out.

According to Greek tradition, dice were invented by Palamedes to amuse bored Greek soldiers awaiting the battle of Troy.

Modern dice owe their origin to old game a skill game called “grandmothers,” which was played mainly by women and children. Game process consisted of throwing small bones of ungulates, pasterns, which is where the name of the game came from. The tetrahedral shape of the headstocks was the first form of dice in history, and the material used for manufacturing gave it the name that we still use today - “bone”. Modern Mongols still use these tetrahedral “shagai” dice for games and fortune telling. In addition to the classic pet bones, materials used to make modern dice include ivory, wood, and the plastic cellulose acetate. In historical chronicles, the game of dice and the game of grandma are often confused, but each of them has gone its own way from ancient times and is still popular.

Gambling with two or three dice was a very popular form of entertainment in Greece, especially among the upper classes. They were constantly played during feasts.

In the Middle Ages, playing dice was a favorite pastime of knights; there were schools of the game and guilds of players. After the fall of feudalism, Landsknechts acquired a reputation as the most scandalous dice players of the time; the cubes were decorated with elaborate carvings depicting people and animals. In France, both knights and ladies played dice, despite repeated laws, including the prohibitions of St. Louis in 1254 and 1256.

The markings on Chinese dominoes are derived from the markings of the cubes.

Device

Standard dice are small dice, most often 1.6 cm across, whose faces are numbered from one to six, usually with round dots called points. Traditionally, opposite sides of a cube add up to seven, with faces 1, 2 and 3 sharing a common vertex, these faces can be positioned clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the vertex. If faces 1, 2 and 3 go counterclockwise, the cube is called right-handed and vice versa. Western dice are usually right-handed, while Chinese dice are left-handed.

The points on the dice are arranged in a special order, as shown in the picture to the right. On Asian dice, the order of scoring is similar to the European one, but the points are located closer to the center of the face; one point is larger than the others, and four points are colored red. In some of the older sets, one point was indicated by an indentation without coloring. The black edge of “one” and the combination of black and white colors on the edge of “four” were considered unlucky, so red, the color of good luck in Chinese culture, was supposed to neutralize this sign. The word for four (四 si) in Chinese is similar to the word for death (死 si) and is considered unlucky. It is likely that the red “fours” are of Indian origin.

The result of throwing a die is considered random, since in this process there are such uncertain factors as the movement of the hand of the thrower and the position of the dice before the throw. Thus, the die can be considered a prototype of a random number generator. Some people believe that glasses on the sides of cubes made in a certain style cause a slight displacement, but there has been no research to confirm this idea. By the way, this may be true for Asian cubes with an enlarged image of one point. Casino dice are produced with filled-in markings, which confirms the uniform distribution of random numbers.

Currently, it is no longer possible to accurately determine the date of appearance of the first cubes and their author. History is filled with a huge number of hoaxes on this topic, because many inventors ascribed this primacy to themselves. However, the dice found by archaeologists, which has virtually no differences from the modern one, dotted all the i’s. This event occurred during excavations of the ancient Iranian city of Shahri-Sukhte, which existed more than five thousand years ago. The cube also included a board for playing backgammon, which indicates the popularity of this hobby in those days.

Origin

Before these events, scientists had differing opinions about where the die was invented. Indeed, in the later historical works of India and Greece there are references to the invention of the game of dice by specific people who, as it turned out, only presented a curiosity to the public. For example, representatives of Hellas stated that Palamedes gave cubes to bored soldiers who whiled away the time at the siege of Troy. The ethnic group of India referred to the disdainful recommendations of the Buddha, who argued that a self-respecting person would not plunge himself into the abyss of excitement and throw dice.

Local traditions

In the community Kievan Rus This game has undergone some transformations. The result was the game of "grandmother" - entertainment for children and women, which was aimed at developing dexterity. The dice in this case consisted of vertebrae into which lead could be poured if necessary. Old Russian cubes largely inherited their ancestors, from their shape to their use.

Confession

In subsequent periods of history, the popularity of bones only increased. Everyone who could afford it played them. Indeed, in a fit of excitement, it was possible not only to lose property, but also a spouse or even one’s own freedom, because during the times of slavery such an outcome was more than obvious.

The Germans, Byzantines, and later the Landsknechts were known as the most zealous players who deified this process of competing with fortune and, in order to attract her attention, decorated the bones with skillful carvings. Cubes were made from valuable wood, bone and even metal. Already in those troubled times, the first cheaters began to appear, wanting to make money at the expense of naive simpletons. In order for victory to always remain on their side, they made one side of the cube heavier, as a result of which the die acquired a displacement relative to its center of gravity and the chance of some of its faces appearing was much higher. Also, starting from the eleventh century, the art of fortune telling with the help of similar-looking chips spread from the Eastern Roman Empire. It has become comparable in popularity to the traditional methods adopted earlier.

In the Middle Ages, numerous attempts were made to legislatively restrict cubes, but they all encountered silent resistance from society and were only declarative in nature. As you can see, all these attempts failed, because dice are still used in the gambling industry.

Modern Application

Now standard cubes are the same design that was used previously. However, for use in casinos, a certain standard was needed that would exclude fraud. Therefore, it was decided to unify all small and large dice and accept only those whose sides are 16 millimeters in diameter. At the same time, as a result of checking the probability of occurrence of certain combinations, it was found that when drilling points on the surface of the cube, its center of gravity shifts. Therefore, modern dice are marked with color, which does not lead to the formation of distortions in the functioning of the source of chance. Methods were also approved for marking the faces of a cube, the total sum of the three sides of which is always equal to 7. When applying digital marks from 1 to 3 clockwise relative to the angle, these chips are called right, if vice versa - left.

Random number generator

It is because of all these processes that a completely balanced die, the probability of each side falling out not exceeding 1/6, symbolizes blind luck and allows you to completely trust it. The results of the dice roll are random, since this process is accompanied by many uncertain factors, from the position of the player's hand to his position or the energy of his movements. In a sense, this process can be called a random number generator, but their values ​​will always be within certain limits. However, if there are doubts about the die, they can be easily dispelled - the die is thrown twice, and the results obtained very rarely coincide. After all, the chips have rounded corners, which allows them to roll along the table surface with minimal resistance. Therefore, cubes are very widely used in modern world, starting with gambling and ending with Monopoly or its analogues.

It may seem that it is quite difficult to make a perfectly even dice with your own hands, especially when you consider that dice faces must be perfectly equal to each other. After all, only then can dice play be considered truly fair and unbiased. But the difficulty of creating this gaming accessory is slightly exaggerated. We offer a method for making dice that is easy and fast.

Instructions for making a dice and its faces.

1. Select the material from which we will make the cube.

2. We make from this material the most accurate cube with sides of 1 cm.

3. We chamfer up to 1 mm from the sides and corners of the cube. At the same time, set the file at 45 degrees. Then it is advisable to polish the product.

4. We put numbers on each face of the resulting cube. The number points can be made either using a microdrill, or marked with paint, or even by first drilling holes and painting the recesses of the holes with paint.

Numerical designations are applied in the following order:

• put six points on the top edge (three points on each side);
• on the opposite, which has become the bottom, edge we apply one point (in the center);
• on the left we put four dots (in the corners);
• on the right we apply three (diagonally);
• We put five points on the front (one, as in the case of the unit, in the center, four more, as in the case of the four, in the corners);
• there should be two on the back (in opposite corners).

We check the correctness of the numbers. The sum of the numbers on opposite sides of the cube must equal seven.

5. Cover our cube with colorless varnish, leaving one side untouched. The dice will lie on this face until the other faces dry. Then we turn it over and cover it too.

6. It is advisable to download the virtual dice program. And to do this, we take a mobile phone and install the BASIC computer language interpreter on it. It can be downloaded from many sites without any problems. Launch the installed interpreter and enter:

• 10 A%=MOD (RND (0),4)+3
• 20 IF A%=0 THEN GOTO 10
• 30 PRINT A%40 END

Now every time you start using the RUN command this program will generate random numbers from 1 to 6.

7. To check if they are even dice faces, we use it to obtain six dozen random numbers, and then count how many times each of them occurs. If the sides of the die are even, then the probabilities of each number on the die should be almost equal.

8. Nowadays Board games not in use. But still, do not forget the order in which they are carried out. We draw a map with the paths of the game, or maybe we have a store-bought one lying around somewhere. Then each player places his chip in the starting field, and the game begins. We throw the dice in a circle, one after another. Each player has the right to move his piece exactly as many spaces as the dice he threw showed him. Next we follow the instructions. If you hit the “skip move” space, then rest for the next round, throw “repeat move” again in a row, and so on. The winner is the one who doesn't lose his nerve and whose chip, in the end, reaches the finish line first.

As soon as dice games appeared, there were immediately people who wanted to win in any way. I'm not talking about threats to the opponent in the game, but only about cheating dice, i.e. specially processed dice, which, when thrown, produces the combination of indices (sum of numbers) required by the sharpie. What did cheaters resort to in the Middle Ages, and what is still preserved in the arsenal of modern dishonest players?

I'll start with general description, what is a dice and what is a regular or fair die! A regular die is a six-sided cube, sometimes with rounded edges. There are games that use dice with a different number of sides, but for now we will only talk about dice. So, modern dice can be divided into two types: perfect for casinos and imperfect for home games. But in both cases, the basic rules for fair play are observed:

• The faces of the cube must be equal in size - that’s why a cube is a cube!
• The die must be centered, i.e. faces have an equal chance of appearing
• each face contains its own index (points) with a value from 1 to 6
• the sum of opposite faces is seven:
  1 vs 6
  2 vs 5
  3 vs 4

To avoid fraud, modern casinos use clear, smooth-cut acrylic dice, with their own series and casino brand, which ensure fair play.

And now, without haste, let’s talk about how cheaters push fate. Now we will not talk about the technique of controlled throwing - a cheating technique when dice thrown in a special way give the desired result with almost one hundred percent probability. Now about making special bones, mechanically modified to suit your needs, i.e. Sharpies or Loaded Dice. Of course, no one will make dice that will produce an unfavorable combination - the sum of the numbers on the sides.

Sharpie dice change the result of the roll

How more money bet in a game of dice, the greater the chance that someone will have a desire to change the course of the game in their favor by influencing the throw. Of course, the use of cheating dice can also be found in games with small bets, but still big game is more likely to attract cheaters and scammers.

The first mentions of sharpie dice (in English version it sounds like Crooked Dice) refer to Ancient World. In archaeological excavations in the East, the Middle East and South America, specimens of dice are found that are clearly related to cheaters. There are even references to unfair dice games in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, dating back to the twentieth century BC.

The rules of the game of dice set their own profitable and unfavorable combinations of indices. Changing the correct dice changes the course of the game in favor of whoever is using such cheating dice.

substitution of dice

Sharpie dice in skillful hands are a benefit for their owner. By replacing fair dice with cheating ones during the game, such a player can gain an advantage in the game of up to 99.9 percent. The procedure for replacing cubes is as follows. Holding his dice secretly in his hand, the sharper takes the dice from the table to throw, and now holding them in his hand, throws out his dice. There may be options when the correct dice do not remain in the hand, but are thrown into the lap. Of course, at the end of the game, the fake dice are removed from the game by the sharper.

change in cubic bone shape

There are several options here. First of all, a change in cubic shape. Imagine how the roll of a dice might be affected if at least one of the faces was beveled at a slightly different angle. What if the die is not a cube at all? But it’s not difficult to pull this off either. Literally grinding off a couple of millimeters changes the cube into a rectangular parallipiped, where a wider edge has a greater chance of falling out. Another possibility is also possible: one of the faces is convex, which actually excludes it from the combination.

Such cheating dice, mechanically modified, were widely used in the game of craps, where the combination of “seven” or “eleven” is profitable already on the first point. The imperceptible substitution of casino dice with their own “needed” dice allowed the cheaters to win. What can we say about cheaters! At the dawn of the development of the gambling business, the gambling establishments themselves often resorted to cheating tricks, replacing the dice with ones where these same 7 and 11 did not fall out. Stickman very cleverly introduced and removed such incorrect dice in craps, changing the casino advantage in his favor.

I want to tell you that a concave edge, creating a vacuum effect, can also affect the throw, especially if the throw is made on a rough surface.

Mechanical changes in the faces of the cube, sometimes completely invisible to the eye, can also affect the outcome of the game. The standard beveled edge angle is 45 degrees. Changing the bevel of several faces to sixty changes the cast. A sharper than standard edge angle also affects the throw. Of course, when thrown, the dice will tend to land on a sharper angle.

I found this set for sale on the Internet. It is proposed to make dice with a shift in the center of gravity, and you can choose which face to “remove” from the throw, i.e. make heavier.

displacement of the cube's center of gravity

Another physical change to the dice that affects the outcome is adding weight to one of the faces of the die. As you understand, it is not the form that changes, but the content. Yes Yes! Literally, content. The die was drilled on the desired face and filled with a weighting agent. The hole was then skillfully sealed with bone material. And then it’s a matter of technology. The roll was more likely to throw the indices needed for the dice, since the die lands on a harder side. Modern dice are usually made of plastic, which when heated “drains” under the influence of gravity. Now, if you heat a dice in the oven and, most importantly, pull it out in time, the heated edge will change its density and become heavier. Such dice are called “baked” dice.

The second option for changing the center of gravity is to leave a void under the face of the cube. The required face is made hollow, i.e. the edge becomes lighter and its index appears more often in the throw, since, again, the opposite edge is heavier and the die falls on it.

mercury dice

A trick with dice, bordering on the impact on the health of the person remaking the dice. Mercury tends to roll around; it does not fill the entire space. The essence of the sharpie transfer dice with mercury is as follows. The cube is drilled from one side to the other. Next, the hollow part is filled with mercury, but not completely. The hole made is sealed. When playing, a certain skill in throwing is required, calculated on the fact that the heavy mercury will not have time to roll from one side to the other. A sliding throw is preferred, i.e. when the bone does not tumble, but slides along the thrown surface. However, such a throw already belongs to the category of fraudulent, however, mercury gives a greater probability of falling out on the side that was set by the hand of the thrower.

convex indices

These are perhaps the most easily identifiable changes to the dice. The side of the cube with convex indices causes the cube to roll to the desired side. Although this is not such an effective change, such cheating dice still occur.

elastic sharpie dice

We are not talking about rubber dice. Rather, there are problems of terminology; in my opinion, the most successful and descriptive name for this type of sharp dice has been chosen. But I will explain the essence in detail. A certain edge or edges are ground down and replaced with the same appearance material, but different in elasticity. When thrown, the replaced face tends to bounce and roll to the other face.

sticky dice

These sharpie dice are made on the principle of elastic dice, but only the material that replaces one of the faces is sticky. Or the edge is coated with a special compound. Under certain conditions (for example, a player blows on the dice before throwing), the properties of the material change, and when the cube comes into contact with the table surface, it literally sticks with the required (or rather, unnecessary) edge.

smooth dice

Again, we are not talking about a perfectly smooth dice on all sides. Only one of the edges will be polished to perfection, while the other sides will be rough. The difference is so insignificant that it is difficult to feel. But this is enough so that, with a skillful throw from a sharpie, such a bone will stop on the smoother side.

Pay attention to the packaging inscription “Loaded Dice”, and below (translated into Russian) “Guaranteed roll of 7 or 11”. The prominent sides of these transparent acrylic cubes show two sixes on the left dice and three fives on the right. These cheating dice are also available for sale in online stores.

distorted bone markings

The category of these dice belongs to the category of fraud, designed for the inattention of players. The sum of the numbers on opposite fair dice is seven. Indexes from one to six. Double dice have a different indexing, in which the loss of certain sums of numbers is not possible in principle. Of course, such dice will not have an index greater than six. But two dice with indices on the sides 1-1-3-3-5-5 will never roll a seven. Whereas two dice with indices 2-2-5-5-6-6 are guaranteed to give you 7 or 11.

There is another option for changing the marking: all faces of the sharpie die will have the same index. But such dice are used very rarely, since only a drunk player can fail to notice all six sixes.

magnetic sharpie dice

Here we will talk about a more elaborate fraud. Again, mechanical inclusions in the edge of the dice, but now metal, allow you to get the desired result when using a certain surface. What is a specific surface? This is a special table that, with the help of switched-on electromagnetic radiation, stops such a sharpie's dice in the throw required by the sharper. Or in the throw required for the gaming establishment. If another player rolls the dice, the magnet may be turned off. Here, of course, there is a percentage of luck of the player who does not resort to cheating. However, magnetic sharp dice are an almost 100% success rate in the game.

attention! it can be dangerous to health

Any sensible player, and we count ourselves among such reasonable players, will never resort to dishonest tricks and tricks. People! Dice games don't even have the bluffing element of poker. Play fairly, relying on fate. And if you really want to use cheating dice in a game, then do it with friends who will laugh with you at a successful draw. Absolutely do not use cheating dice when playing with strangers. Dangerous to health, at least!

how to avoid foul play

If the dice are not made of clear acrylic, how can you check whether the center of gravity is shifted? It's simple. Dip the dice into the water several times. You can use a glass of juice, clear, of course. If, every time you throw into the water, the dice shows you the same index, then the dice is a cheater with a displaced center of gravity. The weighted edge will tip down every time, and if the edge is hollow, it will end up on top (the bone will not even be completely immersed in the liquid). In principle, the weighted edge can be felt by touch. But I have never succeeded in doing this. But water helps. No no! Don’t think that every dice game I play requires testing the dice for “fairness.” I prefer playing with friends.

This, in fact, is the The first and most important rule is how to avoid unfair play. Don't play with strangers. But also with yours - play, but check. That’s why I continue to teach how to recognize cheating dice.

Take a pair of dice in your hands and check one by one how the edges of the cubes touch. This is necessary to determine whether the faces are equal, whether there are convex or concave surfaces, whether the edges are cut to an obtuse angle. Convex edges can be detected by placing the die against a flat table surface. Press the bones down with each side at a time, making sure they don't roll.

Now let’s check the indices on the edges. Are all six available? 1-2-3-4-5-6. And the sum of the faces. At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that regular dice have a sum of opposite sides equal to seven. Sharpie dice, designed for the player’s inattention, are perhaps one of the most common.

You can feel the replaced face of a cube with another material. Run your fingernail along each edge to make sure they are made of the same material.

By simply feeling the edges of the dice, the indices are checked for convexity. Ideally, the indices should not protrude above the surface of the side of the cube.

There is a belief among players that blowing on the dice before throwing may be a sign to test the dice for the stickiness of the material. Perhaps one of the edges is painted with a substance that, when heated (the player's breath), becomes viscous and begins to stick to other surfaces.

In any case, it doesn’t hurt to check the sides of the bones for smoothness or roughness. The smoother side will fall down when thrown.

Dice have been used by humans for thousands of years.

In the 21st century, new technologies make it possible to throw the dice at any convenient time, and if you have Internet access, in a convenient place. A dice is always with you at home or on the road.

The dice generator allows you to roll online from 1 to 4 dice.

Roll the dice online honestly

When using real dice, sleight of hand or specially made dice with an advantage on one side can be used. For example, you can spin the cube along one of the axes, and then the probability distribution will change. A special feature of our virtual cubes is the use of a software pseudo-random number generator. This allows us to ensure a truly random occurrence of this or that result.

And if you bookmark this page, then your online dice They won’t get lost anywhere and will always be at hand at the right time!

Some people have adapted to using online dice for fortune telling or making forecasts and horoscopes.

Have fun, have a nice day and good luck!