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The Liar’s Dice scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was a pivotal scene in the movie, driving an element of conflict. In the scene, Will Turner, Davy Jones, and Will’s father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, engage in a highly tense game of psychological warfare while they are on board the Flying Dutchman.
Bootstrap explains to Will that they can’t just take the key to the Dead Man’s Chest from Davy Jones, and so instead challenge him to a game of Lair’s Dice. They ultimately end up winning the game of chance by cornering Jones into making a mistake through his arrogance. But would this fictional game of chance, so pivotal to the drama within the memorable scene, translate into an online casino game? Let’s explore the possibilities.
The Basics of Liar’s Dice
For the best gaming experience of Liar’s Dice, at least three players are required, and each one gets five six-sided dice and a cup. Players then shake their dice in the cup and turn the cup upside down on the table to conceal their dice from other players.
Players then take a peek at their dice, and bidding begins on options like “three fives” if a player believes that there will be at least three dice on the table showing a number five. There are rounds of bidding, where players can increase the number of dice, like a player backing four fives, or changing the face value to sixes.
Players can bid on just the quantity of a number showing, the face value or both. Then the big call comes from a bidder calling out “Liar!” if they don’t believe a player’s bid. At that point, all dice are revealed to determine the result, and a player loses a die for a false bid or an incorrect call of “Liar!”. Rounds continue until the player who holds the final dice wins outright.
Adapting Liar’s Dice for Online Gambling
This game already includes many good gambling elements, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it offered in an online casino. It’s closest to poker. Nowadays you could play poker at any legal casino after funding your account via your preferred payment method such as bank cards or e-wallets. Among the latter Skrill is one of the most popular, and casinos that accept it are expertly reviewed and evaluated at Legal Casino. Sure enough, these platforms offer poker, and Liar’s Dice, just like poker, is all about the bluffing, calls, raises and so on. Here’s how a reworking of the game could shape up:
Buy In
A casino version would have to start with an actual buy-in, because in the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest film, service of 100 years on Davy Jones’ crew was at stake, and a real-life version would instead need something more tangible than that. An ante before each round would create the central game pot, so there’s always something on the line.
Per Round Betting
The pot could also be added to with further bets and raises during a round of betting. This would further encourage strategies like bluffing and help drive up the intensity of the game. The meat of the game would come down to the challenge, which leads just two players into a new phase of betting.
- Call Bet: Whoever comes in with the challenge of “Liar!” would have to place a bet to initiate it, maybe at two times the current bet value.
- Raise-Bet: The challenged person would have the opportunity to bet or raise that call bet.
Side Bet
Players could also have the opportunity to put down a side bet, which would require a side point as well. This would be for calling exactly the correct number of the nominated dice number, and doing so would mean that they claim that side pot. If incorrect, the money would stay in to progressively build it.
The House
One potential issue would be getting enough players at the table to start playing. A single player, for example, can sit at a blackjack table and get straight into the action as the only player. But a game of Liar’s Dice, while it can work with two players, is better with at least three.
Having a dealer participate (as they do in blackjack and baccarat) wouldn’t be an option, because Liar’s Dice involves them making betting calls, which could be subjective and is why poker dealers don’t play. So, like poker, it’s a game which is player against player and not against the house.
But for a slot machine version of Liar’s Dice, the house could act as a player in a one-vs-one situation, operating from a random number generator on each turn for game fairness.
The Feel of the Game
Liar’s Dice could be quite a fast-paced and engaging casino game. By combining the antes, round betting and the actual challenge of getting in-game calls and challenges correct, Liar’s Dice is a good blend of strategy and chance.