Bo Bing (game)

Mandarin Chinese: 博餅; pinyin: Bóbǐng (Hokkien Chinese: 博餅 / 跋餅; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Poa̍h-piáⁿ, also known in Hokkien Chinese: 跋狀元餅; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Po̍ah-chiōng-gôan-piáⁿ) is a Chinese dice game traditionally played as part of the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is traditionally played with six dice and a china bowl.

Bo Bing
Six dice in a bowl: a roll of 1-2-3-4-5-6 is a Bangyan, and its prize is the second largest mooncake
Other namesPo̍ah-(chiōng-gôan)-piáⁿ Poa̍h-tiong-chhiu
Years active17th century - present
GenresDice game
Players2+
ChanceHigh
Materials requiredSix dice, a bowl
Bo Bing
Traditional Chinese博餅
Simplified Chinese博饼
Literal meaningGamble for Pastry
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese博狀元餅
Simplified Chinese博状元饼
Literal meaningGamble for Champion Pastry
Pua Tiong Chiu
Traditional Chinese跋中秋
Literal meaningGamble for Mid-Autumn Festival

The game dates back to the 1600s when it is said to have been invented by the Chinese general Koxinga of the Southern Ming, along with his lower officer Hong Xu. Zheng was stationed with his troops in Amoy planning the Siege of Fort Zeelandia to take Dutch Formosa, which had been occupied by the Dutch since 1624. The game was an attempt to boost the morale of Koxinga's homesick troops during the Mid-Autumn Festival.[1] The game became popular in Amoy (now Xiamen) and is considered a folk game.

The Hokkien Chinese name Po̍ah-piáⁿ translates as "gambling for cakes", and the game traditionally has 63 different sized mooncakes as prizes for the winning players: 32 of the smallest cake, half as many of the next largest, and so on ending with a single large Chiōng-gôan cake.[1] In modern times, the game's instructions are often printed on mooncake packaging, although the game is also played with prizes of daily necessities, household appliances or money.[1]

In the Philippines, the game is known as "Pua Tiong Chiu" (Hokkien Chinese: 跋中秋; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Poa̍h-tiong-chhiu) among the Chinese Filipino community,[2] where the prizes are often usually money and/or appliances for adults and sometimes toys and food for children or sometimes mooncakes known in Hokkien Chinese: 中秋餅; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiong-chhiu-piáⁿ or Hokkien Chinese: 月餅; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ge̍h-piáⁿ.

Rules

The game requires six dice and a wide mouthed bowl. The first player is assigned and rolls the dice and wins a specific prize depending on the dice combination. The dice are then passed to the next person, and the process is repeated until there are no prizes left.[3] A throw is declared invalid if at least one of the dice lands outside the bowl.[2]

Prize Combination name Number of cakes available Dice results
Mandarin Hokkien English

1st Place
狀元 (Trad.) / 状元 (Simp.)
zhuàngyuán (Pinyin)
chiōng-gôan (POJ)

紅六博 (Trad.) / 红六博 (Simp.) / 六紅 (Trad.) / 六红 (Simp.)

hóngliùbó / liùhóng (Pinyin)

六紅

la̍k-hông (POJ)

Six Fours 1 Six 4-faces
要點六博 (Trad.) / 要点六博 (Simp.) / 六子

yàodiǎnliùbó / liùzǐ (Pinyin)

六博 / 六卜

la̍k-pok (POJ)

Six Ones Six 1-faces
黑六博 / 六子

hēiliùbó / liùzǐ (Pinyin)

六博 / 六卜

la̍k-pok (POJ)

Six of a Kind Six of any number, except four or one
五紅 (Trad.) / 五红 (Simp.)

wǔhóng (Pinyin)

五紅

gō͘-hông / gǒ͘-hông (POJ)

Five Fours Five 4-faces
五子

wǔzǐ (Pinyin)

五子

gō͘-chí / gǒ͘-chí (POJ)

Five of a Kind Five of any number, except four
四紅 (Trad.) / 四红 (Simp.)

sìhóng (Pinyin)

四紅

sì-hông (POJ)

Four Fours Four 4-faces
2nd Place 榜眼 / 探花 / 對堂 (Trad.) / 对堂 (Simp.)

bǎngyǎn / tànhuā / duìtáng (Pinyin)

對堂 / 對同 / 榜眼 / 探花

tùi-tn̂g / tùi-tâng / póng-gán / thàm-hoa (POJ)

Straight & Three of a Kind 2 All numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6) in sequence, or 2 sets of three of the same number, except four.

(Example, Two sets of three numbers)
3rd Place 會元 (Trad.) / 会元 (Simp.) / 三紅 (Trad.) / 三红 (Simp.)

huìyuán / sānhóng (Pinyin)

三紅 / 會元

sam-hông / hōe-oân (POJ)

Three Fours 8 Three 4-faces, any number for the three remaining dice.
4th Place 進士 (Trad.) / 进士 (Simp.) / 四進 (Trad.) / 四进 (Simp.)

jìnshì / sìjìn (Pinyin)

四進 / 進士

sì-chìn / chìn-sǐ (POJ)

Four of a Kind 4 Four of any number, except four
5th Place 舉人 (Trad.) / 举人 (Simp.) / 二舉 (Trad.) / 二举 (Simp.)

jǔrén / èrjǔ (Pinyin)

二舉 / 舉人

dī-kú / lī-kú / kí-lîn (POJ)

Two Fours 16 Two 4-faces, any number for the four remaining dice.
6th Place 秀才 / 一秀

xiùcái / yīxiù (Pinyin)

一秀 / 秀才

it-siù / siù-châi (POJ)

One Four 32 A 4-face, any number for the five remaining dice.
A blank dice denotes a result of any number outside the given exceptions
Mooncakes

If a player makes an ultimate throw, they receive all of the other mooncakes designated for 6th to 1st place, even those which were already awarded. This rule can be omitted to ensure all players receive a prize.[3]

Sometimes, the 3rd and 4th place are switched by game organizers.

Rituals

Some players believe in rituals when playing the game that they believe will give them good luck. Reported practices includes throwing the dice with one or two hands, or exclaiming "Chiong Wan!"[2]

References

  1. "Mooncake gambling odds-on festival favourite". China Daily. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  2. See, Stanley Baldwin (17 September 2015). "Playing the Mooncake Festival's centuries-old dice game". GMA News. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  3. "Chinese Moon Festival Dice Game" (PDF). Westchester Association of Chinese Americans. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
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