Bầu cua cá cọp (; also Bầu cua tôm cá or Lắc bầu cua) is a Vietnamese gambling game using three dice.[1] [2] The game is often played at Vietnamese New Year.
Instead of showing one to six pips, the sides of the dice have pictures of a fish; a prawn; a crab; a cock; a calabash; and a stag (or a tiger). Players place wagers on a board that has the six pictures, betting on which pictures will appear. If one die corresponds with a bet, the bettor receives the same amount as their bet. If two dice correspond with a bet, the bettor receives two times their money. If three dice correspond with a bet, the bettor receives three times their money, if one were to place 3 đồng on fish, and the dealer rolls 1 fish, 1 crab and 1 stag, then the bettor would receive 3 đồng while keeping the 3 đồng they had bet. Any money not rewarded for the round is kept in a central pool managed by the dealer, who rolls the dice.
Bầu cua cá cọp is essentially the Vietnamese variation of Hoo Hey How (Fish-Prawn-Crab) played in China, and Klah Klok/Kla Klouk which is the Cambodian version,[3] and the dice game Crown and Anchor played by British sailors, or chuck-a-luck played in America.