Bau Cua Tom Ca — the Vietnamese dice game, free online

Bau Cua Tom Ca (also written Bầu Cua Tôm Cá, “gourd, crab, prawn, fish”) is a traditional Vietnamese dice game played at Lunar New Year and family gatherings. Six symbols — gourd, crab, prawn, fish, rooster and deer — sit on the board, and three dice decide the round. This version brings that table to the browser: one shared room, a real dice bowl, in-table chat and a Top 100 board, played with virtual points instead of money.

The same game travels under several names. In China it is Hoo Hey How (fish-prawn-crab); in Cambodia, Klah Klok. British sailors played Crown and Anchor with a crown, an anchor and four card suits, while American carnivals used numbered dice and called it Chuck-a-luck. The rules belong to one family — and all five tables are available here.

How a round works

1. Choose a chip size, then tap one or more doors on the six-square board.
2. The whole table picks in the same short window; the bowl shakes in the middle.
3. Three dice are revealed. Every die showing a door you picked pays that door.
4. Points are added to your wallet immediately, and the next round starts.

The reward is simple to read: one matching die pays 1:1, two matching dice pay 2:1, and all three pay 3:1. It is a game of chance, so no pattern or “system” can promise a win. Play for the table atmosphere, not for a guaranteed return.

Five dice tables in one place

Start with the Vietnamese table, then try the regional versions: Hoo Hey How (Chinese fish-prawn-crab), Chuck-a-luck (American numbered dice), Crown and Anchor (British crown, anchor and card suits), and Klah Klok (the Cambodian board with a tiger). Each table has its own colours, logo and music, but the same wallet, chat and leaderboard.

Free to play, virtual points only

There is no top-up, no withdrawal and no cash prize. Points are a game currency for picking doors and climbing the leaderboard; they cannot be bought, sold, transferred or converted into money. Ads sit at the edges of the page, never around the board, so a tap on a door is never a tap on an ad. Read the rules and odds or the about page for the full picture.

Tips for your first rounds

• Start with small chips and learn the rhythm of the round window.
• Spread a few doors instead of chasing one symbol every round.
• Watch the table total and the last results, but remember each roll is independent.
• Use the in-table chat to say hello — a full table is more fun than an empty one.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to try? Open the table or read the full rules first.