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types of dice

Posted By: Chuck Bower
Date: Saturday, 29 September 2007, at 4:39 p.m.

In Response To: types of dice (Bob Koca)

The re-manufacturers of backgammon dice start with Vegas dice (except smaller -- other than that the same, and made by the same people). Then either on a lathe or milling machine (both methods work and both have been used) shaves the corners and edges to be precisely rounded (but not simply spherized).

The size of the craps table and the wool-felt surface (plus the rule that you must throw to the opposite end of the table and hit the wall at least once) lead to good randomness (well, there may be some mechanics, but that's another subject) as the sharp corners dig into the felt. Large dice are way easier to see.

Very few people have wool-felt BG surfaces and also they don't have the infinitely deep pockets to allow them to replace the surfaces as frequently as at a casino. The playing surface is also much smaller as are the walls. Rounded edges help with all these issues; smaller dice help with the randomness because of the small playing surface.

Not to mention the pain and wounds that would be inflicted by "vigorous shaking" of non-rounded corner dice!

Messages In This Thread

• types of dice
  Bob Koca -- Thursday, 27 September 2007, at 6:35 p.m.
  • types of dice
    DC-Ohio -- Thursday, 27 September 2007, at 8:10 p.m.
    • types of dice
      Bob Koca -- Thursday, 27 September 2007, at 9:05 p.m.
      • types of dice
        DC-Ohio -- Thursday, 27 September 2007, at 11:06 p.m.
      • types of dice
        Chuck Bower -- Saturday, 29 September 2007, at 4:47 p.m.
  • Easy answer?
    Stick -- Friday, 28 September 2007, at 8:06 a.m.
  • types of dice
    Chuck Bower -- Saturday, 29 September 2007, at 4:39 p.m.