A storm is coming, one of those heavy Nor’easters, and you’ve got friends over. Everyone is lounging. Booze flows, someone breaks out a joint, and you decide the time is right to introduce Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage with its hard, melodious vibe—and then the lights go out. What do you do to pass the time? Gather into an empty corner of your apartment where the moonlight is strong, take out three dice and some cash, and play Cee-lo.
Cee-lo, or “dice,” is a game typically played in New York City neighborhoods that’s somewhat akin to casino craps. Its origins can be traced back to 1674’s The Compleat Gamester, the leading guide to the rules of then-popular games. Therein, English translator Charles Cotton described “…the most ancient of all games of chance,” Passe-dix.
At times used by executioners, Passe-dix was played with three dice, and “there is always a banker and the number of players is unlimited.” A game of passe-dix began when a “cafter” made a wager, apparently placing it into a “box,” and the surrounding “gamesters” followed suit. The cafter then threw the dice. If the sum of dice is less than 10, then the cafter, along with the other gamesters, lose their stakes to the banker. But if the cafter throws the dice and the sum is above (or “passes”) 10, then the banker pays the gamesters—and all other players—double their wager. The role of cafter and banker rotates. It’s not clear what happens when the dice add to 10 even, or when a roll shows a 4, 5 and 6.
In one spot in Harlem, a banking-style game of Cee-lo occurs in a somewhat similar fashion to a game of Passe-dix. A game of Cee-lo begins when a designated banker puts up an amount against which other players, in a clockwise fashion, must “fade.” If the banker puts up $10, then those betting against the banker’s impending roll (or another designated roller) must put up as much as they desire, up to the banker’s initial bet. For example, three players might put up fades of $3, $2, and $5, for a total of $10, matching the banker’s central bet. If players don’t match the banker’s total, then the game is played only for the stakes the players cover, and the banker is forced to take out the “unfaded” portion.
When all bets have been placed, it’s time to let the dice do their thing. The banker rolls first. The banker automatically wins if he or she rolls a combination 4-5-6 (known as a “cee-lo”); triples (5-5-5, e.g.), AKA “trips”; or a pair (5 and below) coupled by a 6. The banker automatically loses all bets if he/she rolls a 1-2-3, or a pair (2 and above) coupled by a 1.
If the banker rolls a pair, coupled by a 2, 3, 4, or 5, it’s called a “point.” If a banker does not automatically win, lose, or set a “point,” then he or she re-rolls until one of those outcomes occurs. Once the banker’s point has been established, each player is given the chance to roll to settle his or her individual bet against the banker, according to the rules and outcomes described above. Since the banker has the added advantage of winning all bets at the beginning, the role typically goes next to the player who wins with a combination 4-5-6 or “trips.”
There are no universal rules to Cee-lo and that’s okay: variations, which tend to vary based on locality, add intrigue and excitement. In one variation, all players place in an equal amount into the “pot,” or give to a banker who might not roll. In this instance, if the first player rolls a 4-5-6—an automatic win in the aforementioned variation—then other players will lose only if they do not match that roll. If they do, the players roll again in a “shootout.” In many instances, side betting can occur, and a roll of cee-lo (4-5-6) or “trips” may pay out double, triple, or more. Similarly, if players roll the same “point” (3-3-4 / 3-3-4, e.g.) it’s called a “push” and bets are doubled. All rules should be agreed upon before any game in played, even in an apocalyptic snowstorm.
What this means for your moonlit shindig is your choice, though two things will be certain: money will change hands, and often, and most will have fun—without the aid of electricity, or electronics.