The Historical and Cultural Roots of Bầu Cua
Also known as Bầu Cua Cá Cọp (gourd-crab-fish-tiger) or Bau Cua Tom Ca, Bầu Cua is a traditional gambling game played in Vietnam during Lunar New Year celebrations. It’s basically a dice game played on a board with three dice. Each die has six sides, with each side displaying the image of a fish, prawn, crab, rooster, gourd, or deer/tiger. The dealer rolls the dice, and players place bets on which image will appear to win a prize.
This dice game is also played in China in the form of Hoo Hey How. Other similar versions include Crown and Anchor in Britain and chuck-a-luck in America. While it’s hard to trace its origins, it’s believed that Vietnamese Bầu Cua Cá Cọp was invented by workers in rice paddies in the northern parts of the country. It’s now a popular cultural game that brings friends and family together. What’s more, you can play it at the best online casinos for real money.
Traditional Gameplay and Rules of Bầu Cua
Bau Cua Tom Ca is played with three dice with images of fish, prawns, crabs, roosters, gourds and tigers or deer on the sides. The pictures are painted on a board on which players can place their bets. In traditional Bầu Cua rules, each game round begins when the dealer shakes or rolls the three dice, which are covered in a bowl.
Players place their bets on the board according to the images they think the dice will reveal when the bowl is lifted. If luck strikes and one die corresponds with your bet, your win is equal to your bet. On the other hand, two corresponding dice pay two times the bet, while three corresponding dice pay three times your wager. You lose your bet if none of the predictions are correct.
Transition to Online Gaming of Bầu Cua
Many culturally specific forms of gambling have found their way into the iGaming world. Today, players can visit the top Vietnamese online casinos to play Bầu Cua and other casino games. Speaking of Bau Cua, the online variant of this dice game is still played on a virtual board with three dice. The software version allows you to play without a dealer since it uses a random number generator (RNG) to calculate the outcomes in each round.
If your friends and family are not around, you can easily play Bau Cua online alone. There’s an option to play free Bầu Cua to practice before placing real money wagers. If you are interested, we recommend reading our complete online casino reviews to find the best gambling platforms. Then you can pick one, sign up, and claim a bonus after depositing to play Bau Cua and other online casino games.