The Bank Dice Game: Complete Rules, Scoring & Strategy

A no-nonsense guide to the dice game everyone's bringing to game night.

Bank is one of the simplest, most addictive dice games you can play with friends. All you need is two dice, two or more players, and someone willing to keep score. The premise: you build up a shared pile of points called the Bank, and at any moment, anyone can shout "BANK!" and take it for themselves — but the longer you wait, the bigger the payout, and the bigger the risk that someone rolls a 7 and the round ends with nothing.

This page covers the full rules, the scoring edge cases that always cause arguments, and a simple way to keep the math out of your way so you can focus on the trash talk.

What is the Bank dice game?

Bank is a turn-based party dice game played with two six-sided dice. Players take turns rolling, adding the result to a shared Bank pile. On any turn — yours or someone else's — you can call BANK and take the current Bank total into your personal score. Once you bank, you sit out the rest of the round. Rolling a 7 (after the first three rolls) ends the round and wipes out whatever's left in the Bank for anyone who hadn't called it yet.

Bank typically plays in 10, 15, or 20 rounds. After the last round, the player with the highest personal score wins.

What you need to play

• 2 to 8 players — works great with anywhere in that range
• Two six-sided dice — that's it
• A scorekeeper — called the Banker
• 10–40 minutes depending on round count and group size

The Banker's job used to mean paper, pens, and constant recalculating — especially when doubles double the score. That's the part the Bank Rolls app handles automatically.

Quick rules summary

1. Pick a number of rounds: 10, 15, or 20 (20 is standard).
2. Going clockwise, each player rolls both dice and the sum is added to the Bank.
3. On the first three rolls of a round: a 7 = 70 points and the round continues; doubles add face value only.
4. From the fourth roll on: a 7 ends the round; doubles double the entire Bank total.
5. Anyone can shout BANK at any time to lock in the current Bank total as personal points. Once you bank, you sit out the round.
6. The round ends when someone rolls a 7 (after roll three) or every player has banked.
7. After all rounds, highest personal total wins.

How to play, step by step

1. Set up the game

Enter every player's name into the Bank Rolls app and choose one person to be the Banker — the scorekeeper who manages the app. Each player should have access to two dice when it's their turn. Most groups sit around a table and rotate clockwise.

Then choose the round count: 10 for a quick game, 15 for medium, or 20 for the classic full game.

2. Get the game rolling

The first player rolls both dice and calls out the sum (e.g., a 2 and a 3 = 5). The Banker taps that number into the app, which adds it to the running Bank total. Then the next player clockwise rolls, and so on.

3. Understand the "first three rolls" rules

The first three rolls of every round follow special rules that protect the Bank from ending too quickly:

• Rolling a 7 — adds 70 points to the Bank and the round continues.
• Rolling doubles — adds the face value only (two 1s = 2 points, two 5s = 10 points, two 6s = 12 points). Doubles do not double the Bank during the first three rolls.
• Any other roll — the sum is added to the Bank as normal.

This is the "safe" portion of a round — perfect for building a base before the real risk kicks in.

4. Switch to standard rules on roll four

Starting with the fourth roll of the round, the rules shift to the high-stakes version:

• Rolling a 7 — the round ends immediately. Anyone who hadn't banked yet gets nothing for that round.
• Rolling doubles — the entire Bank total is doubled. A Bank of 80 becomes 160, just like that.
• Any other roll — sum is added to the Bank as normal.

5. Calling BANK

At any point — even when it isn't your turn — you can shout "BANK!" to lock in the current Bank total. The Banker pauses the game, taps BANK in the app, and selects your name. The current Bank total is added to your personal score.

Important nuances:

• You can only bank once per round.
• Once you bank, you sit out the rest of the round — no more rolling, no more banking.
• There's no limit on how many players can bank in a single round.
• Players who never bank in a round get nothing for that round (but they keep their existing total from previous rounds).

6. Ending the round

A round ends when one of two things happens:

• Someone rolls a 7 (after the first three rolls), or
• Every player has called BANK

Then a new round begins. Everyone — including players who banked last round — is back in and can roll and bank again.

7. Ending the game

Once you've played all 10, 15, or 20 rounds, the player with the highest personal score wins. The Bank Rolls app shows a podium with the final standings.

Strategy tips

Bank looks like pure luck, but the BANK timing decision is real strategy:

• Don't bank too early. Banking 30 points in round 1 feels safe, but you've taken yourself out of the round. If the Bank balloons to 400 because of two sets of doubles, you'll be watching it from the sidelines.
• Don't bank too late, either. Once the Bank is fat and several players have already banked, the remaining rollers are statistically likely to hit a 7. Lock in your win.
• Watch the roll count. The transition from "roll 3 is safe" to "roll 4 ends on a 7" is the single biggest tension point in the game.
• Doubles are a known unknown. With every roll there's a 1-in-6 chance of doubles. After roll three, that's a 1-in-6 chance of doubling whatever's already in the Bank.
• Late-game catch-up. If you're behind heading into the last round or two, wait longer before banking. You need a big swing, not a safe one.

Common scoring questions

Does a 7 on roll three end the round?

No. The "7 = 70 points, round continues" rule applies on rolls one, two, and three. The round-ending behavior kicks in starting with roll four.

What if doubles are rolled on roll three?

Still face value only — two 4s would add 8 points to the Bank, not double it.

What about double 7s — wait, can you roll a 7 as doubles?

No. The lowest doubles total is 2 (two 1s) and the highest is 12 (two 6s). 7 can't be made from two equal dice, so doubles and the 7 rule never collide.

If everyone banks before a 7 is rolled, what happens?

The round ends. A new round starts and everyone's back in.

Can the Banker also play?

Yes, the Banker plays normally — they just also manage the app while doing it.

Why use an app to keep score?

Bank's math is easy until doubles hit. Then your scorekeeper has to double a number like 137 in their head, immediately, while six people are yelling. Then someone calls BANK and they need to add 274 to a personal score they were tracking on a napkin.

The Bank Rolls app handles all of it:

• Automatic doubling on doubles (after roll three)
• Automatic 70-point handling for early 7s
• One-tap BANK button — pick a player, points go to their total
• Live scoreboard so everyone can see where they stand
• Automatic round transitions and end-of-game results
• Game state is saved automatically — close the app, come back, keep playing

Frequently asked questions

What is the Bank dice game?

Bank is a social dice game for 2 to 8 players using two six-sided dice. Players take turns rolling and adding to a shared Bank total, then choose when to lock in points for themselves before someone rolls a 7.

How many players can play Bank?

2 to 8. Bigger groups make the strategy more interesting because the Bank grows faster between your turns.

What happens when you roll a 7 in Bank?

On the first three rolls of the round, a 7 adds 70 points to the Bank and play continues. From the fourth roll onward, a 7 ends the round immediately.

What do doubles do in Bank?

On the first three rolls, doubles add face value (e.g., two 3s = 6). From the fourth roll on, doubles double the entire Bank total.

Can more than one person Bank in the same round?

Yes. Any number of players can Bank in a round, but each player only gets one Bank per round, and once they do, they sit out the rest of the round.

How long does a game of Bank take?

A 20-round game typically runs 20 to 40 minutes. A 10-round game is great for a quick session.

What's the best round count for new players?

Start with 10 rounds to get comfortable with the timing of when to call BANK. Move up to 20 once everyone understands the doubles and 7s rules.