If you’ve been around here for any time, you know we love dice and cards so when we find a game that uses both like the Wichita Card and Dice Game, you know we have to play! This game also goes by Polish Poker. But Polish Poker can also be the name of the card game Golf where you have card on the table and try to match pairs and the Polish Poker Rummy game that is a game to explore later.
So for this post, we’re going with the name Wichita. It’s a simple game to learn and fun and frustrating to play! Part luck, part strategy. I was going to tell you it’s similar to games like Rolling Stone or Fe Fi Fo Fum or even Play or Pay, but really it’s not like anything else we’ve played.
In this post we’re going to cover what you need, how to play, rules and the vibration I call Crazy Polish Poker that is similar but is a little more…crazy. Let’s get to it.
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What you need for Wichita Card and Dice Game
First, you’ll need a bit of time to play the Wichita card game, usually around 30 minutes to play. You will also need two dice. For a two player game, you’ll need one deck of cards with the jokers removed.
For a 3 or 4 player game you’ll need 2 decks; 5 – 6 players, three deck; 7 – 8 players, four decks. If you need more cards, shop here; Canadians here. We love cute an funny cards, don’t you?
Setting Up Wichita
The set up for Wichita is very simple. First, you shuffle all the cards together and place them in a single draw pile in the middle of the playing area. Next, everyone takes a turn rolling the dice. The player with the highest roll gets to start. You will also need to decide on a point value to play to.
Playing Wichita Card and Dice Game
On your turn, roll the dice. Now you may take cards from the draw pile that match one of the numbers. For example, if you roll a 4 and a 6, you could take 4 cards or 6 cards. You may also start by drawing 4 cards at first and then adding 2 more cards to make 6 if you wish.
Now, you make as many piles as possible that match the sum of the dice rolled. So, using the example of 4 and 6, you can place any number of cards that add up to 10. You could put two 5s, or a 2, 3 and 5. Each pile you make is worth 1 point at the end of the round.
Pile rule
First, you can place as many cards in a stack as is necessary.
Second, a card that matches the sum can be placed as a single pile. So a 10 could be played as a single card in a pile.
Third, you may use addition or subtraction in a pile. For example the cards 6 and 3 can be used to make piles of either 9 or 3. You may not add and subtract in the same pile.
Four: Jacks are worth 11 and Queens are worth 12.
Five: Kings are special. Instead of having a point value, they hold the power to either double or halve the total of the cards in the pile. You can play more than one king in a pile but they both have to either double or halve the total. For example, if you play a 5 and 3 (for a sum of 8) and two kings, the first king would make it 4 and the second king would make it 2 for an end number of 2. Kings must be played last in a pile.
You do not have to play any cards that you can, you can choose to keep them in your hand. Any unused cards, stay in your hand for your next turn.
Extra Points
There are two ways you can earn extra points.
First, if you play all of the cards in your hand, you flip over the top card from the draw pile and place it as a single pile (counting as an extra point). You then get to roll the dice again and have a second turn.
Second, if you put down cards that match the dice, you earn a second point. To show this, make each card its own pile. For example if you roll a 2 and 4 and then place the 2 of hearts and the 4 of clubs, you place each card in its own pile. You do not get a second turn.
When your turn is over, the dice are passed to the left and that player will repeat the process with his own roll of the dice.
When there is not enough cards for a player to draw all the cards of her roll, she takes whatever cards are in the draw pile and plays her turn as normal.
When there are no more cards in the draw pile, the round is over and you move on to scoring.
Scoring Wichita
Each player gets one point for each pile they have in front of them. However, they also lose one point for each card left in their hands.
Winning Wichita Card and Dice Game
The player who reaches the previously agreed upon points wins. If there is a tie, the player with the higher score is the winner.
Crazy Polish Poker
The Crazy Polish Poker game is played very similarly to Wichita with some rule changes. I prefer this game as it’s a little crazy and we like that.
First, you will need a pile of poker chips for each player. Next, you use 1 deck for up to 4 players and 2 decks for 5 to 8 players. You will still need the two dice.
Playing Crazy Polish Poker
First, remove all the Jokers, Aces, 7s and Kings. The next step will be to deal out all the cards evenly, so you may need to remove cards starting with the queens so everyone gets the same number of cards. Now deal out all of the cards.
On your turn, roll both dice. And see what action you take:
If you roll a seven, you put a chip in the middle and your turn is over.
If you have a card that matches the sum of the dice, you discard it. For example, if you roll a 3 and 6 and you have the 9 of spades, you can discard.
When you don’t have a card that matches the sum, place a chip in the middle.
If the person before you doesn’t have a card that matches their roll, and you have more than 2 cards in your hand, you can discard a card that matches their sum. You then get to roll your number.
When you have discarded a card, or place a chip in the middle, the dice move to the left.
When you only have two cards left in your hand, you must roll.
Winning Crazy Polish Poker
The first player who sheds all of her cards is the winner and collects the chips in the middle.
Rule Variations
The first rule change, is if you are able to discard, you roll again until you are unable to play.
The second rule change is if you roll doubles you can keep the dice and roll again even if you don’t have a card to discard. You would still place a chip in the middle. However, if the player to your left can play on the doubles roll, he can discard.
Roll Out the Fun
As I said, I prefer the Crazy Polish Poker Version of this game, but either way you play, you’re sure to have a great amount of fun playing.
If you’re looking for even more fun try out the card games Blind Poker and Peanuts or the dice games Come On Six and Roller Coaster. Be sure to check out our Family Game Shelf shop for tons of seasonal and original games like our Whacky Putt dice mini golf game. And my author page on Amazon—full of escape room books, dice books and much more; Canadians here.
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