What are the cubes called? Cubes - history of the game

Many games use dice, especially in desktop ones. And in this article I would like to tell you everything about dice: myths where they were mentioned, why they are called “dice” and interesting facts.

Dice (dice), one of the most popular and used sources of randomness in board games Oh. They are also called “dice”. In Central Asia and the Caucasus they are called zary. All types of cubes are designated, for example, by the letter “d” (dice), or the letter “k” (cube). After them the number of sides is written: 4, 8, 10, 12. For example: d4, d8, k4, k8, k12 and so on. You may come across the name d% - “percentage cube”. It represents two dice with ten sides. It is understood that one of them will determine the number of tens in the game, and the other will determine the number of units, so that a number up to a hundred is obtained.

Dice are divided into 2 types:

1. irregularly shaped (multifaceted),
2. dice with different symbols that help increase the number of final results, excluding numbers from 1 to 6.

IN gambling ah, dice with names can be used:

• tetrahedron (4 faces),
• cube (6 faces),
• octahedron (8 faces),
• dodecahedron (12 faces),
• icosahedron (20 faces),
• zoccihedron (100 faces), etc.

The zoccihedron dice was created by Lou Zocchi, the date of creation is currently unknown. But, to get numbers from 1 to 100, it is most convenient to use two cubes with 10 sides.

History of dice

Dice were created for entertainment long ago. People liked games with them, and therefore, having survived to this day, it has changed little.

• The oldest dice, found in a Sumerian city during excavations of the king’s tomb, were dated back to 3 thousand years BC. They were made from a stone called lapis lazuli. They had the shape of a pyramid with 4 sides, two corners of which were decorated with special decorations of those times.
• In Chinese and Egyptian burials in XX – VI centuries BC., the dice found are almost identical to our modern ones. Dots in the form of a stylized “bird’s eye” were most often depicted on their edges.
• Gambling dice from the Hellenistic period, with 20 sides, are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The date of these finds is considered 2nd century BC – 4th century AD
• Dice and a set for playing backgammon, found about 5,200 years ago in Iran during excavations in the city of Shanri-Sukhte, are almost no different from today.
• Excavations of the Indian civilization that existed in XX centuries BC, indicate the South Asian origin of the game's dice.
• Based on Greek traditions, the bones were created by Palamedes for soldiers awaiting the battle of Troy, so that they would not get bored in a tedious environment. These games of chance were the most popular form of gaming in Greece, especially among the upper echelons of society. Not a single royal feast was held without these traditional dice.
• This was also very common in Rome. interesting game, especially at the heyday of this empire. After all, the Romans were passionate players, it was very addictive. Although they liked this game, it was prohibited, but this did not stop the Romans. The ban was lifted only during Saturnalia, at that moment all the Romans celebrated the festival of Saturn. Cheating did not appear in our time. In Rome there were professional sharpers who deliberately made the dice heavier for their own use, to win. Several of these bones, which are well preserved, are kept in museums.
• Objects resembling dice with similar symbols were quite often found in the area and in the Roman Empire itself, but the specific application and rules of this game are still shrouded in mystery.
• In Byzantium, in XI, an art was invented that predicted the future with the help of these ordinary bones.
• In the Middle Ages, games with such dice became a favorite pastime, especially for knights. Also in the Middle Ages there were schools and guilds where future players studied and practiced. People, Landsknechts, began to acquire a not very good reputation as the most scandalous players, this was immediately after the fall of feudalism. Their cubes were decorated with elaborate carvings depicting people or animals.
• In the new France, the game of chance with dice was played by knights and ladies, who were not stopped by the reappearing laws prohibiting many things, including the return of the prohibitions of St. Louis in 1254-56.

Why are they called “bones”?

Their name corresponds to the material of their creation. Previously, dice for games were made from animal bones, most often from lamb bones. For example, they took the joint of the leg of an animal above the hoof part, then they called it “grandmothers”. They used bones because they were considered one of the strongest and most durable materials.

If they were made of wood, they quickly became unusable, cracked, and wore out. Dice made from ram bones as an attribute in the home were considered a symbol of wealth. The poor, unable to create from bones, but loving to play, tried to recreate animal bones from other various materials, even using fruit seeds.

In later times, elephant tusks were used to create bones. And rich people could afford dice made from semi-precious stones, such as onyx, agate or amber.

A die (in English "dice", derived from the Old French dé, as well as from the Latin datum, meaning "gift, object for the game") is a small object that, when dropped on a flat surface, takes one of several possible positions with one face up . Dice are used as a means of generating random numbers in gambling. They are also widely used in board and role-playing games.

A traditional die is a die with a number from 1 to 6 printed on each of its six faces. The purpose of the die is to display a randomly determined integer number from one to six, each of which is equally possible due to its regular geometric shape. There are a huge number of varieties of dice: in shape - dice can be polyhedral or irregular in shape, in information content - symbols can be printed on their faces instead of numbers. Differences like these allow dice to be used to produce results different from classical scheme"1-2-3-4-5-6". There are also dice that are weighted on one side or with other changes invisible to the eye, designed to rig the results. The purpose of such dice is to deceive other players for the sake of winning money or just for fun as tricks.

A dice is usually made in the form of a cube with numbers from 1 to 6 printed on its sides (they are usually placed so that the sum of the numbers on diametrically opposite sides is 7). A dice can be considered as a random number generator in an integer interval with almost the same probability of hitting all numbers in the interval. Such generators are designated 1dN.

So, for example, a regular die is 1d6; flipping a coin is the job of a 1d2 generator, etc.

The abbreviation MdN denotes the sum of M applications of 1dN. It should be noted that MdN gives integers in the range . The probability of a number falling out of this interval increases as it approaches its middle (see binomial distribution).

So, for example, using a d4 die and rolling it twice, we get a 2d4 generator, giving the following options:

10 sides

Zocciedron

An example of a generator that does not fall under the definition of MdN: a deck of cards that are not returned to drawn cards. It will be 1dN only for the first attempt, the distributions of subsequent attempts will depend on the previous results.

A set of dice for D&D games.
The last two -
"percentage dice" d100 for
units and tens

Modern dice owe their origin to old game a skill game called “grandmothers,” which was played mainly by women and children. Gameplay consisted of throwing small bones of ungulates, pasterns, which is where the name of the game came from. The tetrahedral shape of the headstocks was the first form of dice in history, and the material used for manufacturing gave it the name that we still use today - “bone”. Modern Mongols still use these tetrahedral “shagai” dice for games and fortune telling. For making modern dice in addition to classic dice pets use materials such as ivory, wood and plastic - cellulose acetate. In historical chronicles, the game of dice and the game of grandmothers are often confused, but each of them has gone its own way from ancient times and is still popular.

In Asia, dice have been common since time immemorial: the oldest dice were found in a backgammon set during archaeological excavations in the city of Shahri Sukhteh, in southeastern Iran. The examination showed that the set is more than 5,000 years old. Other excavations of ancient burial sites of the Indus civilization indicate a South Asian origin for dice. Dice is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda and in the Buddha's list of games that he would not play; In the great Indian epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira and Kauravas gamble the northern principality of Hastinapura, over which a war breaks out.

There are several biblical references to "throwing dice", such as in verse 22. This fact shows that the game of dice was common in the region known as the kingdom of King David.

Gambling with two or three dice was a very popular form of entertainment in Greece, especially among the upper classes. And they were constantly played during feasts.

The Romans were passionate gamblers, especially during the heyday of the Roman Empire. Therefore, the game of dice was also widespread, although it was forbidden to play; the ban was lifted only during the Saturnalia. Horace ridiculed the typical young men of the time who spent their time playing dice instead of riding horses. Throwing dice for money gave rise to many special laws in Rome: one of them stated that a person who allowed gambling in his home could not sue, even if he was cheated or beaten. Already in those days, professional cheaters appeared among the players: in order to win, they deliberately made the dice they used heavier on one side. Now some of these bones are kept in museums.

Dice players were regulars at drinking establishments: surviving frescoes contain images of quarreling gamblers being kicked out of the tavern by the owner.

Twenty-sided dice date back to the 2nd century AD. e.

Tacitus noted that the Germans were passionate fans of dice and could, in the absence of money, bet on their own freedom.

In the Middle Ages, playing dice was a favorite pastime of knights; there were schools of the game and guilds of players. After the fall of feudalism, Landsknechts acquired a reputation as the most scandalous dice players of the time; the cubes were decorated with elaborate carvings depicting people and animals. In France, both knights and ladies played dice, despite repeated laws, including the prohibitions of St. Louis in 1254 and 1256.

Marking on Chinese dominoes originated from the marking of cubes.

Device

Standard dice are small dice, most often 1.6 cm across, whose faces are numbered from one to six, usually with round dots called points. Traditionally, opposite sides of a cube add up to seven, with faces 1, 2 and 3 sharing a common vertex, these faces can be positioned clockwise or counter-clockwise with respect to the vertex. If faces 1, 2 and 3 go counterclockwise, the cube is called a right cube and vice versa. Western dice are usually right-handed, while Chinese dice are left-handed.

The points on the dice are arranged in a special order, as shown in the picture to the right. On Asian dice, the order of scoring is similar to the European one, but the points are located closer to the center of the face; one point is larger than the others, and four points are colored red. In some of the older sets, one point was indicated by an indentation without coloring. The black edge of “one” and the combination of black and white colors on the edge of “four” were considered unlucky, so red, the color of good luck in Chinese culture, was supposed to neutralize this sign. The word for four (四 si) is similar to the word for death (死 si) in Chinese and is considered unlucky. It is likely that the red “fours” are of Indian origin.

The result of throwing a die is considered random, since in this process there are such uncertain factors as the movement of the hand of the thrower and the position of the dice before the throw. Thus, the dice can be considered a prototype of a random number generator. Some people believe that glasses on the sides of cubes made in a certain style cause a slight displacement, but there has been no research to confirm this idea. By the way, this may be true for Asian cubes with an enlarged image of one point. Casino dice are produced with filled-in markings, which confirms the uniform distribution of random numbers.

Dice are thrown one at a time or in groups, from the hand or from a device designed for this purpose, onto a flat surface. The value of the roll is visible on the side of the die that will be the top after it stops. The typical dice game today is craps, in which two dice are rolled simultaneously and bets are made on the sum of the two dice's points. Dice are often used to determine the number of moves on the board. Similar method determining the distance traveled by the player's piece by playing field used in the popular board game Monopoly.

For board games, computer-generated dice results can be used. The values ​​are usually determined using a pseudo random number generator and then displayed on the screen as some side of a die. The other way around is also possible, where dice rolls generate random numbers for computers.

Notes

Literature

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Dice have been used by humans for thousands of years.

In the 21st century, new technologies make it possible to throw the dice at any convenient time, and if you have Internet access, in a convenient place. A dice is always with you at home or on the road.

The dice generator allows you to roll online from 1 to 4 dice.

Roll the dice online honestly

When using real dice, sleight of hand or specially made dice with an advantage on one side can be used. For example, you can spin the cube along one of the axes, and then the probability distribution will change. A special feature of our virtual cubes is the use of a software pseudo-random number generator. This allows us to ensure a truly random occurrence of this or that result.

And if you bookmark this page, then your online dice will not get lost anywhere and will always be at hand at the right time!

Some people have adapted to using online dice for fortune telling or making forecasts and horoscopes.

Have fun, have a nice day and good luck!

Currently, it is no longer possible to accurately determine the date of appearance of the first cubes and their author. History is filled with a huge number of hoaxes on this topic, because many inventors ascribed this primacy to themselves. However, the dice found by archaeologists, which has virtually no differences from the modern one, dotted all the i’s. This event occurred during excavations of the ancient Iranian city of Shahri-Sukhte, which existed more than five thousand years ago. The cube also included a board for playing backgammon, which indicates the popularity of this hobby in those days.

Origin

Before these events, scientists had differing opinions about where the die was invented. Indeed, in the later historical works of India and Greece there are references to the invention of the game of dice by specific people who, as it turned out, only presented a curiosity to the public. For example, representatives of Hellas stated that Palamedes gave cubes to bored soldiers who whiled away the time at the siege of Troy. The ethnic group of India referred to the disdainful recommendations of the Buddha, who argued that a self-respecting person would not plunge himself into the abyss of excitement and throw dice.

Local traditions

In the community of Kievan Rus, this game has undergone some transformations. The result was the game of "grandmother" - entertainment for children and women, which was aimed at developing dexterity. The dice in this case consisted of vertebrae into which lead could be poured if necessary. Old Russian cubes largely inherited their ancestors, from their shape to their use.

Confession

In subsequent periods of history, the popularity of bones only increased. Everyone who could afford it played them. Indeed, in a fit of excitement, it was possible not only to lose property, but also a spouse or even one’s own freedom, because during the times of slavery such an outcome was more than obvious.

The Germans, Byzantines, and later the Landsknechts were known as the most zealous players who deified this process of competing with fortune and, in order to attract her attention, decorated the bones with skillful carvings. Cubes were made from valuable wood, bone and even metal. Already in those troubled times, the first cheaters began to appear, wanting to make money at the expense of naive simpletons. In order for victory to always remain on their side, they made one side of the cube heavier, as a result of which the die acquired a displacement relative to its center of gravity and the chance of some of its faces appearing was much higher. Also, starting from the eleventh century, the art of fortune telling with the help of similar-looking chips spread from the Eastern Roman Empire. It has become comparable in popularity to the traditional methods adopted earlier.

In the Middle Ages, numerous attempts were made to legislatively restrict cubes, but they all encountered silent resistance from society and were only declarative in nature. As you can see, all these attempts failed, because dice are still used in the gambling industry.

Modern Application

Now standard cubes are the same design that was used previously. However, for use in casinos, a certain standard was needed that would exclude fraud. Therefore, it was decided to unify all small and large dice and accept only those whose sides are 16 millimeters in diameter. At the same time, as a result of checking the probability of occurrence of certain combinations, it was found that when drilling points on the surface of the cube, its center of gravity shifts. Therefore, modern dice are marked with color, which does not lead to distortions in the functioning of the source of chance. Methods were also approved for marking the faces of a cube, the total sum of the three sides of which is always equal to 7. When applying digital marks from 1 to 3 clockwise relative to the angle, these chips are called right, if vice versa - left.

Random number generator

It is because of all these processes that a completely balanced die, the probability of each side falling out not exceeding 1/6, symbolizes blind luck and allows you to completely trust it. The results of the dice roll are random, since this process is accompanied by many uncertain factors, from the position of the player's hand to his position or the energy of his movements. In a sense, this process can be called a random number generator, but their values ​​will always be within certain limits. However, if there are doubts about the die, they can be easily dispelled - the die is thrown twice, and the results obtained very rarely coincide. After all, the chips have rounded corners, which allows them to roll along the table surface with minimal resistance. Therefore, cubes are very widely used in modern world, starting with gambling and ending with Monopoly or its analogues.

Fortune telling with dice is as old as time. Even the Old Testament repeatedly mentions predicting the future using dice. Dice were popular all over the world and were found in one form or another literally everywhere.

The use of dice to predict fate probably comes from divination by casting lots, and the original instrument The direct “ancestors” of modern dice - astragals (vertebrae or ankles of a sheep) served such fortune-telling. The astragalus has four clearly visible surfaces, they were convenient to throw, each surface had a certain meaning. Astragalus were popular in Ancient Greece and in Ancient Rome; they were used along with other generally recognized types of bones until the 10th century. n. e.

Some people believe that you can only throw dice by guessing on someone else, and not on yourself. There is also an opinion that one should throw dice in complete silence and that the condition for correctly predicting the future is cool weather and a calm state of the atmosphere.

This is an ancient oriental fortune telling. Focus on the question or problem and roll the die. If the number is even, draw a cross somewhere on the paper; if it is an odd number, draw a zero. Roll the die four times.

Character group meanings:

• XXXX- you can’t concentrate on the question, try again.
• XXXX- now is not the time for hasty decisions, you need to calm down and wait for some time without doing anything.
• XXX- postpone making all important decisions for a more favorable time.
• XXX- time for decisive action.
• OHXX- a favorable period for action.
• XXOO- no obstacles are foreseen.
• OOXX- the possibility of success is very high, it’s time to grab your luck, but it won’t work too easily and simply.
• XOXO- to achieve success you will need a little effort and some financial costs.
• OHOX- unfavorable alignment - the situation is beyond your control.
• XOOH- changes for the better are ahead.
• OHHO- obstacles are possible; you should act only with full confidence in your abilities.
• XOOO- a favorable alignment, you will be lucky in all your endeavors.
• OXOO- the situation is developing in the right direction, act confidently, but slowly.
• OOHO- the right moment to listen to your intuition and feelings; the first solution that comes to mind will be successful.
• OOOH- a combination that warns of disappointment, loneliness, gossip, intrigue.
• OOOO- this alignment foreshadows changes in life, a new look even at familiar things.

When interpreting, you should take into account not only the total amount of points, but also the “readings” of each dice separately: for example, if you got 3 and 5, then this is not just 8, but first of all a combination of three and five, different from two fours , and from two to six.

Sums of numbers:

• 2 (1+1) - Happiness in love and marriage, success in financial affairs. For now, it’s better for you not to change anything in your life.
• 3 (1+2) - For a woman, marriage is for money; for a man, it’s entertainment that can be bought for money. Try to avoid long trips and spend more time at home.
• 4 (1+3) - The prognosis is generally unfavorable. There may be a serious conflict, up to and including legal proceedings, with people you trust. Troubles can come from unexpected quarters. Be careful, especially in small things.
• 4 (2+2) - Good luck in business and personal affairs. Your children will make you happy in the near future. Interesting trips and useful acquaintances are possible. It is recommended not to wait, but to act and take initiative in order to consolidate and deepen success.
• 5 (1+4) - The main thing is movement. You can't sit still! The more activity, travel, new information, the more money. Once you solve your financial problems, you can solve many others.
• 5 (2+3) - A good combination for your own affairs and an alarming one for relationships with children - conflict is possible. Try to avoid lectures and grumpy admonitions. Now your children expect understanding from you above all.
• 6 (1+5) - A lot of troubles, worries and joys. It is possible that a child will be born to one of your relatives. Financial difficulties. At work - difficult conflict situation However, do not rush to change your place of work: changes will happen soon. If you intend to go abroad, then your departure will most likely be final - for permanent residence.
• 6 (2+4) - A period of change is coming for you. Do you want to change your job, apartment, partner? Think and get ready. Whatever is done is for the better.
• 6 (3+3) - You will receive a very large sum of money, and in the very near future. In his personal life, everything is also going well, conflicts do not have a serious basis.
• 7 (1+6) - Period of active activity. You are needed, do not refuse those who turn to you. You should behave the same way towards your partner (spouse): meet him halfway. Otherwise, a serious crisis may occur in your relationship in a few years.
• 7 (2+5) - Now you are required to be calm and tolerant of other people’s opinions. Take your time! This especially applies to business people. In personal affairs, this is a difficult period. Bad time to get married.
• 7 (3+4) - Much now depends on your imagination and enterprise, try not to put off anything until tomorrow, do it today.
• 8 (2+6) - You will have to do complex, troublesome work, and hack work is unacceptable. If you work conscientiously, without trying to deceive others, success is guaranteed. Otherwise, it's a complete failure.
• 8 (3+5) - A time favorable for calm, serious activities. It is best to devote it to studying or reading. However, you won't make the mistake of choosing to take a good rest instead. The dice promise the improvement of a bad situation and the preservation of a good one.
• 8 (4+4) - Disruption of the usual routine of events, surprises await you. Whether they will be pleasant depends only on you.
• 9 (3+6) - You will learn a lot of new things in the near future. A period favorable for research and creative work. Advice: try to distract yourself from pragmatic interests, do what you love, without thinking about possible benefits. If your partner is a citizen of another country or has a different religion, during this period you can finally understand each other.
• 9 (4+5) - Difficulties, financial problems. Possible losses. There are serious tests in marriage or in your professional activity. Don't demand too much from others, demand more from yourself.
• 10 (4+6) - You like to act on a grand scale. In the near future, the numbers promise major success: power, money, influence. However, behind political and social ambitions, one should not forget about the family. Behave more simply with your loved ones and friends, and still think about them first.
• 10 (5+5) - Success and money, but the situation is not stable. If you want to stay on top, proceed with caution and foresight. If possible, avoid risks, do not take on new business, it is better to continue what you have already started without accepting new offers.
• 11 (5+6) - The worst is over for you. In the past there are defeats and losses that occurred through no fault of yours. Don't worry: everything will work out, new opportunities and new friends will appear. The main thing is not to give up your efforts. There is no point in changing anything in life yet.
• 12 (6+6) - Very favorable bones. A good stable situation with a tendency for further improvement. Changes are possible, but they will not bring anything fundamentally new.

Focus on the question and roll the dice. Add up the numbers rolled on the dice and see the description of the results.

The value of the sums of points drawn:

• 3 - a good omen, a wish may unexpectedly come true.
• 4 - disappointment and troubles in the future.
• 5 - your wishes will come true, but in a completely uncertain way; some stranger will bring good news.
• 6 - material losses, which, however, will lead to spiritual enrichment.
• 7 - stupid gossip will cause trouble.
• 8 - the upcoming action has not been well thought out and may lead to injustice; very strong outside influences.
• 9 - success, especially in love affairs; forgiveness after a quarrel.
• 10 - harmony in the family and, possibly, a successful deal; the birth of a child is likely.
• 11 - someone is sick; breaking up with someone close.
• 12 - a letter will arrive requiring a response; you need to consult someone.
• 13 - sadness, probably for a long period, perhaps even throughout life.
• 14 - a stranger will become a close and dear friend; friend's help.
• 15 - the temptation to enter into a shady or even illegal transaction.
• 16 - a pleasant and rewarding journey.
• 17 - a guest from abroad, possibly a foreigner, with a promising business proposal.
• 18 - a very good sign: promotion, benefit and joy.