General

Puerto Rico’s most popular dice game, played in bars, clubs, and homes throughout the island, is Generala or, in English, General. In bars it is usually played for drinks, low man paying; but I have also seen thousands of dollars change hands at a single General game session.
Any number may play, singly or in partnership. Five dice are used with a dice cup. Score is kept on a sheet ruled into boxes. The players’ names are entered across the top, and down the left hand vertical column are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 followed by the poker hands: straigh, full house, four of a kind, and small general (five of a kind), as shown on page 485. The big general listing is not necessary.

Value of Poker Hands and Point Numbers
Five of a kind, known as the big general when made on the first throw, automatically wins the game, regardless of the score. Five of a kind made on the second or third throw is known as the small general and is valued at 60 points.
Four of a kind, made on the first throw, is valued at 45 points; on the second or third throw, 30 points.
A full house, made on the first throw, is valued at 35 points; on the second or third throw, 30 points.
A straight (1,2, 3, 4, 5, or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), made on the first throw, is valued at 25 points; on the second or third throw, 20 points. Aces (1) may be used as “wild” in making a straight, but they can only be used to equal a 2 or 6. They cannot be used to equal a 3, 4, or 5 to make a straight. This is the only time during the play of the game that aces may be wild.
The point numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) are valued at their total spot value. Examples: Three sixes are 18 points; two fives are 10 points; four aces are 4 points; and so on.
The Play of the Game. Each player throws the five dice to determine the order of play, holder of lowest-valued hand going first, next lowest second, and so on. In determining partners, the two lowest and two highest hands are partners. The dice and cup pass to the left, clockwise. Each player may take either one, two, or three throws per turn, called a frame. A complete game consists of ‘ ten frames, unless some player throws a general.
First Throw of the Dice. The player shakes the five dice inside the cup and throws them onto the bar or table. If he throws a pat poker hand, such as four of a kind, full house, or straight, he enters his score on the sheet. If, however, he throws any other hand such as a pair, two pair, and so on, he has the following option: He may put aside one, two, three, or four dice and throw the leftovers; or, he may throw all five dice again. Example: If the player has thrown a total of two or three sixes, he may decide to hold the sixes and try to better the hand by throwing the remaining dice. This is similar to holding certain cards and drawing to improve the hand in Draw Poker.
Second Throw of the Dice. The same rules apply as in the first throw, except that a general becomes a small general and the value of the poker hands diminish.
Third Throw of the Dice. After the third throw, if a small general, four of a kind, full house, or straight has not been made, the player may select any number for his scoring point number. Example: His hand is made up of three aces, a five, and a six. Since the best score he can make with the \ice (1) is 5 points, it is to his advantage to name the aces as his point and to enter 3 points alongside number 1 on the sheet. Or, if his hand shows a pair of twos, a pair of fours and a five, his best bet is to name the twos as his point number and score 2 + 2 = 4. He would then enter 4 points on the sheet in the 2 line. However, after a score has once been entered on the sheet, the player cannot shoot for that hand or point number again. On each succeeding turn of play, the player has one less hand or point number to shoot for so that, at the end of the game, the player will have shot and entered a score for each of the ten frames.

The following is a typical final score of General:

Note: Player D with a total of 218 points is the winner of the game. If the game is played, for example at 1 cent a point, player C owes D 62 cents (the difference between his final count of 156 and D’s 218). Player B Owes D 90 cents and Player A owes D 65 cents.

Yacht

Yacht is often called an English version of General. Its plan is similar. Five dice are thrown from a cup, each player in rotation may thrown from a cup, each player in rotation may throw the dice three times in each round, and there are 12 rounds in all. After each round, a player may leave standing such dice as satisfy him and throw the rest. Various dice combinations are assigned scoring values: yacht (five of a kind) scores 50; big straight (2,3,4,5,6) scores 30; little straight (1,2,3,4,5) scores 30. Also, full house (three of one kind and two of another), four of a kind, and choice (any five dice) each scores the total number spots showing on the five dice thrown in that turne. Sixes scores as many times six as there as sixes among the five dice. Likewise the fives, fours, threes, twos, and aces. At the end of each turn, the player must designate his five dice to count in one of the 12 categories shown on the scorepad.

In each turn a player must select a category not previously selected; therefore art the end of the game (12 rounds ) he will have selected each category once. He may select a category even though it will score zero for that round. At the end of the 12 months the score is added and highest score wins.

Crag

This game is similar to Yacht, except that only three dice are used and in each turn a player may throw the dice only twice (or may stand on this first throw ). Also there are 13 categories (rather than 12) in this game: Crag is a pair plus a third die that makes the total of the spots on all three dice, 13; this counts 50. Thirteen consists of any three dice whose spots total 13, and counts 26. Three -of-a-kind counts 25. High straight (4,5,6), low straight (1,2,3). Even straight (2,4,6) and odd straight (1,3,5) count 20 each. Sixes, fives, fours, threes, twos, and aces are counted in the same manner as in Yacht. Also a special score sheet is ruled off, as in Yacht.