LCR Strategy

September 12, 2025

My family regularly plays LCR on holidays because it is thrilling while being very easy to learn. Per its rules, the game is totally luck-based with no choices available to any player at any time. If you have three or more chips, you must roll 3 dice. Two chips = two dice; one chip = one die; zero chips = skipped. That’s it.

However, over the past couple of years, I’ve had a possible strategy in the back of my mind. I can’t choose the results of my dice rolls, but I can choose where I sit at the beginning of the game! My logic is that if I go last, everyone will have a chance to go bust before I do. But how can I know if this strategy would work? My math is rusty at best so introducing the LCR Simulator!

Optimal Spots

Using my LCR Simulator, I’ve calculated the best spots for games with n players. This assumes that player 1 is the first one to roll dice and player n is the last. These positions were the best after 100 million simulations per player count.

Player count	Best Position
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	5
7	6
8	7
9	7
10	8
11	9
12	10
13	11
14	12
15	12
16	13
17	14
18	15
19	16
20	17
21	18
22	19
23	19
24	21
25	22
26	22
27	24
28	24
29	25
30	26
31	27
32	28
33	29
34	30
35	31
36	32
37	33
38	34
39	34
40	35

Player count	Best Position
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	5
7	6
8	7
9	7
10	8
11	9
12	10
13	11
14	12
15	12
16	13
17	14
18	15
19	16
20	17
21	18
22	19
23	19
24	21
25	22
26	22
27	24
28	24
29	25
30	26
31	27
32	28
33	29
34	30
35	31
36	32
37	33
38	34
39	34
40	35

Player count	Best Position
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	5
7	6
8	7
9	7
10	8
11	9
12	10
13	11
14	12
15	12
16	13
17	14
18	15
19	16
20	17
21	18
22	19
23	19
24	21
25	22
26	22
27	24
28	24
29	25
30	26
31	27
32	28
33	29
34	30
35	31
36	32
37	33
38	34
39	34
40	35

Player count	Best Position
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	5
7	6
8	7
9	7
10	8
11	9
12	10
13	11
14	12
15	12
16	13
17	14
18	15
19	16
20	17
21	18
22	19
23	19
24	21
25	22
26	22
27	24
28	24
29	25
30	26
31	27
32	28
33	29
34	30
35	31
36	32
37	33
38	34
39	34
40	35