Rules
Eleven rounds. Round 1 targets a sum of 2, round 2 targets 3, on through round 11 which targets 12.
On your turn for the round, roll 2d6 once.
- Roll the target sum → score the target value.
- Roll anything else → nothing.
Highest cumulative total after 11 rounds wins. Theoretical max: 2 + 3 + … + 12 = 77.
History
Chicago is a 19th-century American parlor dice game. The fixed sequence of targets gives the game a familiar arc - the easy middle rounds (6, 7, 8) form a forgiving stretch, and the extreme rounds (2 and 12, each 1/36 to roll) are essentially lottery tickets. With one die-pair per turn and no decisions to make, it’s pure luck - the appeal is the rhythm of climbing the ladder.
The game also goes by Round the Spot, Eleven and occasionally 150 (after the unreachable upper bound players sometimes quote).
References