Three Man Drinking Game: Dice Rules, Rolls and Variations
Three Man is a dice drinking game you can carry in your pocket. Two dice go around the table, and every roll tells somebody to drink. Whenever a 3 shows up, the Three Man drinks, and nobody wants that hat.
What you need
- Two dice
- 3 to 10 players around a table; 5 or 6 is the sweet spot
- A drink for each player
- A ridiculous hat for the Three Man (optional, but mandatory)
How to pick the Three Man
Pass one die around the table and have everyone roll it. The first player to roll a 3 is the Three Man and puts on the hat.
How to play Three Man
Pass both dice to the player on the Three Man’s left. Roll both. If the roll does something, it happens and you roll again. If it does nothing, pass the dice to the left.
| Roll | What happens |
|---|---|
| A 3 on either die | The Three Man drinks. Two 3s, two drinks. |
| 1 and 2 (total of 3) | The Three Man drinks. |
| Total of 7 | The player on your left drinks. |
| Total of 11 | The player on your right drinks. |
| Total of 9 | Social: everyone drinks. |
| Doubles | Give out that many sips. Double 4s means four sips, to one player or split however you want. |
| Anything else | Nothing. Pass the dice left. |
Rolls stack. A 3 and a 4 makes 7, so the Three Man and the player on your left both drink. A 3 and a 6 makes 9, so the Three Man drinks with everyone else (twice, if you’re the Three Man).
How to get rid of the hat
At our house, the Three Man escapes by rolling a 3 on their own turn. They drink one last time, take off the hat, and the next player to roll a 3 becomes the new Three Man.
House rules and variations
Three Man is one of the most house-ruled games out there. Agree on your numbers before the first roll.
- 7 and 11 flipped: plenty of houses play 7 to the right and 11 to the left.
- 9 to the right: some tables make 9 a single drink for the player on your right instead of a social.
- Doubles battle: hand one die each to two players. They roll, and the low roller drinks.
- 1 and 4: thumbs on the table. Last player to put a thumb down drinks.
- Dice off the table: the roller drinks.
Tips
- Keep the sips small. About a third of all rolls show a 3. The Three Man gets hit a lot, so let them switch to water whenever they want.
- Roll in a tray or a box lid so the dice stay on the table.
- Rotate the hat if one person gets stuck with it for too long. Some houses cap it at nine drinks.
FAQ
How do you become the Three Man?
Be the first player to roll a 3 when the single die goes around at the start of the game.
What does a 7 mean in Three Man?
At our house, the player on the roller’s left drinks. Some houses play it to the right, so agree first.
What happens on doubles in Three Man?
You give out sips equal to the number on one die (double 5s means five sips), then roll again.
How many people do you need to play Three Man?
At least three. It’s best with five or six.
More dice games: Beer Die, Quarters and the rest of our dice drinking games.
More party games: Circle of Death (Kings Cup), Rage Cage, flip cup, Ride the Bus, Pyramid, Never Have I Ever, Most Likely To, Thumper, Waterfall, Beer Olympics, Quarters, Power Hour. Find a game by crowd: games for 2, big groups, card games and dice games, or see them all on our party games page.