ROLL OVER: Each player has the option of making his opponent roll over ONE TIME during the game. Once you use it, you can't use it again.

Reason: it takes away one joker, making the game a little more skillful, and the decision as to when to use the option also adds skill to the game. After playing this for a while, we added some variations including the following:

a) you cannot use this option once there is no contact;

b) you cannot use this option after there is cube action;

c) if both players have their option remaining, one player may exercisethe option, but the other player may use his option to cancel the other's.

THREE DOUBLES RULE: My brother just can't stand it when someone rolls 3 doubles in a row in a race or bearoff situation, so we have a three doublerule. If a player rolls the third double in a row, in a no-contact situation, the third roll simply does not count AND he loses his turn.

OPENING ROLL OPTION: In money games, I often found myself sitting across from a world-class player or someone far superior to me, and I just didn'twant to play them for money. For some reason, they couldn't understand whyI felt that as in golf or bowling, I deserved a handicap when I played them.So they often did give me the opening roll option, meaning that I had thechoice of taking the opening roll or letting them have it regardless of whohad the higher die.

MANDATORY EXTRAS: In our Chicago chouette, we often play that if you drop aninitial cube and there are any takes, the dropper must offer an extra. Takers are not required to take the extras unless there is only one taker.

PAY FOR DANCING RULE: In my current Chicago chouette, there is a player whobelieves he dances (fails to come in when on the bar) more than anyone elsein the game. So I made him a bet to prove he's wrong: every time he danceson a one point board, I pay him a point, and every time he dances on atwo-point board, I pay him a half-point. And of course, he pays me thesame. (After about 1 year of this, of course, I'm losing my butt on this bet!)

CONSULTING RULES: In chouettes all over the country, consulting rules varygreatly. Most allow consulting only after the cube. Some don't allowconsulting at all. My favorite is no consulting unless there has been are-cube and take. (I also like a rule that says no settlements unless thecube is at 4 or more�speeds the game up greatly.)

CRAWFORD RULE REVISION: I like the Crawford rule (you can't double the game your opponent is one away from match point), but I think a slight revisionwould make the rule even better. In post-Crawford games, the trailer shouldnot be allowed to double until his 2nd roll or later. This gives the otherplayer a little more of a decision in the take/drop analysis and makes itmore interesting/skillful.

ROLLING RULES: To shut the mouths of those who constantly complain about their dice, or constantly complain that their opponents don't shake, etc., Ihave tried some interesting alternatives. One is to simply roll for eachother. In one money game, to ensure fairness, we had a third party roll for both of us. And in another chouette, we each rolled one die for the otherevery roll.

GAMMON/DRINK RULE: In my favorite Chouette of all time, if you get gammoned,you must down a shot of the liquor of your choice. (In our wilder times, youalso had a shot whenever you rolled 6-6, and your opponent had to have oneif you rolled 1-1!)

NO GAMMON OPTION: In a money game, when you are doubled, you have the optionof taking the cube but also paying 1/4 of the cube to ensure there are nogammons or backgammons. What this means is that if you are taking a 2 cube,you pay 1/2 point, and that means that NEITHER SIDE pays extra for a gammon or backgammon. If there is a re-cube, there will still not be gammons or backgammons. (On a 4 cube, you pay 1 point.)

PAUL'S RULES: My good friend, Paul Franks, always tries to get this ruleagreed to in advance: simply stated, Paul's rule is that regardless who isup in the score, he gets paid.