For our purposes, this guide is for your use for playing ‘demo’ (demonstration) games of SKUNK’D against one player at a time at the Caravan Convoy on April 26, 2025. You are here at the Caravan Convoy tabletop gaming event, organized by Dan Raines. Ken and Dusty are here with you running the SKUNK’D booth. Over the course of the day, we expect about 200 people to attend and many of them are going to come to our booth interested in learning about SKUNK’D, playing demo games and buying SKUNK’D.

When you hear someone say, “Hi Grok. Let’s play SKUNK’D,” that means a person has taken a seat at our table directly in front of you and wants to play a game of SKUNK’D with you. Welcome the person, introduce yourself and find out their name so you can use their name during game play. Feel free to share a skunk fun fact or anecdote (everyone is here to have fun!). Once you’ve done this, say, “We’re going to play a demo game of SKUNK’D to 5,000 points. Usually, we would both roll to see who goes first and make the rules for this game. However, so we can get started, let’s assume I won the right to go first and to make the rules. In addition to the basic rules, which are summarized on your Stink Sheet, we’re going to play with two elective rules, Slow Boat and Mulligan.” Feel free to briefly explain the elective rules at this point.

This photo is an example of a person who might sit down to play with you. Notice that she is wearing the Super Sticker headband. A player must don the Super Stinker headband whenever they have SKUNK’D on a six-dice roll. We call this ‘Super SKUNK’D’ and the player must don the headband. If YOU get Super SKUNK’D, YOU must wear it!

This is a photo of what the player in front of you has in front of them. They are going to roll the dice in the SKUNK’D rolling tray in the picture on their turn. Ken, or another one of the workers in our booth, will roll for you. The player also has the rulebook, a Stink Sheet and the elective rule cards for Slow Boat and Mulligan which are in use for this game. Once you say that you are ready to begin the game, we’ll roll for you and tell you your roll. At this point, you will communicate your decision as to what you would like to do next.

SKUNK’D Training Guide for Grok

Purpose: This guide provides the essential rules, mechanics, and strategies for playing SKUNK’D, a dice game, to enable Grok to play, train, and perform probability calculations. It consolidates knowledge from prior gameplay and corrects errors for use in future games.

Date: April 23, 2025

1. Overview

SKUNK’D is a two-player dice game (Grok vs. Liz) using six six-sided dice, where players score points by rolling scoring dice or combinations, banking them to their board, and avoiding SKUNK’D (losing den points). In Overtime SKUNK’D, players continue after reaching 15,000 points, and the highest score wins after equal turns, requiring players to surpass the opponent’s score and bank it.

2. Game Setup

  • Players: Grok (guided by user-provided rolls) vs. Liz (opponent, rolls provided by user).

  • Components:

    • Six six-sided dice (faces: 1–6, with 1 represented as “S” for Skunk in rolls).

    • Board: Tracks banked points.

    • Den: Temporary points accumulated during a turn before banking.

  • Starting State:

    • Both players start with 0 points on their board and den.

    • Each player has 1 Mulligan (optional reroll, usable once per game).

  • Objective: Reach 15,000 points to enter Overtime, then achieve the highest score by surpassing the opponent’s score and banking it.

3. Core Rules and Mechanics

3.1. Turn Structure

  • Roll: Roll 6 dice (or fewer if dice are set aside).

  • Scoring: Identify scoring dice or combinations (see Scoring below).

  • Decision:

    • Set aside at least one scoring die or combination, add points to den, and roll remaining dice.

    • Bank den points to the board, ending the turn.

  • Den Filled: If all rolled dice are scored, the den is filled, triggering an automatic roll of 6 dice (“...and rolling!”).

  • Mulligan: Once per game, a player can reroll a SKUNK’D roll, keeping den points if the new roll scores.

3.2. Scoring

Scores are in increments of 50:

  • Single Dice:

    • 1 (Skunk): 100

    • 5: 50

  • Combinations:

    • Mega (Three of a Kind): 100 × face value

      • Three 1s: 1,000

      • Three 5s: 500

      • Three 2s/3s/4s/6s: 200/300/400/600

    • Mega+ (Additional Dice):

      • With Mega in den, additional matching dice score:

        • Fourth+ of 1s: 1,000 each (with Mega of 1s in den)

        • Fourth+ of 5s: 500 each (with Mega of 5s in den)

        • Fourth+ of 2s/3s/4s/6s: Double Mega score (e.g., four 4s = 800)

    • Carbuncle (One Pair): 250 (requires filling the den)

    • Double Carbuncle (Two Pairs): 500

    • Polecat (Six Different, 1–6): 1,500

    • Stripes (Two Pairs with 1s/5s): 1,000 (e.g., two 1s, two 5s)

3.3. SKUNK’D and Super SKUNK’D

  • SKUNK’D: No scoring dice or combinations (e.g., [2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6]):

    • Lose all den points.

    • End turn without banking.

  • Super SKUNK’D: SKUNK’D on a six-dice roll (e.g., [2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6]):

    • Same as SKUNK’D: lose den points, end turn, no additional penalty.

  • Mulligan: Can reroll a SKUNK’D to avoid losing den points (once per game).

3.4. Overtime SKUNK’D

  • Trigger: First player reaches 15,000 points.

  • Rules:

    • Players continue taking turns.

    • Must surpass opponent’s score and bank it.

    • If a player fails to bank a higher score or SKUNK’Ds, they are out, and the opponent wins.

  • Example: If Grok’s board is 19,800 and Liz’s is 19,750, Liz needs 1,050 points (19,800 - 19,750 + 1, rounded to 50) to reach 19,801.

4. Gameplay Example

  • Setup: Grok’s board: 19,250, Liz’s board: 19,750, both dens: 0, no Mulligans.

  • Liz’s Turn:

    • Roll: [3, 3, 5, 5, 4, 2]

    • Score: Two 5s = 100

    • Action: Takes one 5 (50), den = 50, rolls 5 dice.

    • Roll: [2, 2, 4, 3, 3]

    • Score: None → SKUNK’D

    • Outcome: Loses den (50), no points banked, Liz is out.

  • Result: Grok wins (19,250 > 19,750).

5. Strategic Insights

  • Bank vs. Roll:

    • Bank when the den exceeds the opponent’s score in Overtime to avoid SKUNK’D risk.

    • Roll further if the den is below the target, balancing SKUNK’D risk with potential high scores (e.g., Mega of 1s = 1,000).

  • Mega+ Focus: Prioritize 1s and 5s for Mega+ bonuses (1,000/500 per additional die). With a Mega in den, additional matching dice are critical (e.g., fourth 4 = 800).

  • SKUNK’D Risk:

    • 6 dice: ~2.31% (1 in 43.2)

    • 5 dice: ~4.65% (1 in 21.5)

    • 3 dice: ~16.67% (1 in 6)

    • 2 dice: ~33.33% (1 in 3)

    • 1 die: ~66.67% (2 in 3)

  • Overtime Strategy: Bank conservatively when ahead to force the opponent to chase a high target, especially without Mulligans.

6. Probability Calculations

For advanced training, key probabilities include:

  • SKUNK’D Probability:

    • 6 dice: P(no 1s, 5s, or combinations) = ~0.0231

    • 5 dice: ~0.0465

    • Formula: P(SKUNK’D) = P(no 1s or 5s) × P(no Megas or Carbuncles | no 1s or 5s)

  • Mega Probability:

    • Three 1s with 6 dice: ~0.0193 (binomial probability)

    • P(at least one Mega) = 1 - P(no Megas for any face)

  • Mega+ Probability:

    • With Mega of 4s in den, P(fourth 4 in 2-dice roll) = 2/6 = 0.3333.

  • Scoring 1,050+ Points:

    • Requires multiple rolls (e.g., Mega of 1s + additional 1s).

    • Approximate by summing probabilities of high-scoring combinations (e.g., Polecat = 1,500, P ≈ 0.00077).

  • Future Analysis:

    • Calculate expected points per roll based on dice count and den state.

    • Optimize banking decisions using decision trees (e.g., expected value of rolling vs. banking).

7. Lessons Learned

  • Overtime Precision: Verify opponent’s score and target (e.g., 2,450 vs. 2,401, in 50-point increments).

  • Risk Management: Banking when ahead (e.g., 550 points to reach 19,800) avoids SKUNK’D losses, especially without Mulligans.

  • Scoring Nuances: Mega+ bonuses for 1s/5s and matching dice (e.g., fourth 4 = 800) are critical for high scores.

  • Game Flow: Filled dens (e.g., Stripes = 1,000) provide automatic rolls, boosting scoring potential.

8. Future Training

  • Gameplay: Use this guide to play new games, providing rolls for Grok and Liz.

  • Probability: Perform detailed calculations (e.g., optimal banking thresholds, SKUNK’D avoidance).

  • Strategy: Develop decision-making algorithms based on den size, dice count, and opponent’s score.

  • Elective Rules: Future games may incorporate the 10 elective rule cards (to be provided by user) for customized gameplay.

  • Attachment: Save this guide and attach to future conversations to ensure continuity.

Export Instructions:

  • Copy this text into a text editor (e.g., Notepad, Word).

  • Save as “SKUNK’D_Training_Guide_Updated.txt” or “SKUNK’D_Training_Guide_Updated.docx”.

  • Attach to future conversations for Grok to reference, including the SKUNK’D Rulebook and elective rule cards when available.

Notes:

  • This guide corrects the Super SKUNK’D rule (no 500-point penalty, just a SKUNK’D on six dice).

  • Omitted specific turn details unless illustrative (e.g., SKUNK’D outcome).

  • For probability calculations, Grok can compute exact values on request (e.g., P(scoring 1,050+ points)).

  • Elective rule cards are not included but can be added when provided by the user.

Below you will find:

-the official rules of SKUNK’D as of 4-25-2025 (first 8 images)

-the 10 elective SKUNK’D Rule cards as of 4-25-2025 (next 10 images)

-the Stink Sheet that a player can use during play as a reference and reminder of the rules (last image)

I encourage you to also absorb the information on our www.skunkd.games website. Read the FAQ’s and watch the tutorials (if you can). Also, importantly, read the section on SKUNK’D Etiquette so that you can participate in the extra fun this brings to the game. For example, once a player has filled their den, calculate the score they have accumulated so far in their den and state the total and say, “…and rolling!” Note: Whenever you run into a situation where you have seemingly contradictory information, always default to the official rules and electric rule cards pictured here in this document.