roll with it, baby

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Before I started working at Evite, I had never heard of bunco. At this point, you are probably having one of two responses: You either feel sorry for me for living in a bunco-less world or you're as in the dark about it as I was.

To the uninitiated, let me enlighten you. (And to all those bonkers-for-bunco people who emailed us about your parties, thanks for planning your bunco nights with Evite!)

Bunco is a dice game that originated in England in the 1800s and soon made its way across the US. It decreased in popularity in the mid 1900s but has been on its comeback tour since the 1980s.

It's usually played by a group of 12 people — one of many reasons why it's a great, inexpensive party idea. Here are a few more:

• It's a game based on luck, so people of all ages can pick it up easily.
• There are prizes. Yes, prizes! Traditionally, each person contributes a small fee to play, and the money goes toward prizes for the winners.
• 12 players, 12 months — You can rotate houses each month so everybody gets to play host.

Learn more about how to play at the World Bunco Association website. And if you're a bunco player, tell us more about how you like to roll the dice.