Gluckhaus (House of Fortune) is a German gambling game played with dice.
Gluckhaus is played on a board numbered from 2 to 12 (possibly without the number 4), with two 6-sided dice. It is a game for 2 or more players, German in origin. First mentioned (and condemned) in sermons in the 13th or 14th century, it continued to be a common game until outlawed by the Nazi party.
Gluckhaus boards are often highly decorated, with different scenes appearing in the different squares of the board. Most of these illustrations vary from one board to the next. The only set squares are 2 (a pig), 7 (a wedding), and 12 (a king).
Play begins with each player anteing a coin to the wedding. After all, one must always bring a gift to a wedding. Players then begin to roll dice, passing the dice around the table.
On any roll of 7, the player leaves a coin on the wedding. Play then passes to the next player.
On a roll of 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, or 11 one of two things happens.
If there is no coin on the space rolled, the player places a coin on that space. Play then passes to the next player.
If there is a coin on the space rolled, the player takes it. Play then passes to the next player.
On a roll of 2, the player takes every coin on the board except for the wedding. Play then passes to the next player.
On a roll of 12, the player takes every coin on the board,
including the wedding. Any players interested in starting a new game would now ante a coin onto the wedding.
If the board has a spot for the number 4, it plays the same as the 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, or 11.
Many boards do not have a spot for the number 4. On these boards, the 4 can be a free turn (no gain or loss). In gambling houses and bars, it was sometimes customary that 4 was the house number, meaning the player would pay a coin to the owner of the board.