The "Jeff" part is completely true
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At first glance, LCR appears to be a game completely devoid of choice and strategy. But I've played almost 100 games of LCR, almost all 4-player, and I've managed to earn a rather impressive 25.3% win percentage, so I'm obviously doing something right. During my many plays, I've managed to come up with some nearly fool-proof strategies. If followed closely, they will guarantee your victory.
Roll Well
This is by far the most important tactic to keep in mind. It's very important that you roll well. Many beginning players assume it's best to roll an L, a C, or and R, because these rolls are highly emphasized in the game's marketing. This is absolutely wrong, and will lead to defeat if followed to completion. Believe it or not, it is best to roll a lot of little circles. While counter intuitive, rolling circles has a few notable strategic advantages:
-You don't have to give away any of your chips, thus strengthening your position in the game.
-More subtly, it also allows you to deprive your opponents of chips. This is a rather advanced strategy, as it doesn't directly affect your standing, but in the long run, it makes it less likely for your opponents to win, thereby improving your chances. It's very complicated, but after a few dozen plays, you'll begin to notice a pattern: when other players win, you are considerably less likely to win.
Throw Off Your Opponents
Rolling well will get you far, but it's also very important that your opponents roll in a way that benefits you. Believe it or not, some rolls will benefit you more than the person rolling the dice! I've created a guide, based upon your seating order, of what you should prod your opponents to roll (the best way to ensure a favorable roll, in my experience, is to loudly repeat the word "JENGA" in variable tones).
-If you are seated to the LEFT of the roller, you want them to roll an L.
-If you are seated to the RIGHT of the roller, you want them to roll an R.
-If you are seated to the DIRECTLY ACROSS from the roller, you want them to roll a C.
Please note that this guide assumes 4 players. With more players, you have some interesting tactical decisions. For example, you might force the roller to roll an R, even if you are sitting 2 to the right of this person, so that you can force the person to your left to roll another R, thus losing his hard-fought gain to you! If you are sitting more or less across the table, but not exactly to the center of the roller, you might force the roller to roll a C, and then force the recipient of the chip to roll an L or and R, depending on which benefits you more.
This takes time to master, but under no circumstances should any of the other players roll a little dot, because then you won't be able to earn any other chips. Even worse, a player could (for example) roll an L when you need an R, thus enriching other opponents without helping you at all. This should be avoided at all costs.
Cheat
The goal of the game is to get everyone else out of contention. Typically, this is done by ensuring beneficial rolls, but with a little bit of creativity, you can eliminate other players without depriving them of their chips. Consider a laxative in the drink: best used on the person who suggested playing the game in the first place, this will prevent this person (clearly some kind of LCR shark) from depriving you of your rightful victory.
Many LCR players are easily distracted by shiny objects. Pull out a quarter to throw them off their games. If you have a watch or a laser pointer, try to make it shine in interesting places, thereby tying up all of the other players' mental energy.
Best of all, hide the alcohol (all LCR games are played under the influence). Soon, everyone will lose interest in the game, leaving you as the uncontested victor.
Consider the Shared Victory Option
It is not commonly known, but LCR does include shared victories. It involves a little bit of sneakiness, but it's well worth the outcome: if you throw the dice out the window when nobody's looking, everybody wins!
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suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
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How does the strategy differ if you are playing solitaire?
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The "Jeff" part is completely true
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The solitaire version is a lot easier, but features exactly the same amount of player interaction.
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SJ Benoist
United States
Saint Charles
Missouri
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So, in your opinion, is LCR more Tactical-level, or Operational-level?
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Robin Ashby
Canada
Kemptville
Ontario
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SJBenoist wrote: So, in your opinion, is LCR more Tactical-level, or Operational-level?
It is clearly a Galactic-level game spanning the whole of human history. The little chips may go one way or the other, but in the end it is all the same to the cold, uncaring cosmos.
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James Cheevers
United Kingdom
Liverpool
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I've found that these strategies are completely dependent on player number. With 3 players my win rate rises to 33.3% but with 5 players drops to 20%.
As a tactic you mightn't have thought of. My 7 year old daughter (who has never played LCR but this could still be valid) whispers to the dice in her cupped hand.
For example - "A five, please roll a five".
It skews the odds in her favour about a sixth of the time in an average game of 'Snakes & Ladders'.
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Stew Woods
Australia
Wellard
Western Australia
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Great resource Jeff!
It's this kind of well-informed writing and discussion that makes the geek such a haven for strategy gamers.
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Patrick H.
Canada
Pierrefonds
Quebec
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Your article made me go out and buy the game, now I'm trading away the rest of my game collection. LCR just does it ALL.
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Bill Koens
United States
Watsonville
California
marks the spot.
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ExcitingJeff wrote: It's very complicated, but after a few dozen plays, you'll begin to notice a pattern: when other players win, you are considerably less likely to win.
Interesting observation. I've noticed that this is also true in several other of the games I have played. I wonder if they picked up this mechanic from LCR, or vice versa.
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Cliff
United States
Western Great Lakes - Owashtinong Aajigaaning
Michigan
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I hope there will be a strategy guide for LCR - the card game.
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Red Rook
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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Possibly the best review I've read so far.
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Red Rook
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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"But I've played almost 100 games of LCR, almost all 4-player, and I've managed to earn a rather impressive 25.3% win percentage, so I'm obviously doing something right."
Best line ever...
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Drew Spencer
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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ExcitingJeff wrote: -If you are seated to the DIRECTLY ACROSS from the roller, you want them to roll a C.
Sorry, but I think the strategy involved for players across from you is actually much more subtle. It depends on who you're playing with.
For example, if you happen to be sitting to the LEFT of someone who does not roll a lot of L's, but to the RIGHT of someone who does roll a lot of R's, you want the person across from you to roll R's. Their chips will go to the player on your left who will in turn pass them to you. Assuming this player to your right is of equal skill, this is much more likely to get you a win than if the person across from you rolls C's. The same logic works (but swith L's and R's) if the person to your right does not roll a lot of L's.
Otherwise great article!
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Grzegorz Kobiela
Germany
Hanover
Lower Saxony
Stalker!!!
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By far the best strategy article of 2009!
Aldie, put it on the Top 100 lists!!!!!
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In Burritos We Trust
United States
Bay Area
California
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ExcitingJeff wrote: During my many plays, I've managed to come up with some nearly fool-proof strategies. If followed closely, they will guarantee your victory.
I think this sort of strategic advice makes this game eligible for the Completely Unrandom Games geeklist!
Edited 'cuz I just figured out how to link stuff!
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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
Thanks International SS for A Few Acres of Snow!
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For the love of God please tell me this is not out-of-print?!
Everything from your BGG Username through to the last sentence -
"It is not commonly known, but LCR does include shared victories. It involves a little bit of sneakiness, but it's well worth the outcome: if you throw the dice out the window when nobody's looking, everybody wins!"
is ROFL hilarious. 
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j b
United States
Skokie
Illinois
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I developed a highly HIGHLY sophisticated computer model, and it looks like the first player has a slightly less chance of winning than the later players - with the latest player in the turn order having the best chances. I think the deal is the 'last' player could stand to win up to six bucks before his first turn. and can lose at most half. So he finished the first turn with the best probable position. In theory, there's some chance of the first players busting (to center), leaving the last player as the last man standing before his turn starts. Of course, my half-assed program could be completely busted too. Here's what the odds of winning the game look like for a four-player game starting with three chips each:
Odds of winning:
First player: 23.93%
Second: 24.33
Third: 25.56
Fourth: 26.18
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Hunter E
United States
Kirkland
Washington
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unfaegne_eorl wrote: I developed a highly HIGHLY sophisticated computer model, and it looks like the first player has a slightly less chance of winning than the later players - with the latest player in the turn order having the best chances. I think the deal is the 'last' player could stand to win up to six bucks before his first turn. and can lose at most half. So he finished the first turn with the best probable position. In theory, there's some chance of the first players busting (to center), leaving the last player as the last man standing before his turn starts. Of course, my half-assed program could be completely busted too. Here's what the odds of winning the game look like for a four-player game starting with three chips each:
Odds of winning:
First player: 23.93%
Second: 24.33
Third: 25.56
Fourth: 26.18
More importantly, there is always the chance that the whole group will realize they're playing LCR and think better of it in the first few turns -- the last player has the best chance of this happening before he or she takes a turn!
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