Designed by James Ernest and gaming mathematician Joe Kisenwether, and illustrated by John Kovalic, Ducks in a Bucket is a press-your-luck game in which players attempt to build their best hands through several rolls of the dice.
In brief, players start their inning by rolling six dice: five matching dice, and one unique “Boss” die. The Boss determines which of the other dice can be promoted to the “bucket,” and which must be held back for the next roll. After any promotion, the player may choose to stop or roll again. But if they roll again without promoting a die, they could lose everything!
The player with the best bucket after everyone has rolled wins the round. (The strength of hands is similar to poker, except that a Straight beats a Full House.)