Miwins dice

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Miwin's Dice were invented in 1975 by the physicist Michael Winkelmann. They consist of three different dice with faces bearing numbers from 1 to 9, with opposite sides summing to 9, 10, or 11. The numbers on each die sum to 30 and have an arithmetic mean of 5.

Description

Infobox Game
title = Miwins Dice
subtitle =
image_link =
image_caption = Miwins Dice made of titanium
designer = Dr. Michael Winkelmann
manufacturer =
publisher = [http://www.arquus-multimedia.com/Buecher/Buecher.html Arquus Verlag Vienna]
illustrator =
years = 1994
players = 1–9
ages = 6+, depending on game
setup_time =
playing_time = 5–60 minutes depending on game
random_chance =
web = http://www.miwin.com/miwinsche_Wuerfel_html/miwin_Wuerfel_1.html
skills =
bggid =
bggxrefs =
footnotes =

The dice have 6 sides like standard dice, and each side has a different number. The standard set are made of wood; special designs are made of titanium (see picture). The numbers (dots) on each die are colored blue, red or black.

Each die is named for the sum of its 2 lowest numbers.

Numbers 1 and 9, 2 and 7, and 3 and 8 are on opposite sides. The additional numbers are 5 and 6 on die III, 4 and 5 on die IV, and 4 and 6 on die V. The dice are designed in such a way that for every die there exists one that will win against it. A given die will have a higher number with a probability of 17/36, or a lower number with a probability of 16/36. III wins against IV, IV against V, and V against III. Such dice are known as nontransitive.

Mathematical attributes of the dice

Each of the Dice have similar attributes like having no double number, the sum of the numbers is 30, and having each number from 1 to 9 two times spread over the 3 dice. This attribute characterize the implementation of intransitive Dice enabling all the different game variants. All the games need only 3 dice in difference to other theoretical nontransitive dice designed in view of mathematics such as Efrons Dice (see Homepage of the game producer Michael Winkelmann -> click "Miwin'sche Würfel 2", then check attributes).

Because of these special attributes Miwin's Dice used also in the area of education. Miwin's Dice help to develop the mathematical highlights and enhances the ability to calculate probability as happened in the summer semester 2007 during a seminar at the University Siegen.

Games of dice with Miwin's dice

Since the middle of the eighties the press wrote about the games -> see the Austrian paper "Das Weihnachtsorakel, Spieltip "Ein Buch mit zwei Seiten", the Standard 18.Dez..1994, page 6, Pöppel-Revue 1/1990 page 6 and Spielwiese 11/1990 page 13, 29/1994 page 7. Winkelmann presents his games also himself, for example in Vienna at the "Österrechischen Spielefest, "Stiftung Spielen in Österreich", Leopoldsdorf, where "Miwin's dice" 1987 won the price "novel independent dice game of the year".

1989 the games have been reviewed by the periodical "Die Spielwiese" ( 29/1989 page 6). At that time 14 alternatives of gambling and strategic games existed for Miwin's dice. Also the periodical "Spielbox" had in the category "Unser Spiel im Heft" (now known as "Edition Spielbox") two variants of games for Miwin's dice to be taken out of the magazine. It was the solitaire game 5 to 4 and the strategic game Bitis for two persons.

1994 Winkelmann published in Vienna's Arquus publishing house his game Miwin's Dice consisting of the book "Göttliche Spiele", containing 92 games, a master copy for 4 game board and a documentation about the mathematical attributes of the dice and a set of Miwin's dice. Now you can find about 120 variants of games for free at his homepage.

Game variants

With Miwin's dice you can play strategic games and you can gamble. Variants with both elements exist also. The intrinsic attributes of the dice cause well defined probabilities and mathematical phenomena's ("if you chose one die there exists always one which has a higher probability to win against this").

Depending on the game it can be a solitaire game or game for up to nine people beginning with the age of 6. Some games need only the dice others need a game board. The games last from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

External links

* [http://www.miwin.com/ Homepage of producer Michael Winkelmann]
* [http://luding.org/Skripte/GameData.py/DEgameid/19790 Bitis] in [http://www.unknowns.de/wiki/index.php/Luding Ludings] Game data base

Published games

* Friedhelm Merz: "Spiel ’89. Book for Gamblers, Game creators, Game producers and press". Merz Verl., Bonn 1989, ISBN 3-926108-09-6, S. 477.