Don't mess with bunko night

Get out of her way.

It's Girls' Night Out — and nothing is stopping Mom from jumping in the minivan and peeling rubber on her way out of the cul-de-sac.

A growing number of husbands and boyfriends across Utah Valley have been put on notice that one night a month — usually the first Thursday — must remain event-free.

The message is very clear: Don't mess with bunko.

Lori Hansen, a mother of four who lives in Santaquin, has played the game once a month for three years. Hansen enjoys the game — and the laugh and chatter of friends.

Yvonne Rodabaugh, who lives in Eagle Mountain, said it is a welcome escape.

No stress allowed. Except, of course, when it is her turn to host dinner and prizes.

It's not much of a hassle, though. Hosting duties come just once a year and everybody contributes $10 a month to pay for the prizes.

"In my old group, they just did dessert and not dinner. Here we do dinner, so in January I'll be doing dinner," Rodabaugh said. "But dinner's better than junk food, since most of us come without dinner because we've been getting kids fed and to bed."

Prizes generally follow a theme. Everybody leaves with something. One big prize — $30 or so — is given to the top player. Second- and third-place winners receive smaller prizes.

Prizes range from jewelry to lawn games to home decor.

"I've decorated our house with bunko prizes," said Orem's Jackie Levingston, who plays each month with her three daughters and their friends.

"It's just nice. It's like a break with adults. It's time for yourself," said Nicole Cahoon, a mother with two young children who plays the game in Spanish Fork.

Cahoon said it is easy to play bunko. It's a matter of rolling three dice six times. In the first round, ones count. In the second, twos count, and so on.

The table or individual with the high score wins unless another player rolls three of the kind currently needed. That's a bunko— and that trumps everybody.

"It's hard to get very competitive when there's no skill involved," Rodabaugh said. "That right there eliminates a lot of stress. If you win, it tops your night off. If you lose, it doesn't matter. You still get something and you had fun."

Rules vary. Some groups strictly limit the number of people who can play. Some name a table champion, while others have individual winners.

There's only one commonality among bunko groups: Husbands are shown the door.

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E-MAIL: haddoc@desnews.com