At the outset, each member throws a dice; the one who throws the highest becomes the man in the box. The one with the next highest throw becomes the captain, who will play for all the others taking part.

The man in the box continues to play until he loses a game to the captain, who himself will then become the 'man in the box'. The order of play is always determined by the initial throw, the highest always taking precedence.

The man in the box plays on his own and scores separately against each of his opponents. The captain may consult his team on any question regarding his manner of play, but he is the final judge and can ignore any proffered suggestions. It is not considered good etiquette to interfere with the captain's decision as to how a particular roll should be played, and silence, though frustrating, is generally advocated. On no account may anyone other than the captain or the person in the box move the men.

Any member of the team has the right to decline or accept a double, irrespective of the captain's decision. In the event of his refusal, he merely forfeits his stake to the man in the box and the game continues. If, however, the captain declines a double offered by the man in the box, any or all of the team members may accept it. The highest ranking as previously determined by the dice will then play on behalf of the others until the game is over. Those players who have refused the double may not from that moment partake in any aspect of the game.

There are some variations on this standard play. For instance, each member may have his own doubling dice which he can offer without committing any other member of the team to the man in the box. If the captain insists on offering doubles when half or fewer than half of the members object, then they may withdraw from the game entirely and the man in the box can insist that the captain take over all their commitments.