Marbles & Marble Games

Ringer

• The basic game of marbles is also known as "Ringer." Players draw a ring drawn on the ground that is 10 feet in diameter. Each player lags by throwing or shooting a marble from one side of the circle to a line drawn tangent to the other side of the circle. The player whose marble is closest to the line plays first. 13 marbles are placed in a cross in the center of the circle and the first player shoots from outside the ring at any point. If the player knocks a marble out of the ring and his shooter stays in, he collects the marble and shoots again from where his shooter stopped. If a marble is not knocked out of the ring, the next player takes a turn. If the first player's shooter stays in the ring, he must leave it there until his next turn. If the second player knocks the first player's shooter out of the ring, she takes the shooter and knocks the first player out of the game. Play continues until all marbles have been claimed and the player with the most marbles wins.

Hundreds

• "Hundreds" is a marble game that can be played by two players. Players dig a hole in the ground that is about a foot in diameter. A starting line is determined and the first player tosses his marble at the hole, attempting to get it in the hole. If the marble goes into the hole, the second player must also land her marble in the hole or the first player scores 10 points. If the first marble does not go into the hole, the second player may try to hit the first player's marble, scoring 10 points. She may then try to get her marble into the hole from the spot where her marble landed. She may also skip trying to hit the first marble and go for the hole. If the second player misses the first player's marble or the hole, the first player shoots either for her marble or the hole from the spot where his marble landed initially. When one or both players get their marbles in the hole, play begins again from the starting line. The first player to 100 points wins.

Cherry Pit

• "Cherry Pit" is a game that is similar to "Ringer." The same 10-foot ring is drawn on the ground, but a one foot hole is dug in the center of it. Players place about a dozen marbles around the perimeter of the hole. Players shoot from outside the ring and attempt to knock a marble into the hole. If a marble goes into the hole and their shooter remains in the ring, they may shoot again. If their shooter goes in the hole, they must buy it back with a pre-determined number of marbles. The player with the most marbles at the end wins.

Bun Hole

• "Bun Hole" can be played with any number of players. Players dig a hole that is one foot wide. Players take turns tossing their marbles to the hole without letting it go into the whole. The player whose marble is the closest to the hole collects a marble from each player. Players may choose to knock an opponent's marble into the hole to prevent him from winning. The player with the most marbles at the end of the game wins.