The old-west version of the game used three dice, a birdcage, and a felt or oilcloth lay out numbered 1 to 6. Players put their bets on one of the six betting sections. When all bets are down, the birdcage is flipped several times by the dealer. The result is displayed once the cage stops moving and the dice drop.

When one die shows the value bet, the player wins even money (1-to-1). Two of the dice showing the number bet would mean that the player is paid double his bet (2-to-1) and when three of the dice ends up showing the number bet, it would mean that the player wins triple his bet (3-to1). All bets placed on numbers not shown on the displayed dice are considered lost. The dealers then proceed to collect all losing bets and pay winning bets. This done, the dealer declares the game open for the next round, a signal to the players to place their new bets.

The layout provides a decorative circular area on the players' left side (which is the dealer's right side) where the cage is positioned. The cage is welded closed and the dice are neither removable nor changeable. The only person that can turn the cage is the dealer.

Chuck A Luck is a dice game where the basic object is to tumble three dice in a cage and bet on how they will land once the cage comes to a stop. There are four different ways of making bets in casinos and these are 'any number', 'field', 'over 10' and 'under 11'. The winning procedure for 'any number' is the one described above. A 'field' bet is betting that all dice will add up to one of the numbers featured on the field. An 'over 10' and 'under 11' bet means betting that the sum total of the dice will be greater than 10 or less than 11 respectively.

The Chuck A Luck table placement, whereby players stand up to play, is meant to encourage betting once or twice instead of playing for an extended period of time. Moving and altering bets are allowed until the "No More Bets" sign appears, at which point all bets stand as they are. More modern versions of Chuck A Luck are the 'Big Six' and 'Crown and Anchor'