You’re sitting on the floor, or maybe a sticky pub table, clutching two tiny rubber swine. You toss them. They bounce, skitter, and land in a chaotic heap. One is standing on its snout; the other is flat on its side. Now comes the part that usually starts an argument: how many points was that? Pass the Pigs scoring is legendary for being both incredibly simple and weirdly easy to mess up when the stakes get high and the drinks start flowing.
It’s a game of greed. Pure, unadulterated "press your luck" mechanics that have kept people entertained since David Moffatt first unleashed this madness back in 1977. Back then, it was called "Pig Mania," but the soul of the game hasn't changed. You want points. You want to reach 100 before your friends. But if you don't know the difference between a Leaning Jowler and a Double Snouter, you’re basically just throwing plastic at a wall.
Honestly, the complexity isn't in the math. It's in the geometry of the pigs.
The Basic Positions That Actually Matter
Most people get the "Pig Out" part right. If you roll the pigs and they land on opposite sides—one with the black dot up and one with the dot down—you lose your turn’s accumulated points. That’s the classic "bust." It’s the "Sider" that usually confuses beginners. A Sider is when both pigs land on the same side (both dots up or both dots down). That’s a measly 1 point. It feels like a waste of a throw, and frankly, it kind of is.
But then things get interesting.
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If a pig lands on its feet, it’s a Trotter. That’s 5 points. If it’s balanced on its snout, it’s a Snouter for 10. The Holy Grail of single-pig positions is the Leaning Jowler, where the pig is balanced on its snout and ear. That’s a cool 15 points. You’d think the scoring would just be additive, but the creators of Pass the Pigs decided to reward the improbable with a massive multiplier.
When you land two of the same "fancy" positions, you don't just double the score. You quadruple it.
Take the Double Snouter. One Snouter is 10. Two Snouters? That’s 40 points. A Double Leaning Jowler is the jackpot, worth a staggering 60 points in a single toss. If you hit that, you’ve basically won the round, assuming you have the sense to stop rolling and bank your points. Most people don't. That’s the beauty of the game.
The "Piggy Back" and Instant Death
There is one rule that almost everyone forgets until it happens. If the pigs touch each other when they land, it’s called a "Piggy Back."
In most house rules, people just re-roll. But according to the official Waddingtons or Winning Moves rulebooks, if the pigs land on top of each other, you are completely out of the game. Not just the turn. The whole game. Your score resets to zero and you’re sidelined. It’s a brutal, some might say "unfair," mechanic that adds a layer of genuine physical tension to every toss. Don't crowd the pigs. Give them space to breathe.
Pass the Pigs Scoring: The Math of Greed
The real question isn't just "how many points is this?" It’s "should I roll again?"
To understand the strategy, you have to look at the probability. While the manufacturers haven't released official Newtonian physics data on the weight distribution of the rubber, enthusiasts have done the legwork. A Trotter (the 5-pointer) happens way more often than a Snouter. In fact, some hobbyist statistical analyses suggest the Trotter has about a 9% chance of appearing on any given pig. The Leaning Jowler? Less than 1%.
When you’re looking at Pass the Pigs scoring, you have to realize that the "Pig Out" (0 points and end of turn) is the most common outcome besides a simple Sider.
If you’ve already banked 20 points in a single turn, the statistical likelihood of your next roll being a Pig Out is significantly higher than the likelihood of hitting a Double Snouter to push you over the edge. Most experts—and yes, there are people who consider themselves experts in pig tossing—suggest banking any turn that exceeds 15-20 points.
Making Sense of the "Makin' Bacon" Rule
Then there’s the "Makin' Bacon" scenario. This is when the pigs land in a position that is physically touching but not stacked. In many versions, this is treated similarly to a Piggy Back, but often it's played as a total loss of all points accumulated in the game so far. It’s the ultimate "screw you" roll.
- Sider: 1 Point (Both dots up or both dots down).
- Trotter: 5 Points (Standing on all fours).
- Snouter: 10 Points (Balanced on the snout).
- Leaning Jowler: 15 Points (Snout and ear).
- Mixed Combo: Just add them up (e.g., a Trotter and a Snouter is 15).
- Doubles: 4x the single value (Double Trotter is 20, Double Snouter is 40, Double Jowler is 60).
Why the Rules Feel Different Every Time You Play
If you go to a board game cafe or play with a new group, you’ll notice everyone has their own "house rules." This is because the original game instructions have been lost or mangled in translation over forty years.
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Some people play with a "Hog Wash" rule, where if you roll a "Pig Out" three times in a row, you get a bonus. That’s not in the official rules. Others play that you can "bid" on other people’s scores. Again, not official, but it adds a gambling element that makes the 100-point race much more cutthroat.
The official game ends at 100 points, but honestly, that's often too short for a group of four. Many long-time players bump the winning threshold to 200 or 500 points. This changes the Pass the Pigs scoring dynamic entirely. At 100 points, a single Double Snouter is a game-changer. At 500 points, it’s just a nice lead. The longer the game, the more the law of large numbers starts to punish the players who refuse to bank their points.
The Physics of the Toss
You can actually influence the scoring by how you throw. It’s not just luck. If you "drop" the pigs from a low height with a slight spin, they are more likely to settle into a Trotter position. A high, chaotic toss increases the chance of a "Pig Out" or the dreaded "Makin' Bacon" touch.
Serious players (I use that term loosely) usually aim for a consistent, low-altitude release. You want the pigs to tumble, not fly. If they fly, they bounce unpredictably. If they tumble, their center of gravity—which is slightly weighted toward the belly—tends to bring them down into a Sider or a Trotter position.
A Summary of Scoring Anomalies
It's weirdly easy to forget that a single pig on its side (dot up) and one pig on its side (dot down) is the only "bad" Sider. If they both have dots up, you get a point. If they both have dots down, you get a point. It's only the mismatch that kills your turn.
Also, the "Double Sider" is often called a "Pig-A-Back" in older versions, but that term has mostly been replaced by "Piggy Back" to describe the pigs actually touching. It’s confusing. Just remember: mismatch equals end of turn; touching equals end of game.
Tactical Next Steps for Your Next Game
If you want to actually win your next match rather than just tossing rubber and hoping for the best, you need a system. Stop treating it like a game of chance and start treating it like a game of risk management.
- Bank at 20: Unless you are trailing by a massive margin, always bank your points once you hit the 20-point mark in a single turn. The probability of a Pig Out on the next roll is roughly 20-25% depending on your throwing style.
- Watch the Surface: If you’re playing on a carpet, Snouters and Leaning Jowlers are much easier to achieve because the fibers catch the edges of the pig. On a hard wood table, they tend to slide and fall into Siders. Adjust your aggression based on the friction of the "pitch."
- The "End Game" Push: If your opponent is at 90 points and you’re at 40, throw the rules out the window. You have to go for the "Double" rolls. At that point, banking 5 points does nothing for you. You are in "Double Snouter or bust" territory.
- Check Your Pigs: Over years of use, the rubber on the snouts can wear down or get greasy. Give them a quick wipe with a damp cloth. A clean pig is a predictable pig.
The most important thing about Pass the Pigs scoring is consistency. Before the first person throws, make sure everyone agrees on the "Makin' Bacon" and "Piggy Back" rules. Nothing ruins a game faster than someone getting eliminated on turn two because they didn't realize the pigs couldn't touch.
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Go grab that plastic case, find a flat surface, and remember: pigs are fickle. They don't want to stand on their snouts. They want to Pig Out. Don't let them. Bank early, bank often, and watch your friends lose their minds as they chase a Double Leaning Jowler that will never come.