Balut is a simple dice game, not unlike Yahtzee, where five dice are played to achieve a predetermined set of scores within a game. Considerable research has been undertaken in the past to establish the real roots of the game of Balut – one particular source dates the game to the time of the Roman Empire when Julius Caesar was heard to utter the immortal phrase “Alea iacta est” or “The die is cast”.

In reality, it was created just after World War II, by a group of U.S. soldiers stationed in The Philippines. It has spread over the decades to be an internationally played game with two distinct versions ….

• STC (Singapore Town Club) played in dozens of private Members’ clubs across SE Asia, including the British Club Bangkok.
• IBF (International Balut Federation) played in sets of four games and enjoyed by players in 75 branches worldwide.