Life and death was a simple dice game popular at casinos, played between the house (represented by a dealer) and the players. While up to five players could sit at a table, their only opponent was the house. To play, each player placed a bet; once placed, the house and the players each rolled a twenty-sided dice. If a player rolled lower than the dealer, the house won. A player who rolled higher than the dealer reclaimed the money they bet, and won that same amount from the house.
A player who tied with the house had two options: the player could surrender and lose half their bet, or the player could "go to war," in which case the player must double their bet, and then the player and dealer both rolled again.
When a player won a roll of life and death, they could opt to "push their luck" on their next bet. In this case, they bet everything they won on the last roll (their ante plus the winnings from the house). If they won, the house paid double their bet.