why do (most) dice have the same face placements? As in, why is the 6 usually opposite to the 1, likewise with the 3 and 4? Does this affect the “fairness” of a dice roll, making it a 1/6 chance every roll as opposed to a different value?

Question

why do (most) dice have the same face placements? As in, why is the 6 usually opposite to the 1, likewise with the 3 and 4? Does this affect the “fairness” of a dice roll, making it a 1/6 chance every roll as opposed to a different value?

In: 576

Answer 1

It’s a bit more than tradition.

If your dice is not perfectly equilibrated (e.g. one half is heavier than the other and these faces will show up less often), then opposite face adding up to always the same number (7, on six-faced dice) will ensure that the mean outcome will still be the same.