Where did this craze come from?

We had some friends over for brunch today and I learned about a new fad. Our friend Lisa-Britt was explaining that she's starting her own Bunko group because a bunch of her neighbors have a regular group and there isn't room for her to join. Her husband Rick sighed, "Yeah, now I have to vacate the house on Tuesday nights." Holly wondered if there was a Bunko group in her new neighborhood.

I'm sitting there with a "have I been in a cave?" feeling because I have no idea what they're talking about, so I sheepishly ask, "What's Bunko?"

So it seems Bunko is a dice game that's the rage among suburban housewives. It's the ladies' version of poker night, a chance to get together with the girls, drink some wine/beer/margaritas, pass the gossip, and play a friendly small stakes game. Yup, so that's Bunko. Or, as Rick would offer, the more descriptively named Drunko.

If you want to find out more, there are even websites (1) (2) (3).There you have it, good reader, my weekly attempt at using the awesome power of the internet for the greater educational good.