What is the game Quatre Cent Vingt-et-un?

Question

I am reading the Quiet American by Graham Green and in it the game played among all the soldiers is a dice game called Quatre Cent Vingt-et-un. It is a gambling game in which every time you lose you raise a rank . You play till one becomes captain or commandant. If you throw four-two-one (whatever that is) it is a very good score. Does anyone know how to play this game or what is is?

Answer 1

 http://www.ehow.com/how_4529870_play-four-twentyone-dice-game.html

this is one way to play the game

i prefer my way. Take 21 chips and the aim is to get all the chips. There are 2 parts in the game the first is sharing the second is stealing. In the first part each player takes a turn to roll the dice the player with the winning hand takes the amount of chips. In the stealing round the leading player will roll the die but this time has the option of a second role of one or all of the dice to better his hand. The next player then rolls either once or twice dependent on the first player and if he wins he takes that many chips of the first player.winning player then rolls next round to steal more chips

Okay so scoring. highest number wins read off by taking the highest number and reading down. EG a roll 5,1,2 would be worth 521. Winning this way is worth one chip. 123,234,345,456 worth two points with highest number being worth most these are straights. Next 222,333,444,555,666 are worth the amount they equal 2 points - 6 points. 112,113,114,115,116 worth the amount they are but beat triples. 111 is worth seven and 421 or quarte cent vignt et un is worth 8. 

i would change some of the rules but thats how i was taught