This is a popular game to play during Hanukkah.

A dreidel is a top with a different Hebrew letter inscribed on each of its four sides. The four letters are

-nun

-gimel

-hay

-shin.

They form an acronym: "Neis gadol hayah sham," which means, "A great miracle happened here."

Players use chocolate gelt (coins), pennies, peanuts or any other similar object or just about anything for tokens or chips.

Players put one token in the "pot," then take turns spinning the dreidel. The letter that the dreidel stops on determines the player's action:

Nun: Do nothing-you neither win nor lose.
Gimel: Take the whole pot.
Heh: Take half the pot.
Shin: Put a token in the pot.

Play continues until one player has all of the tokens.