How to Play Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a dice game of thirteen rounds. Each round you roll five dice up to three times, keeping the ones you like, and then write the result into one of thirteen boxes on your scorecard.
Every box can be used once, so the real game is deciding which one to spend on a mediocre roll.
Play YahtzeeHow a turn works
- Roll all five dice.
- Keep any you want and reroll the rest. You get two rerolls.
- Choose a box and score the roll there. If it does not fit, you score zero in whatever box you sacrifice.
- After thirteen rounds every box is filled and the highest total wins.
The scorecard
- Upper section: ones through sixes, scoring the total of that number only. Reach 63 up there and you get a 35 point bonus.
- Three of a kind and four of a kind: the total of all five dice.
- Full house: 25 points for three of one and two of another.
- Small straight: 30 for four in a row. Large straight: 40 for five in a row.
- Yahtzee: 50 points for five of a kind.
- Chance: the total of all five dice, whatever they are.
Strategy
The upper bonus is worth chasing. Three of each number gets you there exactly, so treat three sixes or three fives as a solid result rather than a disappointment.
Keep Chance in reserve. It is the box that rescues a bad final roll, so spending it early on a decent roll often costs more than it gains.
Do not keep rolling for a Yahtzee with one pair and two rerolls left. The odds are poor, and a full house or a four of a kind is usually sitting there instead.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a Yahtzee?
Fifty, for five of a kind. Additional Yahtzees after the first score a bonus in most rule sets.
What is the upper section bonus?
Thirty five points, awarded if your ones through sixes total at least 63, which is three of each number.
Can I score zero on purpose?
Yes, and sometimes you have to. Sacrificing a box you are unlikely to fill, such as Yahtzee, is a normal part of the game.