Yahtzee | Simple directions of How To Play and Score with Strategy Tips

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Yahtzee is a great game but it can be confusing to get started. We have made the ultimate beginner-friendly guide of how to play, score, and tips for winning.

Played Yahtzee before?
Here are the most common Yahtzee questions people ask.

Overview

  • In one game of Yahtzee there are thirteen rounds and each player has a scorecard with thirteen box’s.
  • In each round, the players, in turn, roll the dice and record a score in one of their thirteen boxes.
  • After all thirteen rounds, the player with the most accumulated points is the winner.

The Key to Yahtzee is understanding the scorecard and adjusting your gameplay accordingly

Looking for a simpler yet challenging alternative Dice game?

Farkle combines risk-taking, with strategy and the luck of the dice.

Game Play

On their turn a player:

  • Rolls all 5 dice
  • Sets aside any dice they wish to keep
  • They can then stop or roll any of the dice a further two times in order to try and achieve their target task.
Note: Even if dice have been set aside for the second roll, they can still be rolled as part of the third roll, if wanted.
  • At the end of their go, a player MUST mark a score in one of their thirteen boxes.
The Secret to Yahtzee is not just being lucky and rolling the perfect combinations. A true master knows which box to fill in, and when to fill it, during each game.

Understanding the Yahtzee Scorecard

The traditional Yahtzee scorepad is really intimidating when you are first starting so we have created our own simplified scorecard version to help in learning how to play.

Simplified Score card printable
Simplified Scorecard for Beginners
  • The scorecard has thirteen different boxes where you enter a score.
  • Each box represents a task, thirteen tasks in all
  • You can only enter a score in an unused box.
  • You can score the tasks in any order

The challenge of Yahtzee is that many rolls could often score in more than one box, as it fulfills more than one task!

Example:

These same five dice could be scored in any of the following tasks:

TaskRequirementsPossible Score
2How many Twos? Only Twos Score3 x 2 = 6
4How many Fours? Only Fours Score1 x 4 = 4
5How many Fives? Only Fives Score1 x 5 = 5
7Three of a Kind. Total of all dice.2+2+2+4+5 = 15
13Chance. Total of all dice. 2+2+2+4+5 = 15

NOTE: Choosing to Score 0 for a Task!

If the dice rolled do not match the requirements of a task the player would score 0 in that task. This, however, is sometimes inevitable and even sometimes preferable!

e.g.

If it is your last turn and you only have Task 7 – Three of a Kind unused but you do not get three of a kind then you enter a zero for the Task 7 score.

OR

If you have Task 1, 5, and 6 left and after your 3 possible rolls:

You would be better off scoring 0 for Task 1 (how many 1’s) and then trying to get more 5’s or 6’s on your next turn than simply settling for a single 5 for Task 5.

Our unique Scorecard gives an indication of the ‘ideal’ minimum points to score for each task.

Understanding the different Tasks

Tasks 1 – 6

These tasks are known as the Upper Section of the Scorecard.

They are simply the total score for the dice matching that task.

e.g. For task 2 only dice showing 2 are counted towards the score, regardless of what the other dice are.

= 6 points

However, it is possible to score a bonus if your Upper Section tasks score highly enough!

Upper section Bonus

When calculating your total score at the end of the game, you earn a very valuable 35 point bonus if the total of your Upper Section (total of points scored for tasks 1-6 included) is greater than 63.

You can achieve the required 63 points by getting three of the required number for each of tasks 1- 6.

Task 1
Only One’s count		++++ = 3 points
Task 2
Only Two’s count		 = 6 points
Task 3
Only Three’s count		 = 9 points
Task 4
Only Four’s count		 = 12 points
Task 5
Only Five’s count		 = 15 points
Task 6
Only Sixes count		 = 18 points
TOTAL 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 = 63
One way of earning Upper Section Bonus 35 Points

Aiming for three of each, as a minimum, is a good plan but it is not the only way to get 63 points!

A common way to get the bonus is by scoring four-of-a-kind for some numbers so that fewer of other numbers are needed.

It is also often better to focus on scoring high for task 5 (how many 5’s) or task 6 (how many 6’s). They simply score more! Rolling a single extra 6 for task 6 is the same as rolling three extra 2’s for task 2!

Scoring for Task 1 or task 2 are often the first to be sacrificed if you have a poor roll!

However, you should always aim to get the 63 points, and therefore the bonus, but it doesn’t matter how you get it!

Tasks 7 – 13

These tasks are known as the Lower Section of the Scorecard.

Task 7: ‘3 of a Kind’

e.g. Scores 15 points (Total of all the dice)

Three of the dice must show the same number but the score is the total of all the dice.

You should aim to get three the same that are 4,5 or 6 to increase your score.

Task 8: ‘4 of a Kind’

e.g. Scores 18 points (Total of all the dice)

Four of the dice must show the same number but the score is the total of all the dice.

You should aim to get four the same that are 4,5 or 6 to increase your score.

Task 9: Full House

e.g. ALWAYS scores 25 points; regardless of the dice scores

Three of a Kind and a pair of a different number.

Task 10: Small Straight

This is any sequence of 4 numbers, the last dice does not matter.

There are only three ways to roll this.

e.g.

Scores 30 points; regardless of the dice scores

Task 11: Large Straight

This is a sequence of 5 numbers.

There are only two ways to roll this.

Scores 40 points; regardless of the dice scores

Task 12: Yahtzee

This is any ‘5 of a Kind’. ie All five dice are the same number.

e.g

or

Scores 50 points the first time; regardless of the dice scores.

If you should be lucky enough to roll a second Yahtzee (within the same game) the second and each subsequent ‘Yatzee’ score a bonus100 points ONLY if you have previously scored 50 from an earlier Yahtzee.

If you throw a Yahtzee and have previously filled the Yahtzee category with a score of 0, you do not get a Yahtzee bonus!

  • An earlier Yahtzee MUST have been used to score 50 points for Task 12.
  • Each subsequent Yahtzee scores a Bonus 100 points in the Yahtzee Bonus box but ALSO scores in one of the remaining unused tasks.
  • To do this it follows the Official JOKER Rules; see below

Where to score the Yahtzee depends on which tasks are still available.

Rule 1:
Score the total of all 5 dice in the appropriate Upper Section box.

ie if Yahtzee is with 4’s then task 4.

Rule 2:

ONLY IF the appropriate Upper Section box is already used then for one of the Lower section tasks you can score the Yahtzee accordingly :

  • Task 7 – 3 of a Kind: total of all 5 dice
  • Task 8 – 4 of a Kind: total of all 5 dice
  • Task 9 – Full House: 25 points
  • Task 10 – Small Straight: 30points
  • Task 11 – Large Straight: 40 points
  • Task 13 – Chance: total of all 5 dice

Rule 3:
ONLY IF all the Lower Section tasks are full do you return to the Upper Section and score a zero in any unused task.

Task 13: Chance

This is for any combination of Dice and scores the total of all the dice.

Turn Example 1

Start of Game
Roll 1
After a single roll, at the start of the game, you meet the requirements for 5 different tasks and could score points for Tasks 2, 4, 5, 7, or 13.
These dice could score a possible 15 points if they were used for Task 7 or Task 13.

However, with two more rolls available it would be worth trying to improve the score.

I would set aside the three 2’s and roll two dice.

TaskPossible Score
23 x 2 = 6
41 x 4 = 4
51 x 5 = 5
72+2+2+4+5 = 15
13 2+2+2+4+5 = 15
Roll 2
After the second roll, the highest total these dice could score has actually gone down to 11 points!

Only scoring 11 points for Task 8 (Four of a Kind) or Task 13 (Chance) is not great!

However, scoring 8 points for Task 2 (how many Two’s) is great!

It would still be worth rolling to see if you can improve on four 2’s and maybe get a Yahtzee!

Set Aside
Rolled

TaskPossible Score
24 x 2 = 8
41 x 3 = 3
82+2+2+2+3 = 11
13 2+2+2+2+3 = 11
Roll 3
After the third roll, the highest total these dice could score is 13 points.

However, scoring 8 points for Task 2 (how many Two’s) is great as only Two’s count.

It is better to try and save Task 8 (Four of a Kind) for a larger number i.e Four, Five or Six

It is better to save Task 13 (Chance) for later in the game when you cannot score anywhere else.

Set Aside
Rolled

TaskPossible Score
24 x 2 = 8
51 x 5 = 5
82+2+2+2+5 = 13
13 2+2+2+2+5 = 13

Scoring

The player would then score 8 points next to the Task 2 box

Turn Example 2

Mid Game:

Only Tasks 2, 3, 10, 11, and 13 Unused

Roll 1
These dice could score a possible 30 points if they were used for Task 10.

However, with two more rolls available it would be worth trying to improve the score.

I would set aside the Low straight (Task 10) and roll one dice, trying to get a High Straight (Task 11)

TaskPossible Score
22 x 2 = 4
31 x 3 = 3
10Low Straight = 30
11High Striaght = N/A
13 2+2+3+4+5 = 16
Roll 2
After the second roll, the highest total these dice could score is still 30 points for the Low Straight

It would still be worth rolling to see if you can roll the high straight.

Set Aside
Rolled

TaskPossible Score
21 x 2 = 2
32 x 3 = 6
10 Low Straight = 30
11 High Striaght = N/A
13 2+2+3+4+5 = 16
Roll 3
After the third roll, the highest total these dice could score is 40 points for the High Straight.

Set Aside
Rolled

TaskPossible Score
21 x 2 = 2
31 x 3 = 3
10Low Straight
or = 30
11High Straight = 40
13 2+3+4+5+6 = 20

Scoring

The player would then score 40 points next to the Task 11 box

Yahtzee FAQ’s.

Like Dice games?

Have you tried playing Bunco?

Another great dice rolling game for larger numbers of players.

or
How about Farkle?
Adds an element of risk in each player’s strategy!

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