Yahtzee rules
Five dice, three rolls a turn, thirteen boxes to fill. Here is exactly how each one scores.
How a turn works
On your turn you roll all five dice. You may then re-roll any number of them up to two more times, keeping whichever dice you like between rolls. You can change your mind about which dice to keep on each roll, and you can stop early.
When you finish rolling you must write the result into one category on your scorecard. Each category can only be used once, and once it is filled it stays filled. The game runs for thirteen rounds, which is exactly enough turns to fill every box.
Upper section
The six upper categories score the sum of the dice showing that number, and ignore everything else. Three fours scores 12 in Fours; the other two dice do not matter.
| Category | Scores | Example | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ones | Sum of all dice showing 1 | 1 1 1 4 5 | 3 |
| Twos | Sum of all dice showing 2 | 2 2 3 3 6 | 4 |
| Threes | Sum of all dice showing 3 | 3 3 3 1 2 | 9 |
| Fours | Sum of all dice showing 4 | 4 4 4 2 6 | 12 |
| Fives | Sum of all dice showing 5 | 5 5 5 5 1 | 20 |
| Sixes | Sum of all dice showing 6 | 6 6 3 3 4 | 12 |
The 63-point bonus. If your six upper boxes add up to 63 or more, you get a 35-point bonus. 63 is not an arbitrary number: it is exactly three of each face (3×1 + 3×2 + 3×3 + 3×4 + 3×5 + 3×6 = 63). So if you average three of every number you land exactly on the bonus.
Lower section
| Category | Requirement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Three of a kind | At least three dice the same | Sum of all five dice |
| Four of a kind | At least four dice the same | Sum of all five dice |
| Full house | Exactly three of one number and two of another | 25 |
| Small straight | Four consecutive numbers | 30 |
| Large straight | Five consecutive numbers | 40 |
| Yahtzee | All five dice the same | 50 |
| Chance | Anything at all | Sum of all five dice |
Two details that catch people out. Three and four of a kind score the total of all five dice, not just the matching ones — so 6 6 6 5 4 scores 27, not 18. And a large straight also satisfies small straight, since five consecutive numbers contain four consecutive numbers; 2 3 4 5 6 is worth 40 in large straight or 30 in small straight.
The Yahtzee bonus
The first Yahtzee you score is worth 50. Every Yahtzee after that is worth a 100-point bonus on top of whatever category you use the dice for — but only if you already have 50 in the Yahtzee box. If you were forced to take a zero there, later Yahtzees earn you nothing extra.
This game does not use joker rules. Some printed rule sets let a second Yahtzee be counted as a full house, a small straight or a large straight. Here it cannot: five of a kind scores zero in full house and in both straights. A Yahtzee of threes can still go into Threes, into Three of a kind, Four of a kind or Chance — but if those are all filled, you will be taking a zero somewhere.
Taking a zero
You always have to fill a box, even when nothing fits. If you have no useful combination and every cheap category is gone, you choose which box to sacrifice. Ones is usually the least painful zero; the Yahtzee box is the most expensive, because it costs you the 50 and every future 100-point bonus.
Winning
After thirteen rounds, each player adds up their upper section, the 35-point bonus if they earned it, their lower section, and 100 for each Yahtzee bonus. Highest total wins. Tied players share the win — there is no tiebreaker round.
Common questions
How many rounds are in a game of Yahtzee?
Thirteen. There are thirteen scoring categories and each one can be used exactly once, so every player takes thirteen turns and the game ends when every box on every scorecard is filled.
How many points do you need for the upper section bonus?
You need 63 or more across the six upper boxes to earn the 35-point bonus. 63 is exactly three of each number: three ones, three twos, and so on up to three sixes.
What is a second Yahtzee worth?
Each Yahtzee after the first is worth a 100-point bonus, but only if you already have 50 scored in the Yahtzee box. If you scored a zero there, later Yahtzees earn no bonus.
Can a Yahtzee be used as a full house or a straight?
Not in this game. Some printed rule sets include joker rules that let a second Yahtzee count as a full house or a straight. This game does not: five of a kind scores zero in full house, small straight and large straight.
What happens if you cannot score anything?
You must still fill in a box, so you take a zero in whichever category costs you least. Every category has to be used exactly once before the game ends.