How to play Yahtzee

The classic five-dice game: roll up to three times a turn, fill one of 13 scoring boxes with the best combination, and finish with the highest total.

By Lena Berger Updated October 29, 2026

Players: 2+
You need: Dice and Pen & paper
Game length: 20–40 min
Difficulty: Easy to learn
Ages: 8+

01 — Goal

Fill 13 boxes with the highest score

The game lasts 13 rounds, one for each box on the score card. In every round you roll for a combination and score it in one box. When all boxes are filled, the highest total wins.

You need five dice, a score card for each player and a pencil.

02 — A turn

Roll up to three times

To decide who goes first, each player rolls one die. The player who rolls the highest number starts. Play then continues clockwise.

Roll all five dice.
Keep any dice you want and roll the rest again. You may also pick dice you kept back up and reroll them.
Do this once more if you like: three rolls is the maximum, and you can stop after the first or second.
Score the dice in one empty box on your card.

You must fill a box every turn. If you can't score points in an available box, you must enter a zero in one of the empty boxes.

03 — Upper section

Ones to Sixes and the 35-point bonus

In each upper box, add up only the dice showing that number. Three 4s in the Fours box score 12.

Box	Scores
Ones to Sixes	Sum of that number
Bonus if the upper section totals 63 or more	35

You reach 63 by scoring three of each number.

04 — Lower section

Combinations and their points

Box	You need	Points
Three of a kind	At least three dice the same	Sum of all dice
Four of a kind	At least four dice the same	Sum of all dice
Full house	Three of one number and two of another	25
Small straight	Four numbers in a row	30
Large straight	Five numbers in a row	40
Yahtzee	All five dice the same	50
Chance	Anything	Sum of all dice

05 — More Yahtzees

Bonus Yahtzees and the Joker Rule

If you roll another Yahtzee and have already scored 50 points in the Yahtzee box, you earn a 100-point bonus. You receive this bonus for every additional Yahtzee.

If you previously entered zero in the Yahtzee box, you don't receive the bonus. In both cases, you must still fill an available scoring box according to the Joker Rule:

Matching upper box: If the matching upper box is empty (for example, Fives when you roll five 5s), you must score the dice there.
Lower section: If the matching upper box is already filled, use an available Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind box and score the total of all five dice. If those boxes are also filled, you may use Chance or another available lower-section box. A Yahtzee can then count as a Full House (25 points), Small Straight (30 points), or Large Straight (40 points), even without the usual combination.
No lower boxes left: If every lower box is filled, enter zero in an available upper box.

Example: You roll five 4s for a second Yahtzee. Your Yahtzee box contains 50 points, and your Fours box is already filled. You receive 100 bonus points and may score 40 points in an empty Large Straight box.

06 — Winning

Add up after 13 rounds

Add your upper section, the 35-point bonus if you earned it, your lower section and any Yahtzee bonuses. The highest total wins.

07 — Scoring

Who gets what

Ones to Sixes: Sum of dice showing the matching number
Upper section bonus (63 or more): 35 points
Three or four of a kind: Sum of all five dice
Full house: 25 points
Small straight: 30 points
Large straight: 40 points
Yahtzee: 50 points
Chance: Sum of all five dice
Each additional Yahtzee: 100 bonus points if the Yahtzee box contains 50

08 — Tips

Play smarter

Aim for three of each number in the upper section. That adds up to 63 points and earns the 35-point bonus.
Use Chance for a roll that doesn't form a useful combination but still has a high total.
If you need to score zero, choose a box where you're least likely to earn many points later. Ones can be a good option.
Going for a Large Straight? Keep four consecutive numbers and reroll the fifth die.

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All Dice games