Yahtzee Rules

How to Play Yahtzee

Yahtzee is a classic dice game played with five dice and a scorecard. The goal is to roll specific combinations and fill in your score sheet to earn the highest total by the end of the game.

Quick to learn but with layers of decision-making, Yahtzee blends luck, strategy, and smart score management for fun solo or group play.

Preparations

• Players: 1 or more (works well solo or in groups)
• What you need:
  • Five six-sided dice
  • A Yahtzee scorecard (printable or drawn)
  • Pen or pencil for each player

Setup:

• Each player has their own score sheet.
• Decide randomly who starts.
• Play proceeds clockwise.

Gameplay

On a player’s turn:

1. Roll all five dice (up to three times).
2. After the 1st and 2nd rolls, set aside dice you want to keep and reroll the rest.
3. After the final roll (or earlier if you choose), assign your result to an empty scorecard category.
4. Each category can only be used once. If you can’t (or don’t want to) score in a category, you must enter a zero in one.

The Scorecard

The scorecard is divided into two sections:

Upper Section:

• Ones
• Twos
• Threes
• Fours
• Fives
• Sixes

Bonus: If the total of the upper section is 63 or more, gain +50 points.

Lower Section:

• One Pair
• Two Pairs
• Three of a Kind
• Four of a Kind
• Small Straight (1–2–3–4–5)
• Large Straight (2–3–4–5–6)
• Full House (three of a kind + a pair)
• Chance (any combination)
• Yahtzee (five of a kind, worth 50 points — sometimes 100 in variants)

Winning the Game

• The game ends when all scorecard boxes are filled.
• Add totals from upper and lower sections (plus bonuses).
• The highest score wins.

Strategies and Tips

• Manage the upper section early
  Prioritize high numbers (fives and sixes). Reaching the bonus can swing the game.

• Don’t waste your Yahtzee
  Use it in the Yahtzee slot. If taken, place it in another strong category.

• Use Chance and Ones for bad rolls
  Sacrifice low-value slots to save big categories.

• Roll with flexibility
  Don’t lock in too soon—keep options open after your first roll.

Variants and Extended Gameplay

There are many different versions of Yahtzee. Below we cover a few of them:

Maxi Yahtzee

• Uses six dice.
• Extra categories (e.g., Three Pairs, Two Triplets, Tower).
• Higher thresholds for straights (e.g., 1–2–3–4–5–6).
• Best for longer games and advanced players.

Yahtzee Royale

• Also uses six dice.
• May include wildcards, combo scoring, or special dice powers.
• More party-style and casual in nature.

Yahtzee (International Version)

• Very similar to standard Yahtzee.
• Fixed 50 points for Full House.
• Typically played in 13 rounds exactly.
• Widely commercialized and nearly interchangeable with Yahtzee in casual play.

Overview of the Game Rules

• Each turn: roll dice up to 3 times
• Assign result to one scorecard category
• Each category may only be used once
• Upper section bonus at 63+ points
• Game ends when all categories are filled
• Highest total score wins