Yahtzee

Yahtzee is the dice game first sold by E.S. Lowe in 1956 (now owned by Hasbro) — one of the best-known dice games in the world. Five dice, up to three rolls per turn, thirteen scoring categories. Pick which category to claim each turn. Highest total after 13 rounds wins; here you play solo and chase your best score. Yahtzee combines luck (rolls) and strategy (which category to fill), and is one of the most-played family games of the past 60 years.

How to play

• Click Roll Dice — 5 dice randomly come up.
• Click a die (or press keys 1–5) to “hold” it; held dice turn yellow and don’t re-roll.
• Click Roll again (or press Space). You get up to 3 rolls total per turn.
• After your rolls, click a green score in the sheet to claim that category.
• 13 rounds total = 13 categories to fill.
• If your upper section (Ones through Sixes) totals 63+, you get a 35-point bonus.
• Your best total is saved in this browser.

Scoring categories

• Ones-Sixes: sum of dice showing that value.
• 3 of a kind: sum of all dice if 3+ match.
• 4 of a kind: sum of all dice if 4+ match.
• Full House: 3 + 2 of same values = 25 points flat.
• Small Straight: 4 consecutive (1234 or 2345 or 3456) = 30 points.
• Large Straight: 5 consecutive (12345 or 23456) = 40 points.
• YAHTZEE: 5 of a kind = 50 points.
• Chance: sum of all dice — your “junk drawer” for bad rolls.

Beginner strategy

• Aim for the upper bonus. 63 points in upper section = +35 bonus. Three of each face on average is the threshold.
• Don’t claim Yahtzee on a low roll early. If you roll [2,2,3,3,4] in round 1, don’t claim Yahtzee with 0 — maybe later. Take Chance or Twos.
• Hold high pairs. Pair of 6s much more valuable than pair of 1s — keep 6s, re-roll the rest.
• Large Straight is a 1-roll commitment. [2,3,4,5,X] — re-roll X going for 1 or 6. Don’t break the sequence.
• Use Chance for disasters. Save Chance for your worst late-game roll.

Intermediate strategy

• Probability-based decisions. After re-rolling 2 dice, you have a 1/36 = 2.8% chance of a specific double, like two sixes.
• Multi-Yahtzee bonus. Under official rules, additional Yahtzees in one game = +100 each as Yahtzee Bonus. This version doesn’t award it, so a second Yahtzee just scores in whatever box you pick.
• Joker rules. Official rules also let a second Yahtzee act as a “joker” in other categories. This version has no joker rule.
• Endgame strategy. Last 3 rounds, target your unclaimed categories. Math what’s possible.
• Risk vs reward. Going for Large Straight risks losing the Small Straight (30 points). Sometimes safer.

Advanced strategy

• Optimal first-roll decisions. Each starting hand has a mathematically optimal “hold” choice based on remaining scoring categories.
• Pareto-optimal play. Some choices trade off short-term and long-term value. Calculate expected value over future rolls.
• Computer solutions. Optimal solitaire Yahtzee strategy was computed in the late 1990s by Tom Verhoeff and Phil Woodward.
• Tournament strategy. Competitive Yahtzee has specific tactics — pushing for high upper bonus, sacrificing low-value categories.
• Solver-optimal averages. Perfect play under full official rules averages about 254 points. Good human players land a little below that.

Yahtzee history

• 1930s — Yacht: a similar dice game appears in game books. Yahtzee’s origin story credits a Canadian couple who played their “yacht game” aboard their boat.
• 1956 — Yahtzee released: E.S. Lowe Company sells Yahtzee. Milton Bradley buys the company in 1973, and Hasbro acquires Milton Bradley in 1984.
• 1956-present: tens of millions of copies sold worldwide.
• 1990s — digital versions: Yahtzee on computers, consoles, mobile.
• Spin-offs: Triple Yahtzee and the card-based Yahtzee Hands Down.

Maximum possible score

Under official rules the theoretical maximum is 1,575 points — but that requires a Yahtzee every turn with bonuses and jokers. Even perfect strategy averages only about 254. Above 300 is excellent. This version has no Yahtzee bonus or joker rule, so its cap is 375 (the best possible roll in every box, plus the upper bonus).

Common mistakes

• Claiming low-value Yahtzee. 50 points on a low roll = wasted Yahtzee category.
• Missing upper bonus. 63 = three of each upper face on average. Below 63, you lose the 35-point bonus.
• Re-rolling held dice accidentally. Check your hold marks.
• Using Chance early. Chance is your last-resort safety net. Don’t waste on a decent roll.

Variants

• Yatzy. Scandinavian version with slightly different scoring.
• Triple Yahtzee. Three scorecard columns, with the second and third worth double and triple.
• Yahtzee Hands Down. Card-based.
• Farkle. Similar dice game with push-your-luck mechanics.

FAQ

• Q: How many rolls per turn? A: 3 maximum. After your first roll, you can choose to hold dice and re-roll the rest twice more.
• Q: Why is Yahtzee 50 points? A: Probability — 5-of-a-kind in one roll is 6 × (1/6)^4 = ~0.077%. After 3 rolls with optimal holding, ~4.6%.
• Q: Upper bonus important? A: Yes — 35 free points if you total 63+ in Ones-Sixes. Often the difference between 200 and 250+ scores.
• Q: Should I always go for Large Straight? A: Only if the dice support it. Going for Large Straight and missing usually leaves you with worse scoring options.

For other dice games, try Farkle, Backgammon, Higher Lower, or Coin Flip.