How to play Yahtzee
Yahtzee is the world's favorite dice game: thirteen rounds, five dice, and a score card that rewards both luck and judgment. Each round you get up to three rolls — click any dice to hold them between rolls — and then you must score the result in exactly one empty box.
- Upper section — Ones through Sixes score the sum of the matching dice. Reach 63 points up top (three of each face) and you bank a 35-point bonus.
- 3 and 4 of a kind — score the total of all five dice, so a high kicker matters.
- Full house (25), small straight (30), large straight (40) — fixed payouts for a pair-plus-triple, four in a row, and five in a row.
- Yahtzee — five of a kind scores 50, and every extra Yahtzee after that is worth a 100-point bonus under the joker rules.
- Chance — the sum of the dice, a safety net for a roll that fits nowhere else.
Strategy tips that raise your average
- Protect the upper bonus. The 35 points at 63 is the most reliable big score in the game. Think of three-of-a-face as par — falling behind on Fives and Sixes is hard to recover.
- Fours, Fives and Sixes first. Three Sixes are worth 18 of your 63; three Ones only 3. Spend your early rerolls chasing the big faces.
- Keep Chance in your back pocket. It rescues a busted straight chase or a high-but-useless roll. Filling it early with a mediocre 18 wastes the safety net.
- Chase straights with open ends. Holding 2-3-4-5 gives you two faces to complete a large straight; holding 1-2-3-4 gives you one. The difference is nearly double the odds.
- Zero smart, not desperate. When a round busts, dump it in Ones or Twos — or the Yahtzee box if it's late and you never got close. Never zero a fixed-value box you might still hit.
- Second Yahtzees are gold. If you've scored the 50, an extra Yahtzee pays 100 and can still fill a straight or full house at face value thanks to the joker rule.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Yahtzee?
A game is 13 rounds. Each round you may roll the five dice up to three times, holding any dice you like between rolls, then you must write the result into exactly one empty box on the score card. When all 13 boxes are filled, the highest total wins.
How does the 35-point bonus work?
If your six upper-section boxes (Ones through Sixes) add up to 63 or more, you earn a 35-point bonus. 63 is exactly three of each face — so aim for at least three Fours, Fives and Sixes to stay on pace.
What happens if I roll a second Yahtzee?
If your Yahtzee box already holds 50 points, each additional Yahtzee is worth a 100-point bonus. The roll then counts as a "joker": it must go in the matching upper box if that box is open, otherwise it can fill any lower box at full value — even Full House or a straight.
What is the best possible Yahtzee score?
A single game maxes out at 1,575 points, which requires rolling a Yahtzee in all 13 rounds. A more practical target: average players score around 150, good players around 250 — anything over 300 is an excellent game.
When should I take a zero in Yahtzee?
When every open box would waste a good roll, sacrifice the least valuable one. Ones and Twos cost little; the Yahtzee box is a common early zero since the odds of rolling one are only about 4.6% per turn with optimal play choices.
Can I play Yahtzee online against a computer opponent?
Yes — this version seats you against Emma, a computer opponent who rolls, holds and fills her own score column while you watch. It runs entirely in your browser with nothing to install, and your game is saved automatically.
More free games
Prefer cards to dice? Try classic Klondike Solitaire, the almost-always-winnable FreeCell, or take on three computer players in Hearts.