What is Yahtzee?
Yahtzee is a five-dice game for 2 or more players where you roll three times per turn to score in 13 categories. The highest combined score after all categories are filled wins.
Yahtzee is a classic dice game invented by Edwin S. Lowe in 1956 and now published by Hasbro. Each turn, a player rolls five standard six-sided dice up to three times, choosing which dice to keep between rolls.
After the final roll, the player must record a score in one of 13 categories on their scorecard. Each category can only be filled once per game. The categories are split into an upper section (Aces through Sixes — sum of matching dice) and a lower section (combinations like Full House, Yahtzee, and Chance).
Bonuses reward strong play: reach 63 in the upper section for a +35 bonus, and every Yahtzee (five of a kind) past the first earns a +100 bonus. After all players fill every category, the highest grand total wins.
How to play Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a classic dice game where you roll five dice up to three times per turn, trying to score in 13 categories. Here is the complete flow using this scorekeeper.
- 1
Add players
Enter each player's name and add them to the scorecard. Up to 10 players are supported.
- 2
Start a new game
Click "Start First Game" once at least two players are added. A blank scorecard appears.
- 3
Roll the dice
On your turn, roll five dice up to three times. After each roll, set aside dice you want to keep.
- 4
Choose a category
After your final roll, choose one of the 13 categories on the scorecard to record your score.
- 5
Tap to score
Tap the category in the scorekeeper for the current player. A score picker opens with valid values pre-filled.
- 6
Continue play
The next player takes their turn automatically. Repeat until every player has filled all 13 categories.
- 7
See the winner
Tap "End Game" when complete. The scorekeeper calculates the +35 upper bonus, Yahtzee bonuses, and crowns the winner.
Yahtzee scoring guide
All 13 categories, what they score, and an example for each. This scorekeeper enforces valid values so you can't accidentally enter an impossible score.
Upper section
Score the sum of matching dice. Reach 63 for a +35 bonus.
Aces
max 5Sum of all dice showing 1. Multiples of 1, range 0–5.
Roll 1-1-1-3-5 → score 3 in Aces.
Twos
max 10Sum of all dice showing 2. Multiples of 2, range 0–10.
Roll 2-2-4-5-6 → score 4 in Twos.
Threes
max 15Sum of all dice showing 3. Multiples of 3, range 0–15.
Roll 3-3-3-1-6 → score 9 in Threes.
Fours
max 20Sum of all dice showing 4. Multiples of 4, range 0–20.
Roll 4-4-4-4-2 → score 16 in Fours.
Fives
max 25Sum of all dice showing 5. Multiples of 5, range 0–25.
Roll 5-5-5-2-3 → score 15 in Fives.
Sixes
max 30Sum of all dice showing 6. Multiples of 6, range 0–30.
Roll 6-6-6-6-1 → score 24 in Sixes.
Lower section
Special combinations with fixed or summed values.
3 of a Kind
max 30At least three dice the same. Score the sum of all five dice.
Roll 4-4-4-5-6 → score 23 (sum of all dice).
4 of a Kind
max 30At least four dice the same. Score the sum of all five dice.
Roll 5-5-5-5-2 → score 22 (sum of all dice).
Full House
max 25Three of a kind plus a pair. Score 25 (or 0 if not achieved).
Roll 3-3-3-6-6 → score 25.
Small Straight
max 30Four sequential dice (e.g. 1-2-3-4). Score 30 (or 0).
Roll 2-3-4-5-5 → score 30.
Large Straight
max 40Five sequential dice (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6). Score 40 (or 0).
Roll 1-2-3-4-5 → score 40.
Yahtzee
max 50All five dice the same. Score 50 (or 0). Subsequent Yahtzees add a 100-point bonus.
Roll 6-6-6-6-6 → score 50.
Chance
max 30Any combination. Score the sum of all five dice (5–30).
Roll 1-3-4-5-6 → score 19.
Upper-section bonus
Score 63 or more across Aces through Sixes and earn an automatic +35. The threshold matches three of each number (3 each of 1–6).
Yahtzee bonus
After your first Yahtzee (50 pts), each additional Yahtzee awards +100. You can stack up to three bonus Yahtzees for 300 extra points.
Yahtzee strategy tips
Five practical heuristics that consistently outscore a play-by-feel approach.
- 1
Aim for the upper-section bonus first
The 63-point threshold is roughly three of each number. Prioritise filling Fours, Fives, and Sixes early — they contribute the most to the bonus. Scratching Sixes for 0 makes the bonus much harder to reach.
- 2
Use Chance as your safety valve
Save Chance for a turn where nothing else fits. It accepts any sum of all five dice, so a "bad" roll of 1-3-4-5-6 still scores 19 instead of forcing a zero in a more valuable category.
- 3
Score a low Yahtzee in the right place
A Yahtzee of five 1s only scores 50 in the Yahtzee box but only 5 in Aces. If you already have Yahtzee filled, the Joker rule may let you use a Yahtzee roll as a Full House (25) or Small Straight (30) — far better than a near-zero upper score.
- 4
Don't panic-scratch your Yahtzee
Zeroing the Yahtzee box early is one of the biggest score killers. If you can't score elsewhere, scratch Ones or Twos first — losing 5 or 10 potential points hurts much less than losing the +50 plus future bonus stacks.
- 5
Plan two categories ahead
On each roll, mentally map your dice to two possible categories. If your first-pick category is risky (e.g. chasing a Large Straight), keep a fallback in mind (Small Straight, Chance) so a failed third roll still produces a usable score.
Yahtzee glossary
Quick reference for every term used in Yahtzee scoring.
- Upper section
- The top half of the scorecard. Six categories named Aces, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, and Sixes. Each scores the sum of dice showing that face value.
- Lower section
- The bottom half of the scorecard. Seven combination categories: 3 of a Kind, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Small Straight, Large Straight, Yahtzee, and Chance.
- Upper-section bonus
- A +35 point bonus awarded for scoring 63 or more across the six upper-section categories. Roughly three of each number reaches the threshold.
- Yahtzee bonus
- A +100 point bonus awarded each time you roll a Yahtzee (five of a kind) after already scoring 50 in the Yahtzee category. Up to three bonus Yahtzees can be stacked.
- Joker rule
- Optional rule covering subsequent Yahtzees. If your Yahtzee category is already filled with 50, a new Yahtzee roll can be used as a Full House (25), Small Straight (30), or Large Straight (40) for full points.
- Full House
- A combination of three of one number plus two of another (e.g. three 4s and two 6s). Scores a flat 25 points.
- Small Straight
- Four consecutive dice in any order (e.g. 2-3-4-5). Scores a flat 30 points.
- Large Straight
- Five consecutive dice in any order (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6). Scores a flat 40 points.
- Chance
- A catch-all category. Scores the sum of all five dice no matter what they show. Often used as a safety valve for unscorable rolls.
- Scratch / zero
- Recording 0 in a category you cannot or do not want to fill normally. Each player has 13 turns and must enter a score on each, even if it's a zero.