Yahtzee Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Equipment
• The Game
• Taking a Turn
• Scoring
  • Upper Section
  • Lower Section
• Zeroing a Box
• The Yahtzee Bonus and Joker Rule
• Winning

Object of the Game

Score the most total points by rolling the five dice to make certain combinations, recording your result in one of thirteen scoring boxes each round. The player with the highest grand total after all players have filled every box wins.

Equipment

• 5 dice
• 1 dice cup
• Scorepads (each player uses one column per game)

The Game

The game is played over thirteen rounds. In each round, every player takes one turn. During a turn a player fills in exactly one box on their scorecard. After thirteen rounds, all thirteen boxes are filled and the game ends.

Choose a starting player any way you like; play proceeds clockwise.

Taking a Turn

On your turn you may roll the dice up to three times:

1. First roll: roll all five dice.
2. Second roll (optional): set aside any dice you want to keep and re-roll the rest — you may re-roll any number of dice, including dice you kept on a previous roll (you can pick dice back up).
3. Third roll (optional): re-roll any dice again the same way.

You do not have to roll three times — you may stop and score after the first or second roll. After your final roll (or when you choose to stop), you must enter a score in one of the empty boxes on your scorecard.

Scoring

Your scorecard is divided into an Upper Section and a Lower Section.

Upper Section

Score the sum of the dice showing that number in the matching box:

Box	What you score
Aces (Ones)	Total of all dice showing 1
Twos	Total of all dice showing 2
Threes	Total of all dice showing 3
Fours	Total of all dice showing 4
Fives	Total of all dice showing 5
Sixes	Total of all dice showing 6

For example, three 4s scores 12 in the Fours box.

Upper Section Bonus: if the sum of your six upper-section boxes is 63 or more, you earn a 35-point bonus. (63 corresponds to three of each number.)

Lower Section

Combination	Requirement	Score
Three of a Kind	At least three dice the same	Sum of all five dice
Four of a Kind	At least four dice the same	Sum of all five dice
Full House	Three of one number and two of another	25 points
Small Straight	Four dice in sequence (1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, or 3-4-5-6)	30 points
Large Straight	Five dice in sequence (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6)	40 points
Yahtzee	All five dice the same	50 points
Chance	Any combination	Sum of all five dice

Chance is a catch-all — you may enter the total of all five dice regardless of what they show. It is useful for turns where you make no other combination.

Zeroing a Box

If, after your final roll, the dice do not match any box you still want to score — or you simply choose to — you must put a zero in one of your empty boxes. It is often wise to zero a box you're unlikely to fill well (frequently a low upper-section box or a hard combination). You can never change a box once it is filled.

The Yahtzee Bonus and Joker Rule

If you roll a Yahtzee (five of a kind) and have already filled the Yahtzee box with 50, you earn a 100-point bonus for each additional Yahtzee. Mark it in the Yahtzee Bonus area.

When you roll an additional Yahtzee, you must still fill a box that turn, following the Joker rule:

1. First, you must score it in the matching Upper Section box if it is empty (e.g., five 3s go in the Threes box).
2. If that upper box is already filled, you may use the Yahtzee as a Joker to fill any Lower Section box, scoring the full value: Full House 25, Small Straight 30, Large Straight 40, or Three/Four of a Kind and Chance as the sum of the dice.
3. If both the matching upper box and all lower boxes are filled, you must enter a zero in any open upper-section box.

Note: if you had put a zero in the Yahtzee box earlier, you do not earn the 100-point bonus, but the Joker rule still applies for placing the roll.

Winning

After thirteen rounds every box is filled. Each player totals their score:

• Upper Section total + 35-point bonus (if earned)
• Lower Section total, including any Yahtzee bonuses

The player with the highest grand total wins. Play as many games as you like, keeping a running total across columns if desired.