Rules Guide

How to Play Yahtzee: Complete Rules Guide

Master the classic dice game with our comprehensive beginner's guide to Yahtzee rules and scoring

Published January 14, 20256 min readBeginner Guide

What is Yahtzee?

Yahtzee is a classic dice game where players roll five dice up to three times per turn, trying to achieve specific combinations to earn points. The goal is to score the highest total points by the end of 13 rounds.

Players

1 or more players

Game Length

20-30 minutes

Objective

Highest total score

What You Need to Play

  • 5 standard dice (six-sided dice numbered 1-6)
  • Yahtzee score sheet for each player
  • Pencil or pen for scoring
  • Dice cup (optional but recommended)

How to Play: Turn Structure

Step 1: Roll All Five Dice

On your turn, roll all five dice. Look at your result and decide which dice (if any) you want to keep for your next roll.

Example: You roll 🎲3 🎲3 🎲5 🎲2 🎲1 - You might keep the two 3s and re-roll the others.

Step 2: Second Roll (Optional)

Keep the dice you want and re-roll the rest. You can choose to keep different dice after each roll.

Example: Keeping your two 3s, you roll 🎲3 🎲4 🎲6 - Now you have three 3s!

Step 3: Third Roll (Optional)

This is your final chance to improve your roll. After this, you must choose a scoring category.

Note: You can stop rolling at any time if you're happy with your dice combination.

Step 4: Choose a Scoring Category

After your final roll, you must choose one scoring category on your scorecard and write down your points. Each category can only be used once per game.

Scoring Categories

Upper Section

Score the sum of dice showing the specified number. If you score 63+ points total in this section, you get a 35-point bonus!

Aces (1s)Sum of all 1s
Twos (2s)Sum of all 2s
Threes (3s)Sum of all 3s
Fours (4s)Sum of all 4s
Fives (5s)Sum of all 5s
Sixes (6s)Sum of all 6s

Lower Section

These categories have fixed point values or sum all dice:

Three of a Kind

At least 3 dice showing the same number

Score: Sum of all 5 dice

Four of a Kind

At least 4 dice showing the same number

Score: Sum of all 5 dice

Full House

3 of one number + 2 of another

Score: 25 points

Small Straight

4 consecutive numbers

Score: 30 points

Large Straight

5 consecutive numbers

Score: 40 points

Yahtzee

All 5 dice showing the same number

Score: 50 points

Chance

Any combination of dice

Score: Sum of all 5 dice

How to Win

Game End & Victory

  • 1
    After 13 rounds, all players will have filled their scorecards completely
  • 2
    Add up your Upper Section total and Lower Section total
  • 3
    Don't forget the 35-point bonus if your Upper Section totals 63+
  • 4
    The player with the highest total score wins!

Beginner Tips for Success

✅ Smart Strategies

  • •Focus on getting the Upper Section bonus (63+ points)
  • •Keep your Yahtzee category open as long as possible
  • •Use "Chance" as a backup for bad rolls
  • •Go for straights when you have 3-4 consecutive numbers

❌ Common Mistakes

  • •Don't chase Yahtzee too early in the game
  • •Avoid scoring low in high-value Upper Section boxes
  • •Don't waste "Chance" on very low-scoring rolls
  • •Never forget to calculate potential bonus points

Example Turn

Let's Play Through a Turn:

First Roll: 🎲2 🎲2 🎲4 🎲5 🎲6
Decision: Keep the two 2s, re-roll the rest to try for Three of a Kind
Second Roll: 🎲2 🎲2 🎲2 🎲1 🎲3
Decision: Great! Three 2s. Keep all three 2s, re-roll for a chance at Four of a Kind
Third Roll: 🎲2 🎲2 🎲2 🎲4 🎲5
Decision: Final result: Three 2s + 4 + 5 = Total of 17 points
Scoring Decision: Score 17 points in "Three of a Kind" category
(Could also score 6 points in "Twos" but Three of a Kind gives more points)

Ready to Start Playing?

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