Yahtzee Rules and Regulations

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 Yahtzee Instructions

Objective

Roll the dice for scoring combinations to acheive the highest possible score.

How to Play

1. Roll a die to see who starts. If continuing a series of games, the previous game’s winner goes first. Play continues clockwise.
2. Roll up to three times each turn. You may end your turn and record a score after your first, second, or third roll.
3. Fill in one empty box for the corresponding scoring category each turn.

First Roll

Roll all five dice. If you get the exact combo you want, mark your score card right away and end your turn. Otherwise, set aside any “keepers” and continue with your second roll.

Second Roll

Re-roll any or all dice you want, even “keepers” from the previous roll. You don’t need to declare which combination you’re rolling for; you may change your mind at any time. If you get the exact combo you need, mark your score card and end your turn. Otherwise, set aside any “keepers” and continue with your third roll.

Third and Final Roll

Re-roll any or all dice you want, even “keepers” from the previous roll. You must enter a score at the end of this roll, whether or not you like your dice. If your roll doesn’t suit any of your empty boxes, you have to enter a zero somewhere.

The Scorecard

The scorecard is split into two sections: the Upper Section for dice face values and Lower Section for the set combinations.

The Upper Section

To score in the Upper Section, add only the dice with the same number and enter the total in the corresponding box. The following roll, for example, could be scored as 12 for Fours, 3 for Threes, or 1 for Ones.

Your goal in the Upper Section is to score a total of at least 63 points - the minimum required to earn a 35-point bonus. The bonus points are based on scoring an average of three of each number: three for Ones, six for Twos, nine for Threes, 12 for Fours, 15 for Fives, and 18 for Sixes. However you may earn the bonus with any combination of scores that total at least 63 points.

The Lower Section

The Lower Section scores the following dice combinations:

Category	Description	Score
Three of a Kind	At least three dice showing the same face	Sum of all dice
Four of a Kind	At least four dice showing the same face	Sum of all dice
Full House	A Three of a Kind and a pair	25 points
Small Straight	Four sequential dice (1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, or 3-4-5-6)	30 points
Large Straight	Five sequential dice (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6)	40 points
Yahtzee	All five dice showing the same face	50 points (first Yahtzee only)
Chance	Any combination of dice faces	Sum of all dice

Yahtzee Bonus Rules

A Yahtzee Bonus is awarded if you roll more than one Yahtzees. If you roll a second Yahtzee and have already recorded 50 in the Yahtzee box, you receive 100 bonus points. An additional 100-point bonus applies to any subsequent Yahtzees you roll. Put an “X” or check-mark in the Yahtzee Bonus box to indicate this bonus. To finish the turn, you then must enter a score in a regular scoring category according to the Joker Rules (see below). If you’ve already scored a zero in your Yahtzee box, you done messed up and do not receive a Yahtzee Bonus.

Joker Rules

After recording a Yahtzee Bonus, you must score the the total of the five dice in the appropriate Upper Section box. If this box has already been filled, then you score as follows in any open Lower Section box:

3 of a Kind: Total of all 5 dice
4 of a Kind: Total of all 5 dice
Full House: 25 points
Small Straight: 30 points
Large Straight: 40 points
Chance: Total of all 5 dice

If the appropriate Upper Section box and all Lower Section boxes are already filled in, you must enter a zero in any open Upper Section box. That’s right, it is possible to roll a valid Yahtzee, collect your bonus, and still have to take a zero. At least you’ll have an extra one-hundred points to console you.

Ending a Game

Once each player has filled in all 13 category boxes, the game ends. Each player then adds up their score as follows:

Upper Section: Add up the Upper Section scores and enter the total in the Total Score box. Enter the 35-point bonus in the Bonus box if you scored 63 points or more. Then enter the total in the Total box.

Lower Section: Add up the Lower Section scores, and enter the total in the Total of Lower Section box. Add 100 points for each check mark in the Yahtzee Bonus area.

How to Win

After each player has tabulated their Grand Total, the player with the highest score wins!

Additional Notes

1. A certain combination can be scored in more than one category; for example, a Full House can be scored in the Full House, Three-Of-A-Kind, or Chance categories. A player's individual strategy will help them to decide how to score it.
2. The original Yahtzee rules released in 1956 contain a misprint in the Joker Rules. The booklet stated that additional Yahtzees must be used as Jokers in the Lower Section and does not allow for their use in the Upper Section. This problem was corrected when the game was re-copyrighted in 1961.

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 More Yahtzee Rules

From time to time, a serious Yahtzee player is likely to encounter a situation that isn't covered in the Yahtzee instruction booklet. There are a multitude of unwritten rules, anachronistic regulations, and points of etiquette that frequently come into play during a Yahtzee game. Take your understanding of the game to the next level and learn more about Yahtzee online:

Yahtzee House Rules - Experimentation with the official Yahtzee instruction booklet can lead to new and exotic regulations to enact at your home table. House Rules are a great way to provide your gaming guests with a personalized approach to the game.

Yahtzee Strategy: The Joker's Gambit- The Yahtzee scoring category is the game's namesake and the only path to sky-high scores. The 100-point Yahtzee Bonus and potential Jokers are jet fuel for your grand totals. But does it ever make sense to roll a Yahtzee and pass it up? Sacrifice the Yahtzee with the Joker's Gambit to increase your score.

Tie Game- Yahtzee is a game often seen in black and white, but things aren't always so simple. Although rare, a longtime player is likely to encounter a Yahtzee tie game from time to time. Ties are not addressed in the Yahtzee rule-book but there are a variety of ways to decide a drawn game. Many players choose to live together in equality as co-champions.

The Yahtzee Playing Surface - From dining room table to a sandy beach campfire, you can play Yahtzee almost anywhere. Changing the type of playing surface will cause it to interact with the dice in different ways.