Yahtzee Rules: How to Play & Score
Everything you need to know to play Yahtzee — from the basic turn structure to the 13 scoring categories, the upper bonus, and the Yahtzee joker rule.
How to Play Yahtzee (in 5 Minutes)
Yahtzee is played over 13 rounds with five six-sided dice. Here's the loop:
- Roll all five dice.
- Keep any dice you want; reroll the rest. You may reroll up to two more times (three rolls max per turn).
- After your final roll, assign the dice to one of the 13 scoring categories.
- Each category may be used only once all game. Once locked, it's final.
- After 13 rounds, total every category — highest score wins.
Tip: You don't have to use all three rolls. If your dice already score well, lock early.
Yahtzee Rules — The 13 Scoring Categories
| # | Category | Requirement | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ones | Sum of all 1s | Variable |
| 2 | Twos | Sum of all 2s | Variable |
| 3 | Threes | Sum of all 3s | Variable |
| 4 | Fours | Sum of all 4s | Variable |
| 5 | Fives | Sum of all 5s | Variable |
| 6 | Sixes | Sum of all 6s | Variable |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | ≥3 same | Sum of all 5 dice |
| 8 | Four of a Kind | ≥4 same | Sum of all 5 dice |
| 9 | Full House | 3 of one + a pair | 25 |
| 10 | Small Straight | 4 sequential | 30 |
| 11 | Large Straight | 5 sequential | 40 |
| 12 | Yahtzee | 5 of a kind | 50 |
| 13 | Chance | Any | Sum of all 5 dice |
The Upper Section Bonus
The top six categories (Ones–Sixes) form the upper section. If your upper subtotal reaches 63 or more, you earn a +35 bonus. That's why experienced players try to score at least three of every face early — 3×1+3×2+…+3×6 = 63 exactly.
The Yahtzee Bonus & Joker Rule
First Yahtzee (5 of a kind) scores 50 in the Yahtzee box.
A second Yahtzee in a later round earns a +100 Yahtzee bonus if the Yahtzee box is already filled.
Joker rule: if you roll a Yahtzee but the Yahtzee box is full, you must use a corresponding lower-section category if available; otherwise any open upper category. This protects against "wasted" Yahtzees.
Scoring Example (One Round)
You roll 4-4-4-2-6. Keep the three 4s, reroll the 2 and 6, get 4-4-4-4-6. You can score Four of a Kind = 22 (sum of all dice) or keep building toward a Yahtzee.