How to play Yahtzee

What you need

• Five standard six-sided dice
• The shaker cup (any cup works)
• One score card per player, or a sheet of paper ruled into 13 categories plus bonus and total lines
• A pencil

The C2406 box is labeled for 2 or more players. Playing alone to beat your own best score is common and uses exactly the same rules.

Missing pieces, or need a fresh copy? Miniature Market stocks current editions; compare the edition and component list against the rules here before you buy. (Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How links work.)

Set up the game

1. Write each player's name at the top of a column on the score card, in turn order.
2. Each player rolls one die. Highest roller goes first, and play continues clockwise.
3. Everyone will take 13 turns, one for each scoring box. When every box on every card is filled, the game is over.

That is the entire setup. Yahtzee is one of the fastest games to get to the table.

Playing Yahtzee

1. First roll. Roll all five dice. If you already have the combination you want, you can score it straight away.
2. Second roll. Otherwise, set aside any "keepers" and reroll the rest. Hate them all? Reroll all five.
3. Third roll. You may reroll some or all of the dice again, including keepers you set aside earlier. After this roll you must score.
4. Score one box. Choose exactly one empty box in your column and write the score your dice earn there. You can fill boxes in any order. If your dice do not fit any box you want, you must write a zero in an empty box of your choice. A filled box is never used again.
5. Pass the dice. Play moves to the left. After 13 rounds, add up the totals and the highest grand total wins.

Scoring every box

Upper section. Aces through Sixes score only the dice showing that number. Three 3s in the Threes box is 9. Two 1s in Aces is 2. Even a single matching die scores, and that beats a zero.

Upper bonus. If your six upper boxes add up to 63 or more, add 35. The number 63 is exactly three of each face (3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18), which is the easiest way to remember the target.

Lower section.

• Three of a Kind: at least three matching dice, score the total of all five.
• Four of a Kind: at least four matching dice, score the total of all five.
• Full House: three of one number and two of another, 25 points.
• Small Straight: any four in sequence (1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5 or 3-4-5-6), 30 points.
• Large Straight: five in sequence (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6), 40 points. A large straight also qualifies for the Small Straight box.
• YAHTZEE: five of a kind, 50 points.
• Chance: any dice, score the total.

Worked example. The card in the diagram scored exactly three of each number in the upper section: 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 = 63, which earns the 35 bonus for an upper total of 98. The lower section reads 24 (Three of a Kind with 6-6-6-4-2), 22 (Four of a Kind with 5-5-5-5-2), 25, 30, 40, 50, and 21 in Chance. That lower total is 212. Grand total: 98 + 212 = 310, a very strong game.

Extra Yahtzees under C2406

Unlike every other box, Yahtzee can pay more than once. If you roll another Yahtzee after already scoring 50 in the Yahtzee box:

1. Put an X in the Yahtzee bonus box. Each X is worth 100.
2. You still have to fill an empty box this turn. First choice: the matching upper box, scoring the total of the five dice (five 4s in Fours scores 20).
3. If that upper box is already full, put the five-dice total in Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind.
4. If those are full too, use Chance, or "steal" any other lower combo with your five of a kind and score it normally. Full House would score 25, Large Straight 40.

If you already wrote a zero in the Yahtzee box, a later Yahtzee earns no 100-point bonus, but you still place it using the same order above.

A sample round, turn by turn

Jo, turn 1. First roll: 4, 4, 2, 6, 4. Jo keeps the three 4s and rerolls the 2 and 6. Second roll shows 4 and 1. Now four 4s. Jo rerolls the 1 hoping for a Yahtzee and gets a 3. Final dice: 4, 4, 4, 4, 3. Options: Fours scores 16, Four of a Kind scores 19, Three of a Kind scores 19, Chance 19. Jo takes 16 in Fours, because four 4s puts the upper bonus well ahead of pace (par for Fours is 12).

Lee, turn 1. First roll: 2, 3, 4, 5, 5. That is already a small straight. Lee could score 30 now, but rerolls one 5 hoping for a 1 or 6 to make a large straight worth 40. The reroll shows another 5. Lee stops, since the straight is still there, and writes 30 in Small Straight.

Jo, turn 2. First roll: 6, 6, 1, 2, 3. Jo keeps the 1, 2, 3 and rerolls the 6s, chasing a straight. Second roll: 3, 5. Jo now has 1, 2, 3, 3, 5 and rerolls one 3. Third roll: 6. Final: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, no straight. Jo writes a 1 in Aces rather than a zero anywhere. This is the price of chasing; a 1 in Aces only puts Jo 2 behind par there.

Lee, turn 2. Rolls 3, 3, 3, 6, 6 on the first roll. That is a Full House. Lee writes 25 and passes the dice without rolling again.

Beginner strategy tips

1. Chase the upper bonus early. 35 points is more than a Full House. Aim for at least three of each number. Four 5s or 6s can make up for a weak Aces box.
2. Save Chance for later. Hasbro's own tip: leave Chance until late in the game when your options are limited. It is your safety net for a failed straight or a high junk roll.
3. Do not zero your Yahtzee box early. Zero there and every later Yahtzee loses its 100 bonus. If you must dump a zero, Aces or a Large Straight you have not chased are cheaper.
4. Keep pairs for flexibility. A pair can become three of a kind, four of a kind, a full house or a Yahtzee. A lonely high die rarely becomes anything.
5. Build straights around 3 and 4. Those two numbers appear in all three possible small straights, so keep them when you go for one.
6. Score big totals in the kind boxes. Three of a Kind with 6s plus a 5 and 6 might score 29. Using that box on three 1s scores 3 plus the leftovers. If the total is low, put three of a number in its upper box instead.
7. Count the endgame. With two turns left and only Full House and Large Straight open, chase the one that is closer to your current dice.

Common mistakes and rule disputes

• Scoring the same dice twice. One box per turn, no exceptions, except the bonus X alongside a box for an extra Yahtzee.
• Thinking you must use all three rolls. You can stop after any roll.
• Thinking keepers are locked. On your next roll you can pick kept dice back up and reroll them.
• Skipping a turn instead of writing zero. Every turn fills exactly one box, even if it is a zero.
• Is a Yahtzee also a Full House? For an extra Yahtzee, C2406 lets you score it as Full House for 25 once the matching upper box and both "of a kind" boxes are full. For any other case the C2406 sheet does not say, and groups disagree, so settle it before play.
• Upper bonus on 62. No. The bonus needs 63 or more.
• Counting only the matching dice in Three of a Kind. Three and Four of a Kind score all five dice.

Variants and house rules

Older official sheets: many Yahtzee pads print the "Joker rules," which force an extra Yahtzee into its upper box if open and otherwise let it score Full House or a straight at full value. The placement order is similar to C2406 but not identical, so pick one sheet and stick with it.

House rules (not official):

• Triple Yahtzee. Each player fills three columns at once, often with the second and third columns doubled and tripled. Longer and more strategic.
• Forced order. Fill boxes top to bottom with no choice. Pure luck, good for very young players.
• Four rolls. Give beginners or kids a fourth roll per turn.

Teach it in 5 minutes

1. "Roll all five. Keep what you like, roll the rest. Up to three rolls."
2. "Then write a score in one empty box on your card. You have 13 boxes and 13 turns."
3. "Top half: add up only the dice that match the box. Get 63 up there and you earn 35 bonus."
4. "Bottom half: these are poker hands. Full house 25, small straight 30, big straight 40, five alike is a Yahtzee for 50."
5. "If nothing fits, you still have to write something, even a zero."
6. "Highest total after 13 turns wins. Yell Yahtzee when you get one; it's tradition."

Ages and group size

The box says 8 and up, mainly for the addition. Younger children can play with an adult keeping score. Two to four players keeps waiting time short. With six or more, each round takes a while, so consider sharing one set of dice and passing quickly, or using two sets of dice. It is also one of the best solo games for practicing mental math.

Check yourself

Questions about this game

Sources and edition notes

Hasbro C2406. Its extra-Yahtzee instructions differ from some older Joker-rule sheets.

Rules re-checked against the Hasbro C2406 instructions October 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing. House rules above are labeled and are not part of the official game.

• Hasbro C2406 Yahtzee instructions (PDF)

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