Yahtzee
Thirteen categories, three rolls a turn. The 63-point bonus is exactly three of each number — 3 x 21 — which reframes the whole upper section.
Score sheet
The 63-point bonus is exactly three of each number
Three of each number comes to 3 × (1+2+3+4+5+6) = 3 × 21 = 63, which is not a coincidence — it is where the target comes from. That reframes the upper section usefully: par is three of a kind in every box, so two aces is one behind and four sixes is six ahead, and a running total against that par tells you whether the bonus is still live long before the raw number does. The sheet below tracks exactly that.
It matters because the upper section is where games are decided, not the flashy categories. The bonus is 35 points — more than a large straight, nearly as much as a Yahtzee — and it is lost by the small margins people wave away early. Dumping two fives in the fives box costs five against par and is usually unrecoverable, while the same roll in chance costs nothing at all.
How to use
- Roll five dice, keep any you like, and roll up to three times.
- Assign the result to one of the thirteen categories.
- Each category can be used only once, so a bad turn must go somewhere.
- Watch the upper section: par is three of each number.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Yahtzee bonus 63 points?
Because three of each number comes to 3 times the sum of one to six, which is 3 times 21, which is 63. It is not an arbitrary threshold — it is precisely the score you get by averaging three of a kind in every upper box, which is why "three of each" is the way to think about the target.
How should I think about the upper section?
As a running total against par, where par is three of each number. Two aces is one behind, four sixes is six ahead, and the sum of those differences tells you whether the bonus is still reachable long before the raw total does. A box that comes in under par has to be made up elsewhere.
Is the upper bonus worth chasing?
Usually, yes. Thirty-five points is more than a large straight and nearly as much as a Yahtzee, and unlike those it does not depend on luck arriving at the right moment — it depends on not throwing away small margins early. Most games between competent players are decided there rather than in the flashy categories.
What is the biggest mistake beginners make?
Dumping a poor roll into an upper box. Putting two fives in the fives box costs five against par and is usually unrecoverable, whereas the same roll in chance costs nothing at all and the same roll as a zero in Yahtzee costs a category you may never fill anyway.
Which category should I sacrifice on a bad turn?
Usually ones, or Yahtzee if you have long since given up on it. Ones costs at most three points against par, so it is the cheapest upper box to abandon, while sacrificing sixes costs eighteen. That asymmetry is worth remembering under pressure — the cost of a zero is not the same everywhere.
What counts as a full house?
Three of one number and two of another, scoring a flat 25 points regardless of the values. Most rulesets also accept five of a kind as a full house, on the reasoning that it contains one, and this implementation follows that. It is worth checking, since some house rules disagree.
What is the difference between a small and large straight?
A small straight is four consecutive numbers and scores 30; a large straight is all five consecutive and scores 40. A large straight always contains a small one, so a large straight rolled when the small box is still open is a genuine decision rather than an automatic entry.
What are the odds of rolling a Yahtzee?
About one in twenty-two over a full turn of three rolls with sensible keeping, which is far more often than the one-in-1,296 chance on a single roll suggests. The three rolls change the problem completely, which is why Yahtzees are common enough to plan for rather than merely hope for.
Should I keep a pair or chase a straight?
It depends entirely on which boxes are still open. Early on, when everything is available, a pair of sixes is usually better because it feeds the upper section and three or four of a kind. Late, with only the straight boxes left, chasing is correct even at long odds because a zero is the alternative.
What is a good final score?
Around 250 with the bonus is a solid game and 300 is very good. Under 200 usually means the bonus was missed. The theoretical maximum with joker rules and multiple Yahtzees runs well over a thousand, but that is a curiosity rather than a target.
Where did Yahtzee come from?
It was developed from earlier dice games in the Poker Dice and Yacht family, and popularised commercially by Edwin Lowe in the 1950s after a Canadian couple showed him a version they played on their yacht. The scoring structure has barely changed since.
Does the game save my progress?
No. Everything runs in your browser, nothing is stored or uploaded, and closing the tab loses the current score sheet.
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