Farkle rules and scoring: how to play, busts, and 10,000 points
Farkle is a push-your-luck game played with six dice. Every roll gives you a choice: bank the points you have collected, or roll the remaining dice and risk losing every unbanked point from that turn. The first player to reach the target score—usually 10,000—triggers the final round.
What you need
You need six standard dice, a way to record scores, and at least two players. Solo versions work too: set a turn limit or try to reach 10,000 in as few turns as possible.
How a turn works
- Roll all six dice.
- Set aside at least one scoring die or scoring combination.
- Choose whether to bank the turn total or roll the remaining dice.
- If a roll contains no scoring dice, you Farkle and lose the unbanked points from that turn.
- If all six dice score, you have “hot dice.” Pick up all six and keep rolling while carrying the turn total forward.
Common Farkle scoring
Farkle has many house-rule variations. The following table is a common modern scoring system; agree on special-combination values before starting a tabletop game.
| Combination | Common score |
|---|---|
| Single 1 | 100 points |
| Single 5 | 50 points |
| Three 1s | 1,000 points |
| Three 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, or 6s | Face value × 100 |
| Four of a kind | 1,000 points |
| Five of a kind | 2,000 points |
| Six of a kind | 3,000 points |
| 1–2–3–4–5–6 straight | 1,500 points |
| Three pairs | 1,500 points |
| Two triplets | 2,500 points |
Important scoring details
You cannot combine separate rolls retroactively
A pair of 4s on one roll and another 4 on the next roll do not become three 4s. Combinations are scored from the dice rolled together, although previously set-aside single 1s and 5s remain part of your turn total.
You must keep at least one scoring die
After every successful roll, set aside one or more scoring dice before rolling again. You may keep every scoring die, but sometimes leaving a single 1 or 5 unclaimed gives you more dice—and more upside—on the next roll.
Opening-score rules vary
Some tables require 500 points in one turn before a player can begin banking. Others allow any score. The digital version should state the active rule before play, while tabletop groups should decide before the first roll.
How the final round works
When someone reaches 10,000 or more, every other player usually receives one last turn. The highest final score wins, so the first person across 10,000 is not automatically safe. A player sitting at 9,700 may need to keep rolling rather than bank a small score.
Beginner strategy
- Bank modest points when you have only one or two dice left.
- Take more risk when you have four, five, or six dice available.
- Consider passing on a lone 5 when keeping it would leave too few dice.
- Track the leader’s score; your correct risk level changes late in the game.
- Hot dice are valuable, but the points are still unbanked until you stop.
For a deeper decision guide, read our Farkle 10,000 strategy and our overview of popular six-dice games.