How to score Yahtzee: every category, bonus, and joker rule
Yahtzee looks simple—roll five dice and score them—but the scorecard hides a few details that cost beginners points every game. This is the standard rule set used for classic play in Yacht-Zee.
The basics
You roll five dice up to three times each turn, locking the dice you want to keep between rolls. After your final roll, score the result in one unused category. The game ends after all thirteen categories are filled.
Upper section
The upper section contains Ones through Sixes. Add only the dice that match the selected number. For example, 5–5–5–2–1 scores 15 in Fives.
| Category | How it scores |
|---|---|
| Ones | Total of all 1s |
| Twos | Total of all 2s |
| Threes | Total of all 3s |
| Fours | Total of all 4s |
| Fives | Total of all 5s |
| Sixes | Total of all 6s |
Score at least 63 points across the upper section to earn a 35-point bonus. Three of every number totals exactly 63, so “average three matching dice per box” is the easiest pace to remember.
Lower section
- Three of a Kind: if at least three dice match, score the sum of all five dice.
- Four of a Kind: if at least four dice match, score the sum of all five dice.
- Full House: three of one value and two of another, usually worth 25 points.
- Small Straight: four sequential values, worth 30 points.
- Large Straight: five sequential values, worth 40 points.
- Yahtzee: five matching dice, worth 50 points.
- Chance: any five dice; score their total.
Straight examples
A small straight can be 1–2–3–4, 2–3–4–5, or 3–4–5–6. Extra or duplicate dice do not matter as long as four sequential values appear. A large straight must contain either 1–2–3–4–5 or 2–3–4–5–6.
The Yahtzee bonus and joker rule
If the Yahtzee box already contains 50 and you roll another Yahtzee, you normally earn a 100-point bonus. The roll can also act as a joker for certain lower-section categories.
The matching upper-section box takes priority. For example, after rolling five 4s, you must use Fours if that box is still open. If it is filled, the joker rules can allow the roll to score as a Full House, Small Straight, or Large Straight when an eligible lower box is open. Exact digital implementations may explain the permitted box directly on the scorecard.
What if the Yahtzee box already has zero?
You do not receive the 100-point bonus. Score the five matching dice in another legal category, such as the matching upper box, Three of a Kind, Four of a Kind, or Chance.
Beginner strategy
- Protect the upper-section bonus, especially Fours, Fives, and Sixes.
- Keep Chance available as a rescue box for a high total that misses its target.
- Do not sacrifice Yahtzee too early; use a damaged low upper box when possible.
- When a small straight is already complete, compare the guaranteed 30 with the chance to reach a 40-point large straight.
- Use the Yahtzee probability calculator before committing to an unlikely five-of-a-kind chase.