Yatzy vs. Yahtzee: rules, scoring, and the key differences
Yatzy and Yahtzee share the same core loop: roll five dice up to three times, keep the dice you like, and fill one scorecard category each turn. They are close relatives, but they are not always the same game. The biggest differences are the number of categories and how pairs, straights, full houses, and bonuses are scored.
Quick comparison
| Rule | Common Yahtzee rules | Common Scandinavian Yatzy rules |
|---|---|---|
| Dice | Five | Five |
| Rolls per turn | Up to three | Up to three |
| Typical categories | 13 | 15 |
| Pairs | No separate pair categories | One Pair and Two Pairs |
| Full house | Fixed 25 points | Usually the sum of all five dice |
| Small straight | Any four-number sequence, 30 points | Usually 1–2–3–4–5, scoring 15 |
| Large straight | Five-number sequence, 40 points | Usually 2–3–4–5–6, scoring 20 |
| Five of a kind | Yahtzee, 50 points | Yatzy, usually 50 points |
Yahtzee uses a 13-category scorecard
The upper section contains Ones through Sixes. The lower section contains Three of a Kind, Four of a Kind, Full House, Small Straight, Large Straight, Yahtzee, and Chance. Reaching 63 points in the upper section earns a 35-point bonus under the standard rules.
Read our complete Yahtzee scoring guide for the category-by-category breakdown and joker rule.
Yatzy commonly adds pairs
A common Nordic Yatzy card includes One Pair and Two Pairs as dedicated categories. One Pair usually scores the two highest matching dice. Two Pairs usually requires two different pairs and scores all four paired dice. This makes pair-building useful instead of merely a stepping stone toward a full house.
Straights work differently
In standard Yahtzee, a small straight can be 1–2–3–4, 2–3–4–5, or 3–4–5–6, and duplicates are allowed as long as four sequential values appear. A large straight is either 1–2–3–4–5 or 2–3–4–5–6.
Traditional Yatzy often treats the two five-die sequences as separate boxes: Small Straight for 1–2–3–4–5 and Large Straight for 2–3–4–5–6. They commonly score the sum of the dice—15 and 20—rather than fixed 30- and 40-point values.
Full houses reward different dice
A Yahtzee full house is normally worth 25 points no matter which values make the hand. A Yatzy full house commonly scores the total of the dice. That means 6–6–6–5–5 is worth 28, while 2–2–2–1–1 is worth only 8. High-value full houses are therefore much more important in Yatzy.
The upper bonus may change
Many Yatzy scorecards award a 50-point bonus for reaching 63 in the upper section, while standard Yahtzee awards 35. Apps and regional rules can differ, so check the scorecard before choosing a strategy.
Which game is more strategic?
Yahtzee puts more weight on fixed-value straights, the upper bonus, and extra Yahtzee bonuses. Yatzy creates more decisions around high pairs, two pairs, and the face values used in full houses and straights. Neither is automatically harder; they reward slightly different habits.
- In Yahtzee, protect the upper bonus and avoid wasting Chance early.
- In Yatzy, high pairs and high full houses are valuable score sources.
- In either game, use low upper boxes as controlled sacrifices when a turn collapses.
- Always confirm the active bonus and straight rules before playing a new app or table.