Yahtzee facts for kids

A Yahtzee score card with dice, ready for a game!

Yahtzee is a super popular dice game played all around the world. It's a game of luck and a little bit of strategy! The main goal is to roll five dice and try to create special number combinations. You get up to three chances to roll the dice on each turn to get the best score.

What is Yahtzee?

Yahtzee is played with five standard six-sided dice. Players take turns trying to score points by rolling specific combinations. Each combination has a different point value. The game is usually played over 13 rounds, and each round you try to fill in one of the 13 scoring categories on your score card.

How Do You Play?

On your turn, you get to roll the five dice up to three times.

• First, you roll all five dice.
• Then, you can choose which dice to keep and which ones to re-roll. You might keep dice that are already part of a combination you want.
• You can re-roll the remaining dice a second time.
• Again, you can choose which dice to keep and which to re-roll for your third and final roll.
• After your third roll (or earlier if you're happy with your dice), you must choose one category on your score card to fill in. You can only use each category once!

Scoring Combinations

Many of the combinations in Yahtzee are similar to those found in the card game poker. Here are some of the main ones you'll try to roll:

Upper Section Scores

These scores are based on the numbers on the dice:

• Ones: Count all the 1s you rolled.
• Twos: Count all the 2s you rolled.
• Threes: Count all the 3s you rolled.
• Fours: Count all the 4s you rolled.
• Fives: Count all the 5s you rolled.
• Sixes: Count all the 6s you rolled.

If your total score in the upper section reaches 63 points or more, you get a special 35-point bonus!

Lower Section Scores

These are more specific combinations:

• Three-of-a-kind: You need three dice showing the same number. You score the total of all five dice.
• Four-of-a-kind: You need four dice showing the same number. You score the total of all five dice.
• Small Straight: This means four numbers in a row, like 2-3-4-5. This scores 30 points.
• Large Straight: This means all five numbers in a row, like 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6. This scores 40 points.
• Full House: You need three dice showing one number and the other two dice showing a different number (but both matching each other). For example, three 4s and two 6s. This scores 25 points.
• Chance: This is a "catch-all" category. You can use it for any roll that doesn't fit another category. You score the total of all five dice.
• Yahtzee: This is the most exciting roll! All five dice show the exact same number. This scores a big 50 points!

The Yahtzee Bonus

If you roll a Yahtzee (five of a kind) and you've already filled in the Yahtzee category on your score card, you get a bonus! You score 100 extra points for each additional Yahtzee you roll. You can also use these extra Yahtzees to fill in other categories on your score card.

History of Yahtzee

The game of Yahtzee was first created by a Canadian couple in 1954. They enjoyed playing it on their yacht with friends. They asked a game maker named Edwin S. Lowe to make some sets as gifts. People loved the game so much that Lowe bought the rights to it and started selling it in 1956. It quickly became a very popular game for families and friends to play together.

Images for kids

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  The Original 1956 Yahtzee Board Game

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  Logo of the game as originally published in 1954. It includes a drawing of E. S. Lowe, who helped make the game famous.

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  1986 Travel Yahtzee, a smaller version for trips.