Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a dice game marketed by Hasbro which has some similarities to the old English game of Yacht. The name Yahtzee was trademarked in 1956 as a "poker dice game". It can be played solitaire or with any number of players each trying to achieve the highest score.
Although it is possible to play Yahtzee with just a handful of dice along with paper and pencil, many people prefer to buy a commercial set with pre-printed scorepad. You can also buy electronic games and programs as well as playing online.
Over the years a number of variations of the basic game have been available to buy including Challenge Yahtzee, Word Yahtzee and Triple Yahtzee. Kismet from Endless Games is a similar game in which the dice have different coloured sides which affect the scoring.
How to Play Yahtzee
The rules of Yahtzee are simple to learn. A game consists of throwing five ordinary dice for 13 rounds. At the end of each round the dice are allocated to one of the 13 categories on the scoresheet. After 13 rounds the points are added up.Each round the player first throws all five dice. They may then reroll as many or as few of the dice as they choose. A second reroll may then be taken. After one, two or three rolls (as the player chooses) the five dice must be scored.
The set of five dice at the end of the round is scored against one of the 13 boxes on the scoresheet. Each box is used once and once only during the game.
The score sheet is divided into two sections. The top section has one box corresponding to each of the six numbers on the dice. A roll placed here scores the total of the number of matching dice. For instance, a roll of 1-1-3-4-4-4 scored in the "1" box will score 2 points. If placed in the "4" box it will score 12.
The lower seven boxes on the scoresheet represent "special" rolls. They are:
| Throw | Score |
|---|---|
| 3 of a Kind | Sum of all dice |
| 4 of a Kind | Sum of all dice |
| Straight | 30 for a small straight (1-5)
40 for a large straight (2-6) |
| Full House | 25 |
| Yahtzee
(5 of a kind) |
50 points |
| Chance
(any dice) |
Sum of all dice |
Note that each roll - after the two optional rerolls - must be allocated to one of the 13 boxes. If the dice don't fit the required pattern (eg 1-1-3-4-4-4 allocated to "4 of a kind") then that roll scores zero and the pattern is effectively wasted. The skill in Yahtzee comes from deciding where to allocate each roll in order to maximise the final score.