So true that playing Yahtzee brings people together. The rolling of the dice, the eager wait for the combinations, and the ultimate fun that follows are worth mentioning. Have you played this 90’s game yet? Well, if not, get ready to enter into the world of Yahtzee and experience the real essence of the game. Let us take a stroll through the rolling of the dice, the scoring combinations, and everything that Yahtzee is.
‘Yahtzee’ the Game
Yahtzee is a dice-rolling game that comes with 5 dice, a dice cup, 10 bonus chips, and a scorepad. It reminds us of other dice games like Poker Dice, Yacht, and Generala. The game consists of 13 rounds and the main objective is to roll 5 dice to score combinations and achieve the highest total score. Well, the player with the highest score wins. Sounds interesting right? Now, let us get into the essence of the game in the upcoming section.
Start Playing: Roll the Dice to Score
Playing the Yahtzee game is quite simple and at the same time, great fun as it involves a lot of activity. Each player will have a scorecard to play. The person who starts the game is decided based on the rolling of all 5 dice in turn by each player. The one with the highest total will begin the game and then pass to the left.
1. Taking Turns
So, we have seen that each player gets a chance to roll all 5 dice. When it is your turn, you can roll the dice up to 3 times. For this, place the dice in the dice cup, shake well, and roll them out.
- First roll- Roll all 5 dice and set ‘keepers’ aside. You can either score in the first roll or roll the dice again.
- Second roll- In the second roll, you can reroll the dice you want or all dice including ‘keepers’ from the first roll. Here, you don’t have to reveal the combination you want as you have the option to change your mind after any roll. You can either stop and score or set aside ‘keepers’ if any and go for the third roll.
- Third roll- You can reroll any or all 5 dice. The role of your scorecard comes after the third roll. Now, you have to fill in a box on the scorecard with a score or a zero. Once you fill in a box, your game is over and passed to the next player.
2. Scoring the Game
Once the third roll is complete, you have to decide which box you will fill in on your scorecard consisting of 13 boxes. During each turn, you have to fill in each box with a score or a zero. Complete the box depending on your best scoring option.
The scorecard is divided into the following two sections:
| Upper Section | What to Score |
| Aces | Aces only |
| Twos | Twos only |
| Threes | Threes only |
| Fours | Fours only |
| Fives | Fives only |
| Sixes | Sixes only |
| Lower Section | What to Score |
| 3 of a kind | Total of all dice |
| 4 of a kind | Total of all dice |
| Full house | 25 |
| Small straight | 30 |
| Large straight | 40 |
| Yahtzee (5 of a kind) | 50 |
| Chance | Score a total of all 5 dice |
3. Yahtzee Bonus
The game also comes with bonuses such as
- An extra 35 points for scoring more than 63 points in the upper section
- A 100-point bonus is awarded if you have rolled the Yahtzee and already filled the scorecard box with 50. In this case, you have to choose another category, for example, the Full House. This is to ensure that all rounds are played. Note that you will score points from the bonus category.
4. Joker Rules
- Forced joker rule– In case the corresponding upper section box is not used, you should use it, and if it is already used, you have to use the lower section box
- Free choice joker rule– This is where the player is given the choice to choose the category. But, in this case, Yahtzee can be used as a joker only if the corresponding upper section box has been used.
- Original Joker rule– The origins rule states that extra Yahtzees can be utilized as jokers in the lower section and must not be used in the upper section.
5. Ending the Game
The game ends with each player filling in the 13 category boxes. You have to add the upper section and lower section scores to determine your total game score. If you are the player with the highest score, you will win the game.
Yahtzee: A Blend of Luck, Strategy, and Fun
We have gone through everything involved in the game of Yahtzee. It is all about rolling the dice, gaining the right combinations, and achieving the highest score. There are joker roles making things even more interesting. With many players participating, you have the opportunity for collaboration, teamwork, and strategizing. So, without a doubt, it can be said that Yahtzee is a game of luck, strategy, and fun. The interesting thing is that you can now play Yahtzee online as well. Now, if you are new to the game or wish to relive the memories of playing this ’90s game, get started right away!
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