Common Yahtzee mistakes

These are the errors that come up most often in Classic Yahtzee. See our Yahtzee rules page for the complete ruleset.

Turn mistakes

• Rolling four times. A turn has at most three rolls, including the first.
• Skipping a box. Every turn fills one box, even if it means writing a zero.
• Treating kept dice as locked. On the second and third rolls you may set aside or pick up any dice, including ones you kept earlier.
• Scoring in two boxes at once. A roll fills one category only.

Scoring mistakes

• Scoring only the set in Three or Four of a Kind. Add all five dice.
• Calling a pair plus unrelated dice a full house. You need three of one number and two of another.
• Counting five of a kind as a full house without the Joker rule. Only apply it when the Joker rule allows it.
• Missing the small straight. Any four consecutive numbers count: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5 or 3-4-5-6.
• Giving the upper bonus for a high total overall. Only Aces through Sixes count toward 63.
• Forgetting the 35-point bonus. Add it when the upper section reaches 63.

Yahtzee and Joker mistakes

• Awarding a 100-point bonus when the Yahtzee box holds zero. The bonus needs 50 in the Yahtzee box.
• Ignoring the forced upper box. If the matching upper box is open, use it first.
• Scoring a Joker at face value. In lower boxes, Full House is 25, Small Straight 30 and Large Straight 40.

Strategy mistakes

• Taking a zero in a high-value box early. Sacrifice Aces or Chance instead.
• Using Chance too soon. It’s your safe place for a bad roll later.
• Chasing a large straight with a poor start. A pair and three unrelated dice is rarely worth it.
• Ignoring the bonus. Falling short of 63 by a few points costs 35.