Farkle Rules and Scoring Chart: How to Play
Farkle is a push-your-luck dice game: every roll can add points to your turn, or wipe them all out. It needs six dice, a pencil and paper, and it works for two players or a whole table. Here are the full rules, a scoring chart, the odds that tell you when to stop, and a few popular house rules.
What You Need
- Six six-sided dice.
- Two or more players, ages 8 and up.
- Paper and a pencil to keep score.
No dice? The Dice Roller rolls up to six dice at once, so you can set it to the number of dice you have left on each roll.
How to Play
- Roll all six dice. Decide who goes first by having everyone roll one die; the highest starts.
- Set aside scoring dice. After each roll you must set aside at least one scoring die or combination (see the chart below).
- Bank or roll on. You can stop and add your turn total to your score, or roll the dice you have left to try for more.
- Farkle. If a roll has no scoring dice at all, that is a farkle: you lose every point from this turn and play passes to the left.
- Hot dice. If all six dice have scored, you may pick them all up and roll six again, keeping your turn total.
- Winning. The first player to reach 10,000 points triggers the end. Every other player gets one last turn to beat that score.
Combinations only count within a single roll. A 4 you kept earlier does not join two 4s from your next roll to make three of a kind.
Farkle Scoring Chart
This is a common scoring set. Many groups and boxed versions use slightly different values, so agree on the chart before you start.
| Dice | Points |
|---|---|
| Single 1 | 100 |
| Single 5 | 50 |
| Three 1s | 1,000 |
| Three 2s | 200 |
| Three 3s | 300 |
| Three 4s | 400 |
| Three 5s | 500 |
| Three 6s | 600 |
| Four of a kind | 1,000 |
| Five of a kind | 2,000 |
| Six of a kind | 3,000 |
| Straight (1 to 6) | 1,500 |
| Three pairs | 1,500 |
For example, a roll of 1, 1, 1, 5, 3, 6 scores 1,000 for the three 1s and 50 for the 5. You can set aside all four scoring dice and roll the last two, or bank 1,050 points.
When to Stop: The Odds of a Farkle
The fewer dice you roll, the more likely a farkle becomes. These are the chances that a roll has no scoring dice at all, using the chart above:
| Dice rolled | Chance of a farkle |
|---|---|
| 6 | about 2% |
| 5 | about 8% |
| 4 | about 16% |
| 3 | about 28% |
| 2 | about 44% |
| 1 | about 67% |
With four or more dice the risk is low, so rolling on is usually worth it. With two dice you farkle almost half the time, and with one die two times out of three. A simple strategy is to bank once you have a decent turn total and only two or fewer dice left. Sometimes it is also smarter to set aside only one scoring die, for example a single 1 from 1 and 5, to keep more dice for the next roll. For more on how dice behave, see our guide to dice probability.
Popular House Rules
- Opening score: a player needs at least 500 points in one turn before they can bank for the first time.
- Three farkles: three farkles in a row cost 1,000 points.
- Four of a kind: some tables score it as double three of a kind instead of a flat 1,000.
- Shorter game: play to 5,000 points for a quick round with children.
Where Farkle Comes From
Farkle belongs to a family of dice games played under many names, including Zilch, 10,000, Greed, Hot Dice and Six Dice. The rules differ a little from table to table, which is why house rules matter so much. Its exact origin is not known, and claims that it is centuries old are not backed by firm evidence. Online and app versions in the 2000s made the name Farkle familiar to many new players.
If your group likes bluffing more than pushing its luck, try Liar's Dice next, or find a quick game in our list of easy dice games.
FAQ
How many dice do you need for Farkle?
Six six-sided dice, plus paper and a pencil to keep score. Any number of players from two upward can play.
What scores in Farkle?
Single 1s score 100 and single 5s score 50. Three of a kind scores 100 times the number, except three 1s, which score 1,000. Straights, three pairs and four or more of a kind score more. Agree on a chart before you play.
What happens when you farkle?
A farkle is a roll with no scoring dice. You lose all the points from that turn and play passes to the next player.
What are hot dice in Farkle?
When all six dice have scored during your turn, you may roll all six again and keep adding to your turn total.
How many points do you need to win Farkle?
The usual target is 10,000 points. When a player reaches it, every other player gets one last turn to beat that score.