Tenzi Dice Game: Rules, Odds and Variations

Tenzi is a fast and noisy dice race. Every player has ten dice, everyone rolls at the same time, and the first person to get all ten dice showing the same number shouts “Tenzi!” and wins the round. There are no turns and no scoresheet, so a round takes well under a minute and even young children can join in. Below are the rules, a fair way to start, the exact odds behind the game and some variations for home and the classroom.

What you need

• Ten six-sided dice per player. A different colour for each player helps when dice roll into each other.
• A table with enough room for everyone to roll.
• Someone to give the start signal, or a dice roller on a screen to set the target number in some variations.

How to play

1. Each player takes ten dice and holds them, ready to roll.
2. On the start signal, everyone rolls all ten dice at once.
3. Look at your dice and pick a number to collect. Most players choose the number that came up most often.
4. Set aside the dice that show your number and roll the rest again, as fast as you like. You do not wait for anyone else.
5. Keep rolling the leftover dice until all ten show your number.
6. The first player to shout “Tenzi!” with ten matching dice wins the round. Check their dice, then play again.

You can change your number at any time, but then the dice you set aside no longer count and go back into your rolling pile. Usually it is better to stick with the number you chose.

A fair start

Because Tenzi is a race, the start matters. A simple way is to have one person count “three, two, one, go”, or to let a different player call the start each round. If a group argues about who calls it, pick the caller with a random name picker or see our ideas for deciding who goes first.

The chance of Tenzi on the first roll

Ten dice can land in 6 to the power of 10 ways, which is 60,466,176. Only six of those show all the same number, so the chance of an instant Tenzi on the very first roll is 1 in 10,077,696. You will almost certainly never see it.

What usually happens is more useful to know. In the table, “Biggest group” is the largest set of matching dice in one roll of all ten, and “Chance” is the exact probability of that happening.

So in about 84% of first rolls your best number shows three or four times. You start with three or four dice set aside and six or seven still to roll.

How many rolls does a round take?

Each leftover die has a 1 in 6 chance of showing your number on every roll, so a round can be worked out exactly. In the next table, “Rolls” counts how many times you have rolled, including the first roll of all ten dice. The other two columns show the share of rounds finished by then. “Usual way” means you pick the most common number after the first roll. “Fixed number” is a variation where everyone must collect a number chosen before the start, such as all sixes.

Played the usual way, one player needs about 15 rolls on average, and half the time it takes 14 rolls or fewer. A fixed number is slightly slower, about 16.5 rolls on average, because you cannot use the lucky group from the first roll. The last die or two take the longest: with only one die left, you need six more rolls on average.

In a race, the winner is the fastest of several players, so the winning number of rolls is lower. The next table shows the average number of rolls the winner needs, by number of players, for the usual way of playing.

These numbers count rolls, not seconds, and in real play quick hands matter too. That mix of luck and speed is why the same player rarely wins every round. You can read more about how dice odds work in our guide to dice probability.

Tips

• Pick the number with the biggest group after the first roll. If two numbers tie, either is fine.
• Roll the leftover dice in one hand and keep the matching ones in a neat line, so you can see at a glance how many you still need.
• Do not slow down near the end. The last die is the slowest part, so quick rolls count most there.
• For small hands, play with six dice instead of ten.

Classroom ideas

• Number recognition: young pupils call out the number they are collecting each time they set a die aside.
• Tally and graph: pupils record how many rolls each round took, then make a class bar chart and compare it with the table above.
• Probability talk: ask why the last die takes so long when each die has the same 1 in 6 chance.
• Teams: split the class into pairs with a random name picker; one rolls and the other counts the rolls.

Variations

• Called number: before each round, roll one die on a dice roller and everyone collects that number.
• Count up: first round all ones, next round all twos, and so on up to sixes. The first to finish all six rounds wins.
• Odds or evens: instead of one number, collect ten odd numbers or ten even numbers.
• Silent Tenzi: nobody may talk; the winner raises a hand instead of shouting.
• Team Tenzi: two players share twenty dice and must both finish on the same number.
• Points: each other player scores one point for every die that does not match at the moment someone calls Tenzi, and the lowest total after five rounds wins.

Where does Tenzi come from?

“Tenzi” is the name of a boxed dice game sold by the US company Carma Games, which also publishes a card pack of extra ways to play. The basic idea of rolling dice until they all match is simple enough that many families and classrooms played similar races without a box, and it is hard to say who first came up with it. If you play at home with your own dice, any name will do.

For more short games with nothing but dice, see our list of easy dice games.

FAQ

What are the rules of Tenzi?

Everyone rolls ten dice at once. Pick a number, set aside the dice that show it and keep rolling the rest. The first player with all ten dice the same shouts “Tenzi!” and wins the round.

What are the odds of rolling Tenzi in one roll?

It is 1 in 10,077,696. There are 60,466,176 ways ten dice can land, and only six of them show all the same number.

How many rolls does a round of Tenzi take?

Playing alone and keeping the most common number from the first roll, it takes about 15 rolls on average. With four players, the winner usually needs about 9 or 10 rolls.

Can you change your number in Tenzi?

In the usual rules you can, but the dice you already set aside go back into your rolling pile, so it rarely helps.

How many players can play Tenzi?

Any number, as long as everyone has ten dice. It also works solo against a timer.

Can I play Tenzi without enough dice?

Players can take turns with one set of ten dice and count their rolls; the fewest rolls wins. A dice roller can also stand in for the start number.