How to Play the Dice Game Farkle

Pick up the dice and impress your friends at Farkle.

Some games have survived the test of time better than most. The dice game known as Farkle is thought to have been first played in Iceland more than 700 years ago. Thanks to its fairly simple system of rules, even a Farkle novice can pick up the dice within minutes.

Things You'll Need

• 6 dice
• Score pad

Instructions

1. Roll the six dice, all at one time. The objective of the game is to reach a certain point total, which you should determine before the beginning of play. This point total can be as large or as small as you desire, depending on the preferred length of your game. Striving for 10,000 or 5,000 points, however, is most common -- Farkle is sometimes known by the name "5000 Points."

2. Tally the score of your roll on a score pad. The point values are as follows:

   One 1 on the dice is worth 100 points. One 5 is worth 50 points.

   One 2, 3, 4 or 6 is worth 0 points. One or two pairs are also worth 0 points.

   Three pairs, of any numbers, are worth 500 points.

   Three 1s (three-of-a-kind) are worth 1,000 points.

   Three 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are worth 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 points, respectively.

   Four-of-a-kinds are twice as valuable as three-of-a-kinds (ex., Four 2s=400).

   Five-of-a-kinds are twice as valuable as four-of-a-kinds (ex., Five 2s=800).

   Six-of-a-kinds are twice as valuable as five-of-a-kinds (ex., Six 2s=1600).

   Straights (1-2-3-4-5-6) are worth 1500 points.

3. Decide whether to bank your total roll, or to roll again. After each roll, you may select some of your winning dice to put aside before rolling the remaining dice. This strategy comes with significant risks, however. If you score zero points during any roll -- no 1s, no 5s, no pairs or sets -- that is a "farkle." If you "farkle" on any roll, you lose your turn and any points you may have put aside. You earn zero points for that round and you must pass the dice to the next player.

4. Continue rolling until you are satisfied. When you are satisfied with your point total for that round, bank the points from your final roll into your score. You must exercise caution in the meanwhile, however, to avoid farkles. Pass the dice to the next player.

5. Continue play until a player reaches the designated point total. At that point, the final round begins. During the final round, each player is given one more chance to beat the winner's score. The player with the highest score at the end of this round is declared the winner.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a small plastic cup to make shaking and rolling all the dice at once easier.