How to Play Farkle
Farkle is the dice game that makes a whole table groan and cheer at the same time. All you need is six dice and a pencil. Each turn you roll, set aside the dice that score, and then face the one big question of the game: do I stop here, or roll again? Stop and your points are safe. Roll again and you might double them, or lose every point you made this turn. This page explains the rules step by step, exactly as our free online Farkle game plays them, with a full scoring table and worked examples.
What You Need
- Players: two or more. Online, you can play one to three computer players, or two to four people can take turns on one tablet or computer.
- Dice: six ordinary six-sided dice.
- Scoring: paper and pencil at home. Online, the game adds everything up for you.
The Aim of the Game
Be the first to reach 10,000 points, and still be ahead when everyone else has taken their last turn. Points are made one turn at a time by rolling scoring dice and deciding when to bank them.
What Scores
Only some dice score. Learn this table and you know most of the game. A combination only counts if it shows up in a single roll: a 4 from one roll and two 4s from the next roll are not three of a kind.
| Dice in one roll | Points |
|---|---|
| Each single 1 | 100 |
| Each 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 (any number) | 1,000 |
| Five of a kind | 2,000 |
| Six of a kind | 3,000 |
| A straight: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 | 1,500 |
| Three pairs (four of a kind plus a pair also counts) | 1,500 |
| Two triplets, such as 2-2-2 and 6-6-6 | 2,500 |
Twos, threes, fours and sixes score nothing on their own. They only count as part of three or more of a kind, or inside one of the six-dice combinations at the bottom of the table.
When dice could be counted more than one way, they count the way that is worth the most. Four 1s, for example, are worth more as three 1s (1,000) plus a single 1 (100) than as "four of a kind" (1,000), so they score 1,100. The online game always works out the best way for you.
Your Turn, Step by Step
1. Roll all six dice
Every turn starts with all six dice.
2. Set aside at least one scoring die
Look for 1s, 5s and combinations. You must set aside at least one scoring die or combination from every roll, but you don't have to set aside all of them. Every die you set aside must score: you cannot put a lone 3 to one side just to get it out of the way.
3. Roll on, or bank
Now you choose:
- Roll on. Pick up the dice you did not set aside and roll them, hoping for more scoring dice.
- Bank. Stop, add this turn's points to your score, and pass the dice to the next player.
You can keep rolling as long as every roll gives you something to set aside.
4. A farkle ends the turn
If a roll has no scoring dice at all (no 1, no 5, no three of a kind and no six-dice combination), that is a farkle. Every point you set aside this turn is lost, and the dice go to the next player. Points you banked on earlier turns are never lost.
5. Hot dice
If all six dice end up set aside, because every one of them scored, you have hot dice. Pick up all six and roll again. Your turn's points stay, and you keep adding to them. You may also choose to bank instead.
Getting on the Board
Your first bank of the game has to be at least 500 points, all scored in one turn. Until you manage that, you are "not on the board" and must keep rolling until you reach 500 or farkle. Once you are on the board, you may bank any amount on later turns. (Families disagree about this number; the online game lets you choose no minimum, 350, 500 or 1,000.)
The Final Round and Winning
The moment a player banks enough to reach 10,000 or more, the final round begins. Every other player gets exactly one more turn to beat that score. When they have all had it, the game ends and the highest score wins. If two players finish exactly level at the top, they share the win.
On that last turn there is nothing to save points for, so a player who is behind should keep rolling until they are ahead, or farkle trying.
Worked Examples
Example 1: a careful turn
Ruth rolls 1, 4, 4, 4, 2, 6. The scoring dice are the 1 (100) and the three 4s (400). She sets aside both for 500, leaving two dice. With only two dice left, nearly half of all rolls are farkles, so she banks 500. That also gets her on the board.
Example 2: keeping just one die
Harold rolls 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 6. He could set aside the 1 and the 5 (150) and roll four dice. Instead he sets aside only the 1 (100) and rolls five dice, because five dice farkle much less often than four and give a better chance of a big combination. He rolls 3, 3, 3, 5, 2: three 3s (300) and a 5 (50). His turn is now worth 450 with one die left.
Example 3: hot dice
June has 650 set aside and rolls her last two dice: 1, 5. Both score, so her turn is worth 800 and all six dice have been used. Hot dice! She picks up all six and rolls again. With six dice, a farkle happens only about once in 43 rolls, so rolling on is an easy choice.
Example 4: a farkle
Walt has 900 set aside and three dice left. He decides to push his luck and rolls 2, 4, 6. Nothing scores. That is a farkle: the 900 is gone, and his score stays where it was before the turn.
Rules People Often Ask About
Can I put a scoring die back after I set it aside?
At the table, once you have rolled again the set-aside dice are fixed. Online, you can tap a kept die to put it back any time before you press Roll or Bank.
Can dice from two rolls make a combination?
No. Three of a kind, straights and pairs must all come from the same roll.
Do I have to set aside every scoring die?
No, only at least one. Leaving a 5 behind to roll more dice is often a good idea.
Can I bank right after hot dice?
Yes. Hot dice give you the choice to roll all six again; you do not have to take it.
What if I farkle on my very first roll?
It happens, about once in 43 turns. You simply score nothing and pass the dice.
Who goes first?
Anyone can; the last-turn rule evens things out. Online, you (or Player 1) go first, and the computer players follow in order.
Playing Online
In our game the dice that can score are outlined and labeled for you, the points are added as you tap, and the two big buttons always say exactly what will happen: Roll 3 Dice or Bank 650. The Hint button suggests what to keep and whether to roll or bank, with the real chance of farkling. Once you know the basics, read the Farkle strategy guide, look through the house rules and variations, or try another family scoring game such as Yacht Dice or Cribbage.