# Yahtzee scores **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752 "2003-03-03T14:54:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/1 "2003-03-03T14:54:34Z")
I’ve been playing my hand held Yahtzee game for a few months now and finally got up to 660 as a score!! I doubt I can beat this. Is this a really good score? Or have there been higher ones? Whats the highest? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/2 "2003-03-03T15:19:25Z")
How did you get anywhere close to 660? Even if you scored 5 “6s” in every category (and scored the straights and full house correctly) you only get 375 points. 5 1s = 5 5 2s = 10 5 3s = 15 5 4s = 20 5 5s = 25 5 6s = 30 Bonus = 35 Three of a kind (5 6s) = 30 Four of a kind (5 6s) = 30 Full House = 25 Small Straight = 30 Large Straight = 40 Yahtzee = 50 Chance (5 6s) = 30 Total score = 375 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/3 "2003-03-03T15:23:07Z")
The first Yahtzee is 50 points. Any after that are 100. I got 4 yahtzees! ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/4 "2003-03-03T15:27:09Z")
To my knowledge, you cannot use multiple yahtzees. You can only fill in each score once. Once you have scored a 50 in the Yahtzee row, you cannot then score another 100. You can, however, use the Yahtzee as a “joker” to score a straight, for example. [http://grail.sourceforge.net/demo/yahtzee/rules.html](http://grail.sourceforge.net/demo/yahtzee/rules.html) Obviously, your electronic game allows this scoring option, but it’s not part of the “official” rules of the game. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/5 "2003-03-03T15:29:07Z")
Oh, okay. I was thinking that it was the same for electronic as written,. So…is my electronic score unusually high? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/6 "2003-03-03T15:51:29Z")
Curse you clowns for making me dig out a Yahtzee game at 7:30 in the morning! According to the 1982 rules you can have up to 3 “Bonus Yahtzees” in regular play, but for some reason in “Solitare play” the most you can score is 375, so I assume they don’t allow the bonus yahtzees. I have a similar hand-held game that counts the bonus Yahtzees in solitare play and I think the highest score I’ve ever gotten is 501, so I think 660 is pretty darn good! You might find get a better response on a Yahtzee-related board though. ---
**Author:** ![blakeformayor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/7 "2003-03-03T15:58:57Z")
Quoth zev: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\*To my knowledge, you cannot use multiple yahtzees. You can only fill in each score once. Once you have scored a 50 in the Yahtzee row, you cannot then score another 100. > Zev Steinhardt \*\* Quoth zev’s link: > [@](#): > > \*\*A Yahtzee is a 5 of a Kind (i.e. all the die faces are the same), and it scores 50 points. If you roll more than one Yahtzee in a single game, you will earn a 100 point bonus for each additional Yahtzee roll, provided that you have already scored a 50 in the Yahtzee category. \*\* Looks to me like you can rack up as many bonus Yahtzees as you want, at least according to those rules. voguevixen’s printed rules probably take priority in an official sense… Yahtzee is the greatest game ever, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/8 "2003-03-03T16:01:10Z")
Apparently I did not see that. Thank’s for catching that **blakeformayor**. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![blakeformayor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/9 "2003-03-03T16:01:21Z")
I knew I’d never get all the tags right on that second quote… damn. If only there were some sort of function that would allow me to view a post and check for these errors prior to posting for all the world to see… ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/10 "2003-03-03T16:45:08Z")
Whoops! I’m going to amend mine upon closer reading. Apparently there is no limit to bonus Yahtzees in group play, but for some reason they only give you 3 extra check boxes on the score sheet. Any players getting a bonus Yahtzee are supposed to get a Bonus chip and then at the end of the game you multiply your chips by 100 and add to the final score. ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/11 "2003-03-03T17:13:14Z")
From zev’s link: > [@](#): > > You can also use subsequent Yahtzee’s as jokers in the lower scores section, provided the following criteria have been satisfied: > > 1. You have scored a zero or 50 in the Yahtzee category. > 2. You have filled the corresponding category in the upper scores section. > > If this is the case, you can use the Yahtzee as a joker to fill in any lower scores category. You score the category as normal. Thus for the Small Straight, Large Straight, and Full House categories, you would score 30, 40, and 25 points respectively. For the 3 of a Kind, 4 of a Kind, and Chance categories, you would score the total of the die face. So, going by these joker rules, to get a perfect score you would have to roll a yahtzee every turn, with the first yahtzee being any number and the next six being one of each of the six possible numbers (thus filling up the upper section in order to use the joker rules later). Roll six more arbitrary yahtzees and you’ve got it. From zev’s earlier calculation, you would get 375 points from the upper and lower sections, plus another 1200 bonus points for your 12 extra yahtzees. **The best score possible with joker rules and yahtzee bonuses is 1575 points.** It should be noted that this score is only possible when using the joker rules. If you were not using joker rules and rolled 13 yahtzees, you would get 0 points in the full house, small straight, and large straight sections. **The best score possible without joker rules, but with yahtzee bonuses, is 1480 points.** Zev has already pointed out that 375 points is the best score when using the classic rules. Note: This is all speculated from the info on zev’s link, I haven’t gotten a chance to take a look at a printed rulebook yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/12 "2003-03-04T00:14:32Z")
I have 512 points on mine right now. It’s the highest I’ve been able to come up with. The lowest possible score (at least on the electronic version) would be 5: On the first “roll”, take a zero on the Yahtzee. Do the same for every other spot EXCEPT “Chance”. On that, roll five “ones”. ---
**Author:** ![blakeformayor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/13 "2003-03-04T02:34:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jonfromdenver \* > \*\*From zev’s link: > > So, going by these joker rules, to get a perfect score you would have to roll a yahtzee every turn, with the first yahtzee being any number and the next six being one of each of the six possible numbers (thus filling up the upper section in order to use the joker rules later). Roll six more arbitrary yahtzees and you’ve got it. From zev’s earlier calculation, you would get 375 points from the upper and lower sections, plus another 1200 bonus points for your 12 extra yahtzees. **The best score possible with joker rules and yahtzee bonuses is 1575 points.** > \*\* Why wouldn’t the highest score possible be infinity? Try this: Fill in the entire lower section with straights, full house, chance, yahtzee, and all that. Get all but one of the upper section, say 3’s filled in, then proceed to roll yahtzees with any number but 3 until you get carpal tunnel from shaking the cup. Each one would be another 100 point bonus and the game would never end since you’d never finish filling in the 3s. Assuming a world in which you could roll infinite yahtzees (discounting probability), am I thinking about this right? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/14 "2003-03-04T03:09:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blakeformayor \* > \*\*Assuming a world in which you could roll infinite yahtzees (discounting probability), am I thinking about this right? \*\* I don’t think so. You have to score something each turn, even if it means taking a zero. ---
**Author:** ![blakeformayor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/15 "2003-03-04T05:31:34Z")
But wouldn’t these infinite yahtzees be scored as bonus 100s? You’re still scoring something every roll… ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/16 "2003-03-04T07:05:12Z")
Nope, the 100 is a bonus. You have to mark something in one of the spaces on the scoresheet. ---
**Author:** ![blakeformayor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/17 "2003-03-04T07:18:51Z")
so to take the 100 pt bonus for my additional yahtzees I have to mark a zero in some other category? That’s not how I read the rules zev linked to… ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/18 "2003-03-04T08:03:09Z")
In Zev’s link, there is a rule that says: > [@](#): > > You can roll the dice a total of three times – the initial roll (in which you must roll all the dice), plus two re-rolls of any or all dice. After rolling three times, you must [score the roll](http://grail.sourceforge.net/demo/yahtzee/rules.html#scoring). The link goes to a rule that says: > [@](#): > > Once you have the dice face combination you want to score, you score the roll in one of the 13 categories So there you are ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/19 "2003-03-04T15:11:21Z")
Once you roll your Yahtzee, you have to apply the roll to some category. If you apply it to anything in the lower section, you get the standard point score for that row, even if you don’t qualify for that row otherwise. For example, if you hadn’t yet scored a large straight, you could put your Yahtzee there and score the 40 points, even though a Yahtzee obviously isn’t a large straight. If you put the Yahtzee in the upper section, it’s scored normally. So, for instance, if you score five twos, and all of the lower section and your two’s row have been scored, you do in fact have to take a zero somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahtzee-scores/158752/20 "2003-03-04T15:12:28Z")
I got a 700+ once on the one my folks have. I think it was 756 or something like that, but I’m not sure. Since Mrs. ShibbOleth spent so much time playing it, I then got her one as a “stocking stuffer” last Christmas. I think the highest we got on that one (also my score) was about 534. There is a lose connection so it drops the high score occasionally. Never scored in the 600s though. Heck, anything more than 200 is good, more than 300 is darned good, and 400+ is just plain lucky. Yahtzee: the ultimate game of skill and strategy! 😉