How to Play Yacht Dice Game
The complete rules for the dice game yacht
Erik Arneson is a highly respected board game expert, sharing his 20 years of knowledge on gaming strategies. He's the author of the book, "17 Games You Can Play Right Now," has been a featured speaker at the American International Toy Fair, and is the former Vice President of the Strategy Gaming Society.
Yacht is the public domain dice game upon which the published games Yahtzee and Kismet are both based. Here's how to play.
The Basics of Yacht
1 or more players. Best with 2 to 5 players.
5 six-sided dice , along with pencil and paper to keep score.
To score more points than your opponents by rolling certain combinations of numbers.
Create a score sheet with 12 rows and a column for each player. Label the rows as follows:
- Large Straight
- Small Straight
- Four of a Kind
- Player's Choice
Definitions
- Yacht: Five of the same number (e.g. 4-4-4-4-4).
- Large Straight: Five in a row starting with 6 (i.e. 6-5-4-3-2).
- Small Straight: Five in a row starting with 5 (i.e. 5-4-3-2-1).
- Four of a Kind: Four of the same number (e.g. 5-4-4-4-4).
- Full House: Three of one number, two of a different number (e.g. 4-4-4-1-1).
- Player's Choice: Any combination of dice.
- Sixes: Only sixes count for scoring.
- Fives: Only fives count for scoring.
- Fours: Only fours count for scoring.
- Threes: Only threes count for scoring.
- Twos: Only twos count for scoring.
- Ones: Only ones count for scoring.
How to Play
A turn starts with a player rolling all five dice. The player may then set aside any number of dice, rerolling the others, or he may stop rolling and proceed to scoring. It is legal for a player to reroll all five dice. It is also legal to reroll dice previously set aside.
On each turn, a player has a maximum of three rolls. After a third roll, the player must stop rolling and proceed to scoring.
Each player will have 12 turns during the game. After each turn, the player must enter a score in one of the rows on the score sheet.
Example: Ana rolls a 1-2-2-4-6. For her second roll, she decides to keep the 2s and reroll the other three dice. She rolls 4-4-6, so she now has 2-2-4-4-6. She has already scored a Full House, so for her third roll, she decides to keep the 4s and reroll the other three dice. She rolls 1-4-4 and now has 1-4-4-4-4. She decides to score for Four of a Kind.
It is likely that a player will make a roll that does not qualify to earn points in any of the remaining categories. In this case, the player must mark a "0" in one of the available categories.
Yacht Scoring and Values
- Yacht: 50 points. (It does not matter what numbers are on the dice.)
- Large Straight: 30 points.
- Small Straight: 30 points.
- Four of a Kind: Up to 30 points. (Add the point values on all five dice, so 4-4-4-4-1 would score 17 points. It is legal to use five of a kind for this category, so 6-6-6-6-6 would score 30 points.)
- Full House: Up to 28 points. (Add the point values on all five dice, so 3-3-3-6-6 would score 21 points. To earn points for a full house, the three of a kind must be different than the pair.)
- Player's Choice: Up to 30 points. (This serves as a "wild card." Simply add the point values on all five dice.)
- Sixes: Up to 30 points. (Add the point values of all sixes rolled.)
- Fives: Up to 25 points. (Add the point values of all fives rolled.)
- Fours: Up to 20 points. (Add the point values of all fours rolled.)
- Threes: Up to 15 points. (Add the point values of all threes rolled.)
- Twos: Up to 10 points. (Add the point values of all twos rolled.)
- Ones: Up to 5 points. (Add the point values of all ones rolled.)
Winning Yacht
After every player has scored in each category, the players each total their scores. The player with the highest score wins.
More from The Spruce Crafts
| ice lay | ||||||
| Also known as , , and, in another version commercially marketed, as . This is closely related to a popular game from Puerto Rico called (or more properly ), which is a little more sophisticated. Any number may play and it also makes for a good solo game, just go for your personal best. You will need a score sheet and five dice. / Score Sheet | ||||||
| / 63+ scores 35 bonus | ||||||
| 3-of-a-kind | ||||||
| 4-of-a-kind | ||||||
| Full house | 25 | |||||
| Low Straight | ||||||
| High Straight | 40 | |||||
| 5-of-a-kind | ||||||
| Chance | ||||||
Each player in turn tries to score the highest possible amount for each of the twelve categories on the score sheet. In each turn a player has up to three throws rolling the dice, setting aside any they wish to use for a category and rolling the remainder. They do not have to use all three throws and may stop after the first or second. Players must fill in a score for a category after each turn but once it is used they may not change it. Categories may be filled in any order.
After each player has had twelve turns and all the categories on the score sheet have been filled, the scores are totalled, and the player with the highest total, wins the game.
1 Ones Score one point for each 1 thrown. Maximum of 5 points. 2 Twos Score two points for each 2 thrown. Maximum of 10 points. 3 Threes Score three points for each 3 thrown. Maximum of 15 points. 4 Fours Score four points for each 4 thrown. Maximum of 20 points. 5 Fives Score five points for each 5 thrown. Maximum of 25 points. 6 Sixes Score six points for each 6 thrown. Maximum of 30 points. 7 Little Straight 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Scores 30 points. 8 Big Straight 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Scores 30 points. 9 Full House Three-of-a-kind and a pair. Scores total value of all dice. 10 Four of a Kind Scores total value of the four dice. i.e. 6, 6, 6, 6, 2 scores 24 points. 11 Chance No pattern required. Scores total value of all five dice. 12 Yacht Five-of-a-kind scores 50 points.
For example a turn might go something like this. A player rolls all five dice resulting with the numbers 6, 6, 6, 3, 3. They could score for a full house without any further throws. But if the full house category is already used they would set aside the three 6s and roll the remaining two dice to try and gain a good score for the sixes category. The remaining dice are rolled again and come up as a 4 and 6. The 6 is kept making four-of-a-kind and the remaining die rolled as the last throw. It is a 6 as well making a Yacht (five-of-a-kind) and scores 50 points which ends a very lucky turn. It is common for a player to enter zero for a category and players often use the 1s for this because it is low scoring.
Variations:
Yahtzee is played as described above but the score sheet is divided into two sections. 1s through to 6s as the first section, and the remaining categories as the second. At the end of a game you score a bonus of 35 if the 1s to 6s section totals 63 or more. Additionally the definition of a big straight is any run of five consecutive dice values and a little straight any run of four consecutive dice values. Players score 40 for a big straight not 30.
General is played as described above for Yacht but with the following differences.
There is only one straight scored in General and can be either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. It scores 25 points if made with only one throw and only 20 points if made on the second or third. For this category Aces (1s) are wild and may represent a 2 or a 6 if either or both are needed to make a straight.
The full house scores 35 points if made with one throw and 30 points if made on the second or third.
Four-of-a-kind scores 45 points if made with one throw and 40 points if made on the second or third.
The Yacht category is know as a general . If it is made with one throw then it wins the game with no further play and is known as a big general . If made on the second or third throw it scores 60 points and is known as a small general .
When played for stakes the winner receives the difference between his score and that of each of the other players at a pre-arranged sum for each point.
Double Cameroon is played in much the same way as Yacht but with ten dice. At the end of a player's turn the dice are divided into two groups of five and are used to score two categories of the player's choice. Five rounds are played for the ten categories, which are; categories 1 to 6 and a full house score the same as in Yacht . Little Cameroon (a little straight) scores 21 points. Big Cameroon (a big straight) scores 30 points. Five-of-a-kind ( Yacht ) scores 50 points.
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Yacht (Dice Game)
A dice game like Yahtzee. How high can you score?
Try to score the highest amount you can.
You can roll the dice up to three times (and can hold dice by clicking on them).
After any Roll (1, 2 or 3) choose a category to place the total. Choose Wisely! You must choose a category by the third roll, even if it is a 0 score.
| 1s | 1 point for each 1 thrown |
|---|---|
| 2s | 2 points for each 2 thrown |
| 3s | 3 points for each 3 thrown |
| 4s | 4 points for each 4 thrown |
| 5s | 5 points for each 5 thrown |
| 6s | 6 points for each 6 thrown |
| Bonus | If 1s to 6s total 63 or above, then 35 points |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 of the same number. Scores total value of those 3 dice. |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 of the same number. Scores total value of those 4 dice. |
| Full House | A 3-of-a-kind and 2-of-a-kind. Scores 25 points |
| 4 Straight | 4 numbers in a row (any order). Scores 30 points |
| 5 Straight | 5 numbers in a row (any order). Scores 40 points |
| The Yacht | 5 of a kind. Scores 50 points |
| Choice | No pattern needed. Scores total value of all dice. |
There are many games like this, such as Yot , Generala , Cheerio , and the much later commercially available Yahtzee (trademarked by Hasbro).
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Instructions
Yacht is a classic dice-rolling game that inspired the hit game Yahtzee by Milton Bradley. Play online against random opponents, create a game with your friends, or practice against the computer.
In Yacht, you need to make specific combinations that score the most points possible at the end of three rolls. At the end of the game, whoever has the most points wins.
Every turn, you have three dice rolls. After your first roll, you can choose to hold dice. The dice you hold will not be part of your next roll. After three rolls, pick a category on the scorecard to lock in your points. If you aren't sure what each category means, tap on the name to get more details.
HINT: If you score 63 or more points in the upper section of the scorecard, you'll earn a 35-point bonus.
You can either play this game against a computer, or play online and go head-to-head against players anywhere in the world. Either way, you can expect to have a fun and exciting challenge.
Probably the biggest factor in this dice game is whether or not you are able to get the 35-point bonus. Because of this, you should try and focus on the upper section in order to work toward that bonus.
Make sure to keep your chance section clear for as long as you can. It is nice to have a safety net that can catch you if you have a bad roll.
Every turn, you have three dice rolls. After your first roll, you can choose to hold dice. The dice you hold will not be part of your next roll. After three rolls, pick a category on the scorecard to lock in your points. If you aren't sure what each category means, mouse over the name to get more details.
Is Yahtzee similar to the Yacht Dice Game?
Besides a few small rule changes, Yahtzee and Yacht are very similar games. If you have a decent understanding of the game Yahtzee, then learning how to play Yacht will be no problem at all.
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Yacht - dice game
Yacht is a public domain dice game, similar to the Latin American game Generala , the English game of Poker Dice, the Scandinavian Yatzy , and Cheerio. Yahtzee (trademarked in the United States by Hasbro) is a later development, similar to Yacht in both name and content.
The name Yacht is also used for a number of later dice games that include many features of Yahtzee, being closer to Yahtzee than the original Yacht game.
The object of the game is to score points by rolling five dice to make certain combinations. The dice can be rolled up to three times in a turn to try to make these combinations. A game consists of twelve rounds. After each round the player chooses which scoring category is to be used for that round. Once a category has been used in the game, it cannot be used again. The scoring categories have varying point values, some of which are fixed values and others where the score depends on the value of the dice. A Yacht is five-of-a-kind and scores 50 points; the highest of any category. The winner is the player who scores most points.
The following are the 12 categories and the points scored in those categories:
| Category | Description | Score | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ones | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 1 | |
| Twos | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 2 | |
| Threes | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 3 | |
| Fours | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 4 | |
| Fives | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 5 | |
| Sixes | Any combination | The sum of dice with the number 6 | |
| Full House | Three of one number and two of another | Sum of all dice | |
| Four-Of-A-Kind | At least four dice showing the same face | Sum of those four dice | |
| Little Straight | 1-2-3-4-5 | Varies Often 30 | |
| Big Straight | 2-3-4-5-6 | Varies Often 30 | |
| Choice | Any combination | Sum of all dice | |
| Yacht | All five dice showing the same face | 50 |
If a category is chosen but the dice do not match the requirements of the category the player scores 0 in that category.
A Yacht cannot be scored on Full House but can be scored on Four of a Kind, although the fifth dice is not counted in the score. The score for the Straights vary, but 30 is a typical score for each.
The maximum possible score depends on the scoring rules used but with the above rules and both straights counting 30, the maximum score is 297.
Score sheet
| CATEGORY | SCORE |
|---|---|
| Ones | |
| Twos | |
| Threes | |
| Fours | |
| Fives | |
| Sixes | |
| Full House | |
| Four of a kind | |
| Little Straight | |
| Big Straight | |
| Choice | |
| Yacht | |
| TOTAL |
How to Play Dice: Yacht / Yatzy Rules of Play
- February 14, 2022
In this post, we'll share how to play one of our favorite dice games using 5 dice, which is included in our portable pocket-size Travel Dice design: Yacht (aka Generala, Yatzy, Poker Dice, Cheerio), which is the original public domain version of the game that is packaged by Milton-Bradley as the trademarked Yahtzee®. Yacht can be played with any number of players (2+) and all you need is dice, scoresheets, and a pen. These are the complete rules of play, plus a free printable Yacht scoresheet .
How to Play Yacht
Although it has many names and some variations, this is the basic version of the game that we play, taken from the official source, Hoyle's Rules of Games . There are some slight scoring differences from the trademark Yahtzee® game but we actually enjoy this way more. See more complete rules on the Wikipedia page for Yacht .
Object of the Game
Score the most points after 12 rounds of game play.
- Gather a scoresheet for each player and 5 dice. The game consists of 12 rounds, and each player one turn within each round. Each turn consists of up to 3 rolls of the dice. The object of a turn is to designate dice to count in one of the 12 categories shown on the scoresheet (more on that below).
- At the beginning of each turn, the player throws all 5 dice. The player sets aside any of the dice they wish to designate to a scoring category, and rolls the rest of the dice again. Same with the second roll. The player may "stay" at any time and is not required to roll all 3 times. After the third roll or "stay", the player must select a category on the scoresheet and enter the chosen score (which may be zero) under their name's column.
- No category may be used more than once in the course of the game.
- When every player has had 12 turns, the scores on the scoresheet are tallied and the highest score wins.
The scoring is as follows, with a maximum achievable score:
| Category | Description | Maximum Score |
| Aces | Sum of all 1's | 5 |
| Deuces | Sum of all 2's | 10 |
| Threes | Sum of all 3's | 15 |
| Fours | Sum of all 4's | 20 |
| Fives | Sum of all 5's | 25 |
| Sixes | Sum of all 6's | 30 |
| Full House | Sum of all dice with 3 of a kind + a pair | 28 |
| 4 of a Kind | Sum of all dice with at least 4 of a kind | 29 |
| Small Straight | Score 30 for a 1-2-3-4-5 | 30 |
| Big Straight | Score 30 for a 2-3-4-5-6 | 30 |
| Choice | Sum of all dice (any combination) | 30 |
| Yacht | Score 50 for 5 of a kind | 50 |
Use our free printable scoresheet for game play:
Travel Dice
Inspired by the pocket games soldiers carried in WWII, our handcrafted Travel Dice are small enough to be portable and lightweight but large enough to be legible and substantial in the hand.
Made from high quality, natural materials, the (6) included dice are stored in a solid brass travel tube, secured with walnut wood, and carried with a beaded brass-plated chain that can be worn as a necklace or carried as a keychain.
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Yacht (dice game) Yacht[ 1] is a public domain dice game, similar to the Latin American game Generala, the English game of Poker Dice, the Scandinavian Yatzy, and Cheerio. [ 2] Yacht dates back to at least 1938, and is a contemporary of the similar three-dice game Crag. [ 1] Yahtzee is a later development, similar to Yacht in both name and content.
Best with 2 to 5 players. 5 six-sided dice, along with pencil and paper to keep score. To score more points than your opponents by rolling certain combinations of numbers. Create a score sheet with 12 rows and a column for each player. Label the rows as follows: Yacht: Five of the same number (e.g. 4-4-4-4-4).
Yacht. Also known as Cheerio, Yot, Yam and, in another version commercially marketed, as Yahtzee.This is closely related to a popular game from Puerto Rico called General (or more properly Generala), which is a little more sophisticated.Any number may play and it also makes for a good solo game, just go for your personal best.
One of the categories of the Yacht Dice Game is Chance. The Chance category allows you to add up the total of all the dice in a given roll and score that total. It is a useful category that should only be used in emergencies. When the game is nearing the end, having a safety valve is huge.
Introduction. Yacht is a dice game where your aim is rolling the right combinations and racking up points. It's similar to games like Yahtzee, which I've written about before, but it's got its own unique twist and a different scoresheet.The game was first invented in the mid 20th century, and it's been mildly popular with families and friends since then.
Rules. Try to score the highest amount you can. You can roll the dice up to three times (and can hold dice by clicking on them). After any Roll (1, 2 or 3) choose a category to place the total. Choose Wisely! You must choose a category by the third roll, even if it is a 0 score.
Yacht is a classic dice-rolling game that inspired the hit game Yahtzee by Milton Bradley. Play online against random opponents, create a game with your friends, or practice against the computer. In Yacht, you need to make specific combinations that score the most points possible at the end of three rolls. At the end of the game, whoever has ...
Yacht - dice game. Yacht is a public domain dice game, similar to the Latin American game Generala, the English game of Poker Dice, the Scandinavian Yatzy, and Cheerio. Yahtzee (trademarked in the United States by Hasbro) is a later development, similar to Yacht in both name and content.. The name Yacht is also used for a number of later dice games that include many features of Yahtzee, being ...
The yacht dice game can be played by one player but is more fun against at least one other player or against the computer. It is played using five six-sided dice and the goal is to score a higher total number of points than your opponents. You start your turn by rolling all the dice. You either bank a set of points (see below) or reroll as many ...
Game Play. Gather a scoresheet for each player and 5 dice. The game consists of 12 rounds, and each player one turn within each round. Each turn consists of up to 3 rolls of the dice. The object of a turn is to designate dice to count in one of the 12 categories shown on the scoresheet (more on that below). At the beginning of each turn, the ...
Yacht Dice (Yahtzee) is a dice game. The objective of the game is to score points by rolling five dice to make certain combinations. The dice can be rolled up to three times in a turn to try to make various scoring combinations and dice must remain in the box. A game consists of thirteen rounds. After each round the player chooses which scoring ...
Yacht dice game is predecessor of Yahtzee and is contemporary of another sequence dice-casting game Crag. Yacht is in public domain and similar to games such as Poker Dice, Yatzy etc. The objective of the game is to score points by rolling 5 six-sided dice and making certain combinations. Setup: 5 six-sided dice and a scoresheet.
Yacht is a very simple game which uses nothing more than 5 dice, a cup to shake them in, and a score sheet. Despite its simplicity, the "high" of getting spectacular rolls of the dice is palpable. The skill of the game comes entirely in the form of decision making. ... Yacht - all 5 dice show the same number (50 points)
Yacht. Yacht is probably better known by its commercial name, Yahtzee™. It is easy to play at home with just five dice and a score sheet. (Click here to open a new window with a printable score sheet.) Together with General, Yacht is known as a 'category' dice game. Age: Adults and older children. No. of players: 2 or more (4-5 is good)
Yacht, better known by its commercial name Yahtzee, started around 1938, and has many excellent educational benefits, in addition to being a fun and exciting dice game to play! It can be played by one player, multiple players, or as a team, and can be played at just about any age. Note: Very young children should…
Yacht [1] is a public domain dice game, similar to the Latin American game Generala, the English game of Poker Dice, the Scandinavian Yatzy, and Cheerio. [2] Yacht dates back to at least 1938. [1] Yahtzee (trademarked in the United States by Hasbro [3]) is a later development, similar to Yacht in both name and content.. The name Yacht is also used for a number of later dice games that include ...
Yacht Dice is a game that has a variety of different scoring combinations. The left-hand side of the scoring chart contains number scores - you must count how many dice you have of one number, and add them together to get your score. For example, rolling 4x sixes would be a score of 24. The right-hand side of the scoring chart contains the ...
Check out Yacht Dice Games, my first game on the iOS App Store!Yacht is a dice game where you can choose to play with different rules: Either classic "Standa...
Yacht is a classic dice game, dating back from 1938. The game is the predecessor of Yahtzee and has a lot of similarities to the Latin-American Generala, the Scandinavian Yatzy and the English game of Poker Dice. In this game, you have got 6 dice and the goal is to throw as much special combinations as possible. A turn starts with the first throw.
Play Yacht, the classic dice game also known as Yahtzee or Yatzy, with friends on Bloob.io. Roll, score, and win together! You can join a (private) match by filling in the four-digit ID. You have received an official account warning. Multiple warnings will result in more severe punishments. English (US)
313 votes. Yacht Dice Game is a simple dice-based puzzler for between one and four players. Each round of play sees each player roll three times. The rules are the same as dice poker. Score a straight of four or five sequential dice and earn big points. Score a 'Yacht' of five matching dice and earn even more!
The game is based off several much earlier games like Poker dice, Yacht, Generala, and the Scandinavian game Yatzy. The game is played by rolling 5 dice and scoring the rolls against a scorecard. The winner of each round is determined by the player with the most points from winning Yahtzee dice combinations.
Yacht (Dice Game) A dice game like Yahtzee. How high can you score? Rules. Try to score the highest amount you can. You can roll the dice up to three times (and can hold dice by clicking on them). After any Roll (1, 2 or 3) choose a category to place the total. Choose Wisely! You must choose a category by the third roll, even if it is a 0 score.
Latest features. Yacht Dice is made by Spineraks. This site/game is based on Yacht Dice, a public domain dice game. All assets are custom made or free to use non-commercially. Huge thanks to SporyTike and Miawoo for all the skins! The music is AI generated by Suno, non-commercial use. Steamboat Willie song is in public domain.