Edition: Classic Scandinavian Yatzy with 5 dice and 15 scoring boxes. Last checked October 25, 2026
Yatzy Rules: How to Play and Score Yatzy (and How It Differs From Yahtzee)
Yatzy is the most played dice game in Danish homes and is popular all over Scandinavia and Europe. It uses five dice like the American game Yahtzee, but the scorecard is different, with boxes for pairs and different points for straights and the bonus. Here is the whole scorecard explained, plus answers to the rules that often cause debate at the table.
- Players
- 1 to 6
- Age
- 6 and up
- Playing time
- 30 minutes
How to win: Score the most points in total once all 15 boxes on the score pad are filled in.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Yatzy.
Can you reroll dice you have already set aside?
Yes.
On each roll you freely choose which dice to roll. A die you kept after the first roll may be rerolled on the third roll.
Some families say a kept die must stay put for the rest of the turn. That makes the game harder.
Can five of a kind be used as a full house?
No, not in classic Scandinavian Yatzy.
A full house requires three of a kind plus a pair of a different value. Five of a kind is not two different values, so it does not count as a full house.
Many families allow five of a kind as a full house anyway, similar to the Joker rule in Yahtzee. Agree on it before the game.
Does four of a kind count as two pairs?
No.
Two pairs must be two different pairs, such as two 3s and two 5s. Four 4s is not two pairs.
Some let four of a kind count as two pairs. That is a house rule, not the classic rule.
Do you have to fill in the boxes from top to bottom?
No.
You choose which open box to fill in. The order is up to you.
Forced Yatzy is a well known variant where you must fill in the boxes in order, starting with Ones.
Does a die that rolls onto the floor count?
It depends.
There is no fixed rule for this in the classic version.
Most often the die is rerolled without using up a roll. Others say it counts as it lands, or that the whole roll must be redone.
What you need
- 5 dice
- A dice cup (optional)
- Yatzy score pad
- Pencil
Setup
- 1Write all players' names at the top of the score pad.
- 2Each player rolls one die. The highest roll goes first.
- 3Play goes clockwise around the table.
How to play
- 1Roll all 5 dice.
- 2Set aside the dice you want to keep and roll the rest again.
- 3You get at most 3 rolls per turn. You may stop sooner.
- 4On each roll you may freely choose which dice to reroll, including dice you kept on the previous roll.
- 5When you are done, write your score in one open box of your choice.
- 6If your roll does not fit any open box, or you do not want to use it, write 0 or cross out a box.
- 7Each box can only be used once per game.
- 8When everyone has filled in all 15 boxes, add up the points. The highest total wins.
Upper section
In the upper section you count only the dice showing the number the box is named for.
- Ones: the sum of all 1s
- Twos: the sum of all 2s
- Threes: the sum of all 3s
- Fours: the sum of all 4s
- Fives: the sum of all 5s
- Sixes: the sum of all 6s
- Bonus: 50 points if the upper section totals at least 63 points
Bonus at 63 points
63 points equals three of a kind in every box of the upper section, such as three 1s, three 2s and so on. If you get four of some numbers, you can afford fewer of others. The bonus is 50 points in Scandinavian Yatzy, compared with 35 points in Yahtzee.
Lower section
In the lower section you count the pips on the dice that make up the combination, unless stated otherwise. This is a key difference from Yahtzee, where three and four of a kind score all five dice.
- One pair: two of a kind. The sum of those two dice, at most 12 points
- Two pairs: two different pairs. The sum of those four dice, at most 22 points
- Three of a kind: the sum of the three matching dice, at most 18 points
- Four of a kind: the sum of the four matching dice, at most 24 points
- Small straight: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Scores 15 points
- Large straight: 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Scores 20 points
- Full house: three of a kind plus a pair of a different value. The sum of all five dice, at most 28 points
- Chance: the sum of all five dice, no matter what they show
- Yatzy: five of a kind. Always 50 points
Highest possible score
The highest possible score in Scandinavian Yatzy is 374 points.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Yatzy rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Yatzy and Yahtzee?
Yahtzee is the American trademarked game with 13 boxes, while Scandinavian Yatzy has 15. Yahtzee has no boxes for one pair and two pairs, its upper bonus is 35 points, three and four of a kind score the total of all five dice, a full house is always 25 points, a small straight is any four in a row for 30 points, and a large straight is five in a row for 40 points. Extra Yahtzees can earn 100 bonus points each. In Yatzy the bonus is 50 points, the straights are fixed at 1 to 5 and 2 to 6 for 15 and 20 points, and only the matching dice count.
How many points is the bonus in Yatzy?
50 points, if your Ones through Sixes add up to at least 63 points.
What is the highest possible score in Yatzy?
374 points in Scandinavian Yatzy with 5 dice.
What do the small and large straights score?
A small straight is 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and scores 15 points. A large straight is 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and scores 20 points.
Source: The classic Scandinavian score pad and common Danish family tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.