Rules and Scores

Farkle Rules

Roll six dice, bank your points or risk a Farkle, and race to 10,000.

  • 2 or more players
  • About 30 minutes
  • First to 10,000 wins

What you need

  • Six six-sided dice
  • A cup or tray for rolling (optional)
  • Pencil and paper, or the free score keeper, for the running scores

Players and time

2 or more players. About 30 minutes.

The goal

Score more points than anyone else once the game reaches 10,000. On your turn you roll the dice again and again, collecting points, and you decide when to stop and bank them. If a roll scores nothing, you Farkle and lose everything you had gathered that turn.

Farkle is a family of dice games with many local versions. It is also known as Ten Thousand or 10,000, after the usual target score. This page follows the rules sheet that comes with the PlayMonster game (originally Patch Products), and labels anything else as a house rule.

Setup

  1. Pick someone to keep the score, or use the free score keeper.
  2. Every player rolls one die. The highest roll goes first, and play passes to the left.

A turn

  1. Roll all six dice. Any dice that land off the table are rolled again.
  2. Set aside at least one scoring die or combination from that roll. Score only what you set aside, using the chart below. Dice you set aside stay out until the turn ends or until you roll all six again.
  3. Keep a running total of your points for the turn.
  4. Roll the remaining dice, and again set aside at least one scoring die from that roll, adding to your running total. Dice from different rolls cannot be combined. For example, a 5 on the first roll and two 5s on the second roll are worth 50 and 100, not 500.
  5. If you set aside all six dice, you can roll all six again and keep adding to your running total (this is often called hot dice).
  6. If a roll has no scoring dice, you Farkle: you lose your running total for the turn and play passes to the left. A Farkle can happen on your first roll or on any later roll.
  7. To stop, say so before you roll again. Your running total is added to your score. Once banked, points are safe.

Special cards and combinations

Getting on the board
This is part of the publisher's rules. Until you have a score, you must reach a running total of at least 500 points in a single turn before you may stop and bank it. After your first score of 500 or more is recorded, you may stop on any total. The score keeper applies this by default: until a player enters one turn of 500 or more, their turns count as 0. Change the opening minimum in the settings, or set it to 0 to turn it off.
Hot dice
If every one of your six dice has been set aside as scoring, you may roll all six again and keep adding to your running total. You are not forced to roll them, but you can stop and bank instead.
Farkle
A roll with no scoring dice. You lose the points you had collected that turn and the dice go to the next player. Points already banked on the score pad are not affected.
Final turn
When a player reaches 10,000 or more points, every other player gets one last turn to beat that total. The highest score after those turns wins.

Scoring

Only the dice you set aside count. Any other dice in the roll score nothing for you.

Three of a kind or more only counts when all of those dice come up in the same roll. The score keeper lets you add together the combinations you used in a turn.

Under the 500-point opening rule, a player's turns score nothing until one turn reaches 500. In real play that player keeps rolling until they reach 500 or Farkle.

DicePoints
Single 1100
Single 550
Three 1s300
Three 2s200
Three 3s300
Three 4s400
Three 5s500
Three 6s600
Four of a kind (any number)1,000
Five of a kind (any number)2,000
Six of a kind (any number)3,000
Straight 1 to 61,500
Three pairs1,500
Four of a kind plus a pair1,500
Two sets of three of a kind2,500

Worked example

Roll 1: 1, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6. You set aside the 1 for 100 points and roll the other five dice.

Roll 2: 2, 4, 4, 4, 6. You set aside the three 4s for 400. Running total: 100 + 400 = 500. Two dice are left.

Roll 3: 5 and 2. You set aside the 5 for 50. Running total: 550. One die is left.

Roll 4: a 1. You set it aside for 100. Running total: 650. All six dice are now set aside, so you may roll all six again.

Roll 5: 3, 3, 3, 2, 6, 6. You set aside the three 3s for 300. Running total: 650 + 300 = 950. You stop and bank 950 points. Had you kept rolling the remaining three dice and scored nothing, you would have lost all 950.

Keep score with the Farkle score keeper

How to win

When a player reaches 10,000 points or more, every other player takes one last turn. The player with the highest total after those turns wins.

A player who passes the first player's total in their final turn takes the lead, so a final turn can change the winner.

Common house rules

These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.

Three 1s are worth 1,000 House rule
Many groups score three 1s as 1,000 instead of 300. This is a house rule. The score keeper uses the publisher chart.
Penalty for three Farkles in a row House rule
Some groups subtract a set penalty when a player Farkles three turns in a row, then reset the count. This is a house rule, and the size of the penalty varies by group. Agree on it before you start. The score keeper does not apply this penalty automatically.
Different opening minimum House rule
The publisher's rule is 500 points in one turn to get on the board. Some groups, and some other versions of the game, use a different minimum or none at all. Any other number is a house rule. The score keeper lets you change the opening minimum or set it to 0.
Shorter or longer game House rule
Some groups play to a different target than 10,000. The score keeper lets you set any target.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Farkle?

A Farkle is a roll in which none of the dice score. You lose all the points you had collected during that turn, and the dice pass to the next player. Points you banked on earlier turns are safe.

Do you need 500 points to get on the board in Farkle?

Under the publisher's rules, yes. Your first score has to be at least 500 in a single turn. Until you reach 500 you must keep rolling (or Farkle). After that, you can stop on any total. Some groups play with a different minimum or none, which is a house rule. The score keeper applies 500 by default and lets you change it.

Is Farkle the same as 10,000?

They are the same family of six-dice games: you roll, set aside scoring dice, press your luck, and race to 10,000. Farkle is also called Ten Thousand or 10,000, and the rules vary between groups. This page follows the PlayMonster Farkle rules sheet. If your 10,000 game scores three 1s as 1,000 or uses another opening minimum, treat those as house rules. The score keeper lets you change the target and the opening minimum.

What is hot dice?

It is the name many players use when all six dice have been set aside as scoring. You may roll all six again and keep your running total. You can also stop and bank instead.

What happens when someone reaches 10,000?

Every other player gets one last turn to beat that score. The highest total at the end of those turns wins.

How many dice must you set aside after a roll?

At least one scoring die or combination. You then either stop and bank your running total or roll the dice that are left. Dice from different rolls cannot be combined into a larger combination.

Are three 1s worth 300 or 1,000?

The publisher's chart gives 300. Many groups play 1,000. If your group does, treat it as a house rule and agree on it before the game.

What is the highest-scoring roll?

On the publisher's chart, two sets of three of a kind score 2,500 and six of a kind scores 3,000. Six of a kind is the highest single combination.

Sources

Farkle is a dice game sold by PlayMonster and other publishers. Product names that include Farkle may be trademarks of their owners. Rules and Scores is not affiliated with or endorsed by any publisher.