Yatzy Online with Friends

Yatzy is a multiplayer dice game where each player tries to achieve the highest possible score with their rolls by the end of the game.

There are a number of different variants of this type of game. The most well-known are probably Yahtzee and Yacht. Yatzy itself is primarily popular in Northern Europe and differs from these dice games in the scoring system, which is explained in more detail below.

Due to the combination of luck and strategy, Yatzy is perfect as a game for in between. Here you can play it online with your friends. Create a room now or join an existing game. Have fun!

How Does Yatzy Work?

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Summary

In Yatzy, you try to achieve the best possible combination with up to three rolls and five dice to score as many points as possible on the score card. The player with the most points wins the game.

Each of the 2 to 8 players starts the game with 5 dice. After each roll, they can select one or more dice that they want to keep for later scoring - alternatively, their points can also be entered directly. With the other dice, they can roll again up to three times maximum.

At the end, all fields on the score card must be filled in, of which there are 15 in total. Each field may only be filled in once. If a player cannot score with their rolls, they must enter a 0 in any field.

At the end, the player with the most points wins. How exactly the scoring works is explained in more detail in the following sections.

First, an example turn with three rolls is shown here:

In the example above, the player decided to keep the three twos after their first roll. In the second roll, another two was rolled and kept. Unfortunately, in the last roll, no additional two was rolled. Nevertheless, they can enter their points on the score card. Where exactly, you'll learn in the following section.

Structure of the score card

The score card in Yatzy consists of a total of 15 fields, which are divided into two sections. Additionally, there are three more fields: In the upper section, these are the sum and the bonus, and in the lower section, it is the total score.

The following image shows the score card of a two-player game, where some fields have already been filled in:

Each field defines its own rules for scoring. These are explained in more detail in the following sections.

Upper section

The upper section contains the respective sums for the numbers 1 through 6, including the total sum of the upper section and the bonus. The following table explains the individual fields of the upper section:

Field	Rule
Ones	Sum of all dice showing a one.
Twos	Sum of all dice showing a two.
Threes	Sum of all dice showing a three.
Fours	Sum of all dice showing a four.
Fives	Sum of all dice showing a five.
Sixes	Sum of all dice showing a six.
Sum	Sum of all points in the upper section
Bonus	50 points if the sum of ones, twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes is 63 or more.

Lower section

The lower section contains fields with special combinations. The following table explains the individual fields:

Field	Rule
One Pair	Sum of two dice showing the same number.
Two Pairs	Sum of two different pairs of dice.
Three of a Kind	Sum of three dice showing the same number.
Four of a Kind	Sum of four dice showing the same number.
Small Straight	Sum of the combination one-two-three-four-five. (15 points)
Large Straight	Sum of the combination two-three-four-five-six. (20 points)
Full House	Sum of three dice showing the same number and two dice showing a different number.
Chance	Sum of all dice.
Yatzy	50 points if all five dice show the same number.
Total	Sum of all points in the upper and lower section.

As already mentioned, each field must be filled in. If a player cannot score with their rolls, they must enter a 0 in any field. An optimal game results in a total score of 374.

Strategies and Tips

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Summary

The three most important strategies for Yatzy: Pay attention to the bonus in the upper section, strike fields with the lowest points or lowest probability when necessary, and keep dice for straights when you roll the combination two-three-four.

A successful round of Yatzy requires a good portion of luck. Nevertheless, there are some tips that will help you achieve the best possible score. Four of them are now presented:

1. Pay attention to the bonus

If you achieve a four of a kind, you should rather enter the score in the upper section. Because the bonus of 50 points total can often help you win in the end.

2. Cross out smart

If you cannot enter any points, you unfortunately have to cross out a field by entering a 0. For the lower section, you should cross out a field that has the smallest probability of being achieved. First would be "Yatzy", then "Four of a Kind", followed by "Full House" and "Large Straight".

You have to cross out a field in the upper section? Then you should choose the field that brings the fewest points to maintain the chance for the bonus.

In Yahtzee, the bonus for the upper section is 35 points.
Yahtzee does not have the fields "One Pair" and "Two Pairs".
Yahtzee sums all dice for "Three of a Kind" and "Four of a Kind". Yatzy, on the other hand, only sums the dice with the same number.
"Full House" in Yahtzee always gives 25 points. In Yatzy, on the other hand, it gives the sum of all dice.
The "Small Straight" in Yahtzee gives 30 points and describes any combination of four consecutive numbers. In Yatzy, on the other hand, it gives 15 points and describes the combination one-two-three-four-five.
The "Large Straight" in Yahtzee gives 40 points and describes any combination of five consecutive numbers. In Yatzy, on the other hand, it gives 20 points and describes the combination two-three-four-five-six.
"Yahtzee" can be filled in multiple times. In Yatzy, on the other hand, only once.

Yatzy vs. Yacht

The somewhat less well-known variant Yacht also has some differences:

In Yacht, there is no bonus for the upper section.
Yacht also has no "Three of a Kind".
As in Yahtzee, the "Small Straight" and "Large Straight" in Yacht give 30 and 40 points respectively.

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