Section 1: Introduction
Farkle is a push-your-luck dice game. On your turn you roll six dice, set aside any that score, and choose: bank what you have, or reroll the rest for more. Roll no scoring dice at all — a farkle — and you lose everything accumulated that turn.
The game is traditional and in the public domain, which is precisely why its scoring table varies so much between households. The table below is the most widely used version; commercial editions differ.
Section 2: Components
- Six standard six-sided dice.
- Paper and pen, or a score sheet.
Section 3: Setup
- Any number can play; two to eight keeps turns brisk.
- Agree the target score (commonly 10,000) and the opening threshold before starting.
- Highest single roll goes first; play passes clockwise.
Section 4: Gameplay
Your Turn
- Roll all six dice.
- Set aside at least one scoring die. You may set aside more.
- Choose: bank the running total and end your turn, or reroll the remaining dice.
- If a roll produces no scoring dice at all, you farkle — the turn ends and you score nothing.
Hot Dice
If all six dice end up scoring, you have hot dice: roll all six again and keep adding to the same running total. There is no limit to how long a turn can continue.
Getting On the Board
Most groups require a minimum first bank — commonly 500 or 1,000 points — before a player can start scoring at all.
Section 5: Scoring & Winning
Standard Scoring
- Single 1: 100 points
- Single 5: 50 points
- Three of a kind: the number × 100 — so three 4s = 400
- Three 1s: 1,000 points (the exception to the rule above)
- Four of a kind: 1,000 · Five: 2,000 · Six: 3,000
- Straight (1-2-3-4-5-6): 1,500 points
- Three pairs: 1,500 points
Only 1s and 5s score on their own. A 3 by itself is worth nothing — it must be part of a set.
Winning
The first player to reach the target (usually 10,000) triggers a final round — every other player gets one last turn to beat them. Highest total wins.
Section 6: Variants & House Rules
- Different targets: 5,000 for a short game, 10,000 standard.
- Welfare / stealing: you may continue the previous player's running total instead of starting fresh, inheriting the risk.
- Three farkles: farkling three turns in a row costs you 1,000 points.
- Four of a kind doubles: instead of a flat 1,000, four of a kind doubles the three-of-a-kind value.
- Zilch, Ten Thousand, Dix Mille, Greed: the same game under other names, each with its own scoring table.
