A Beginner’s Guide to the Game Farkle

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An introduction to the classic dice game and its variations
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Farkle is a fun and easy game that anyone can play. All you need is 6 dice, a pen and paper, and a group of friends or family members to get started. We’ll walk you through the rules of Farkle step-by-step and even tell you all about some fun twists you can add to this timeless game. Get your dice ready and prepare to become a Farkle pro.

Things You Should Know

  • Throw all 6 dice and pull out dice that are worth points (1, 5, three-of-a-kind, etc.).
  • Keep rolling until you “farkle” (run out of dice and lose your score) or decide to stop and keep your score.
  • Take turns until someone reaches 10,000 points. Give everyone 1 additional turn to try and beat the high score. Whoever ends up with the highest score wins.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Standard Rules

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  1. As long as you have at least 2 people, there’s no limit to how many people can play a game of Farkle. Have each person roll 1 die. Whoever rolls the highest number will start the game, and players will take turns going clockwise from there.
    • If multiple people roll the same number, have them roll again until just 1 person is left holding the highest number.
  2. The scorekeeper plays a very important role and will be in charge of writing down and calculating all of the other players’ scores as the game goes on. That being said, make sure that everyone knows the scoring rules so that you all can help the scorekeeper keep track. The point system is as follows:
    • Single 1 = 100 points
    • Single 5 = 50 points
    • Three 1s = 300 points
    • Three 2s = 200 points
    • Three 3s = 300 points
    • Three 4s = 400 points
    • Three 5s = 500 points
    • Three 6s = 600 points
    • Four of any number = 1,000 points
    • Five of any number = 2,000 points
    • Six of any number = 3,000 points
    • 1-6 straight = 1,500 points (i.e., Rolling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in a single throw)
    • Three pairs = 1,500 points (e.g., Two 1s, two 5s, and two 6s)
    • Four of any number with a pair = 1,500 points (e.g., Four 2s and two 1s)
    • Two triplets = 2,500 points (e.g., Three 3s and three 4s)
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  3. On your first turn, you must get at least 500 points to officially be in the game. When it’s your turn, roll all 6 dice at the same time. Remove at least 1 die that is worth points (called a “point die”) and throw the remaining dice again. If you don’t throw any point dice, your turn is over, and you “farkle.”
    • If you “farkle” before reaching 500 points, your score stays 0, and you’ll try again on your next turn.
    • You don’t have to set aside all of the point dice right away. In some cases, it’s actually more strategic to rethrow some of the point dice to get a higher score.
    • For example, let’s say you roll 2 point dice—a 1 and a 5. In this case, it might be strategic to keep the 1 aside and place the 5 back with the rest of the non-point dice and roll again. You now have a better chance at rolling a three-of-a-kind (or other combination) and increasing your score.
  4. If all 6 dice become point dice, you must throw all 6 dice again and continue playing. This is called “hot dice.” There’s no limit to the number of hot dice you can throw, so technically, your turn can go on for a very long time if you’re lucky. This is the best way to rack up points. However, if you “farkle,” you lose all of your points for that turn.
    • If all 6 dice are point dice on your first roll, you immediately get to throw all of them again.
    • Taking out point dice one by one until all 6 have turned into point dice is also a form of hot dice. Take this sample roll as an example:
      • Roll 1 : 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
        You set aside the two 1s and have 4 dice remaining.
      • Roll 2 : 1, 4, 5 , 6
        You set aside the single 1 and have 3 dice remaining.
      • Roll 3 : 5, 5, 5
        Three 5s is worth 500 points. All of your dice have become point dice, so now you must throw all 6 “hot dice” again.
  5. This is where the excitement really amps up. You have the option to play it safe and stop after collecting a few points, or risk it all by continuing to throw. Just remember that if you “farkle,” you lose all of your points for that turn and the game moves on to the next player. Carefully consider strategy in deciding whether to roll or stop. For example, if you throw 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, any of the following plays are possible:
    • Score three 3s as 300 points and then roll the remaining three dice.
    • Score the single 1 as 100 points and then roll the remaining five dice.
    • Score the single 5 as 50 points and then roll the remaining five dice.
    • Score three 3s, the single 1, and the single 5 for a total of 450 points, and then roll the remaining die.
    • Score three 3s, the single 1, and the single 5 for a total of 450 points. Stop rolling and keep your 450 points.
    • In the cases where you decide to continue rolling, you risk “farkling” and losing all of your points. However, there’s also a chance you roll “hot dice” and get to keep playing.
  6. After each person’s turn is over, write down the points they earned for that turn. Then, add all of their points together to get their total score.
  7. The game ends when someone passes 10,000 points. After their turn is over, everyone else gets 1 turn to try and beat the winner’s score. Whoever ends up with the highest score is the winner.
    • The person who passes 10,000 points first sets the end point goal for the other players. The other players must then try and beat that goal.
    • For example, let’s say person A passed 10,000 points on their last turn and ended with a total score of 10,300. Now, the rest of the players get one more turn to try and get more than 10,300 points.
    • If person B ended up with a total score of 10,400 after this last additional turn, they are the winner of the game.
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Method 2
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Alternative Rules

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  1. One alternative way to play Farkle is to play in teams or pairs instead of individually. If you play like this, the score you earn during each turn goes toward your team’s cumulative score.
  2. This eliminates some possible combinations, such as rolling 3 pairs. But it also raises the odds of getting certain combinations, such as a straight (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). This is also good if you just want to manage less dice.
  3. In terms of standard Farkle rules, you need to get at least 500 points to officially get into the game and start earning points. However, you and the other players have the option to modify this threshold however you want. If you want a bit of an easier game, lower the threshold to 350 or 400. If you want a challenge, raise it all the way to 1,000. [1]
  4. There are lots of ways to change the point values associated with certain numbers and combinations. Keep the standard scoring system and add on new rules, or completely scrap the original system and come up with your own. The beauty of Farkle is its adaptability. Some common scoring variations include: [2]
    • Straight in one roll (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) = 2000 or 3000 points or no points at all
    • Three pairs (e.g., 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5) = 500, 600, 750, or 1,000 points
    • Full house (three-of-a-kind + 1 pair) = the three-of-a-kind value + 250 points
      • For example, the roll 3, 3, 3, 2, 2 is worth 550 points (300 + 250)
    • Four-of-a-kind = double the three-of-a-kind value or quadruple the three-of-a-kind value
      • For example, rolling four 4s can be counted as 800 points (400 x 2) or 1,600 points (400 x 4).
    • Five-of-a-kind = triple the three-of-a-kind value or six times the three-of-a-kind value
      • For example, throwing five 5s can be scored as 1,500 points (500 x 3) or 3,000 points (500 x 6).
    • Six-of-a-kind = quadruple the three-of-a-kind value or eight times the three-of-a-kind value
      • Therefore, rolling six 6s would be 2,400 points (600 x 4) or 4,800 points (600 x 8).
    • Six 1s = 5000 points, or the player is instantly declared the winner
    • If a player “farkles” 3 turns in a row, they lose 500 or 1,000 points.
  5. Allow players to begin their turn by rolling the dice remaining from the previous player's roll (the dice not set aside for scoring). If the player scores with any of these leftover dice on the first roll, they get 1,000 points in addition to any other points they win. [3]
  6. If you’re on a time crunch, then make the goal score something like 5,000 or 7,500. On the other hand, if you have lots of time and just don’t want the game to end, set the score to 15,000 or 20,000. [4]
  7. Take turns in a clockwise direction and roll until a winner is declared. And don’t forget to have fun!
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I am on the 2nd throw of my dice (I have four). I roll three 6s and a 1. Is this equal to 700? Or does the 3 of a kind only count on the first roll?
    Community Answer
    Your score is 700. 3 of a kind counts at any point during the game, not just the first roll.
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  • Question
    When you have a Farkle, do you lose all of your points you rolled?
    Community Answer
    Yes. If you do Farkle, your turn ends and you’ll score no points for the round. That means if all six dice show 2, 2, 3, 6, 4, and 3, then you’ll get a Farkle!
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  • Question
    How many rolls does a person get on their turn?
    Community Answer
    You can roll as many times as you want but remember, you’ll have to keep your points or get a Farkle to end your turn.
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      Tips

      • Scoring combinations only count when made with a single roll. For example, if a player rolls a 1 and sets it aside and then rolls two 1s, their score is 300 points (not 1,000).
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      Things You'll Need

      • Two or more players
      • Six dice
      • Paper and pencil for keeping score
      • A flat surface
      • Optional: Shaker cup for dice

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      References

      1. ↑ http://juegosrollandwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Farkle-RH-EN.pdf
      2. ↑ http://farkle.games/official-rules/
      3. ↑ http://juegosrollandwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Farkle-RH-EN.pdf
      4. ↑ http://farkle.games/official-rules/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Farkle is a fun dice game for 2 or more players where players try to be the first one to score 10,000 points by rolling different point-scoring combinations. On a player’s turn, they roll all 6 dice at once. In Farkle, 1s are worth 100 points, 5s are worth 50 points, and a 3 of a kind is worth 100 times the face value of the dice. For example, three 4s are worth 400 points. Four of a kind is worth 1,000 points, 5 of a kind is worth 2,000 points, 6 of a kind is worth 3,000 points, 3 pairs is worth 1,500 points, a 4 of a kind with a pair is worth 1,500 points, a 1 through 6 straight made in one roll is worth 1,500 points, and two three of a kinds is worth 2,500 points. If a player scores points on a roll, they can set the point-scoring dice aside and re-roll the other dice. Players can choose how many point-scoring dice they want to set aside, but they must set aside at least 1 die to continue rolling. Players can continue rolling as long as they score and set aside at least one point-scoring die per roll. However, if a player rolls and doesn’t score any points, they “farkle” and lose all of the points they’ve accumulated during that turn. Players can stop rolling at any point if they don’t want to risk farkling and losing their points. If a player chooses to end their turn instead of continuing to roll, they add any points they’ve accumulated so far to their score. If a player manages to score on all 6 dice, either all at once or across multiple rolls during the same turn, they have the option to re-roll all 6 dice and continue rolling again to score more points. However, if they farkle at any point, they lose all of their points from that series or rolls as well as their first series of rolls. In order for a player to get on the score sheet and start accumulating points, they must first score at least 500 points in one turn. After that, they can score as few points as they’d like during a turn. Play continues clockwise around the table. The first player to reach 10,000 points first wins the game! To learn how to use strategy to decide whether to stop or keep rolling the dice when you play Farkle, scroll down!

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