1The common scoring table
This is the table most home games use. It matches the PlayMonster box rules for everything except three 1s. Combinations only count within a single roll: you cannot add a die you kept earlier to new dice to make three of a kind. 2s, 3s, 4s, and 6s score nothing by themselves.
| Dice | Points |
|---|---|
| Single 1 | 100 |
| Single 5 | 50 |
| Three 1s | 1,000 |
| Three 2s | 200 |
| Three 3s | 300 |
| Three 4s | 400 |
| Three 5s | 500 |
| Three 6s | 600 |
| Four of a kind | 1,000 |
| Five of a kind | 2,000 |
| Six of a kind | 3,000 |
| Straight 1-2-3-4-5-6 | 1,500 |
| Three pairs | 1,500 |
| Four of a kind plus a pair | 1,500 |
| Two triplets | 2,500 |
2The box table (PlayMonster)
The official PlayMonster rule sheet uses the same values with one change: three 1s score 300, following the 100-times-the-number pattern. That makes 1s much less exciting. Everything else is identical: four of a kind 1,000, five 2,000, six 3,000, straight 1,500, three pairs 1,500, four of a kind with a pair 1,500, and two triplets 2,500. Pick your table before the first roll.
3The classic doubling variant
Many older score sheets double the three-of-a-kind value for each extra matching die instead of using flat 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000. Four of a kind is twice the triple, five is four times, and six is eight times. Low numbers score less than the flat table and 1s score far more.
Some printed tables, including the standard list on Wikipedia, also score the 1-6 straight at 2,500 rather than 1,500. If your group uses a printed sheet, follow the sheet.
| Number | Three | Four | Five | Six |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1s | 1,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 |
| 2s | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1,600 |
| 3s | 300 | 600 | 1,200 | 2,400 |
| 4s | 400 | 800 | 1,600 | 3,200 |
| 5s | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| 6s | 600 | 1,200 | 2,400 | 4,800 |
4Odds of a Farkle by number of dice
The fewer dice you roll, the more likely you are to get nothing. These figures assume the common table, where 1s, 5s, any three of a kind, and (with six dice) three pairs or a straight score. With one die, only a 1 or a 5 saves you, so two of six faces work. Each value comes from counting every possible roll.
| Dice rolled | Chance of a Farkle | Rolls with no score |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | about 2.31% | 1,080 of 46,656 |
| 5 | about 7.72% | 600 of 7,776 |
| 4 | about 15.74% | 204 of 1,296 |
| 3 | about 27.78% | 60 of 216 |
| 2 | about 44.44% | 16 of 36 |
| 1 | about 66.67% | 4 of 6 |
5Which dice to keep
You must set aside at least one scoring die after every roll, but you do not have to keep all of them. Keeping fewer dice means more dice to roll next, and a much lower chance of losing the turn. The usual approach is to keep the best combination and roll four or more dice when you can.
Say you roll 1, 5, 5, 2, 3, 4. Keeping all three scoring dice gives 200 but leaves only three dice, with about a 28% Farkle chance. Keeping just the 1 gives 100 and leaves five dice, with under an 8% Farkle chance and a better shot at a triple. Most players keep the 1.
If you roll 2, 2, 2, 5, 3, 4, take the three 2s for 200 and consider leaving the 5. Rolling three dice is safer than rolling two. With 5, 5, 5, 1, 2, 6, keep everything for 600: that is a strong total, and many players bank it rather than roll two dice.
6Hot dice
If every one of your six dice has scored during the turn, you have hot dice. Pick up all six and roll again, adding to the same running total. It can happen in one roll, such as a straight or three pairs, or over several rolls. Your points are not banked automatically: a Farkle on the new roll still wipes out the whole turn.
7Getting on the board
Under the PlayMonster rules you need at least 500 points in a single turn before you can bank for the first time. Until then, stopping at 450 scores nothing, so you have to keep rolling. After you are on the board, you can bank any amount. Some groups use 350 or 1,000 as the entry score, and some play without one.
8Worked examples
Three pairs into hot dice
Rolls: 1 1 4 4 6 6, then 5 2 3 3 4 6, then 3 3 3 1 6
- First roll: 1, 1, 4, 4, 6, 6 is three pairs for 1,500. That beats scoring the two 1s alone (200). All six dice scored, so you have hot dice. Running total 1,500.
- Roll all six: 5, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6. Only the 5 scores (50). Running total 1,550, five dice left.
- Roll five: 3, 3, 3, 1, 6. Three 3s (300) plus the 1 (100) is 400. Running total 1,950, one die left.
- With one die, a Farkle chance is about 67%. Bank 1,950.
1,950
Getting on the board
Player at 0. Rolls: 5 2 3 4 6 6, then 1 4 4 4 2
- First roll: only the 5 scores. Keep it for 50, five dice left.
- Roll five: 1, 4, 4, 4, 2. Three 4s (400) plus the 1 (100) is 500. Running total 550.
- 550 meets the 500 minimum, so you may bank it with one die left.
550 (now on the board)
A Farkle
Rolls: 4 4 4 2 3 6, then 2 3 6
- First roll: three 4s for 400. Three dice left.
- You roll the three dice and get 2, 3, 6. Nothing scores.
- That is a Farkle. The 400 is lost and the dice pass left. Earlier banked points are safe.
0 for the turn
Same roll, three tables
Roll: 3 3 3 3 5 2
- Common or box table: four 3s score 1,000, plus 50 for the 5, for 1,050.
- Doubling variant: four 3s are twice 300, so 600, plus 50, for 650.
- Either way, one die (the 2) is left to roll or you bank.
1,050 (common) or 650 (doubling)
Keep less, roll more
Roll: 1 5 5 2 3 4
- Option A: keep 1, 5, 5 for 200 and roll three dice (about 27.78% Farkle).
- Option B: keep only the 1 for 100 and roll five dice (about 7.72% Farkle).
- Option B gives up 100 now for a much safer next roll and more chances at a triple.
100 kept, five dice to roll
Questions people ask
- How many points are three 1s in Farkle?
- Most tables score three 1s at 1,000. The PlayMonster box rules score them at 300. Agree on one before you start.
- What are the odds of a Farkle with 6 dice?
- About 2.31%, or 1,080 of the 46,656 possible rolls, when three pairs and straights score. The chance rises to about 66.67% with a single die.
- Do you have to keep all scoring dice in Farkle?
- No. You must keep at least one scoring die from each roll, but you can leave the rest to reroll. Leaving a 5 to roll more dice is a common choice.
- Can you combine dice from different rolls in Farkle?
- No. A combination only counts if all its dice came up on the same roll. A 3 kept earlier cannot join two new 3s to make three of a kind.
- What is hot dice?
- Hot dice is when all six dice have scored during your turn. You roll all six again and keep adding to your running total. A Farkle still loses the whole turn.
- How much is four of a kind in Farkle?
- Four of a kind scores 1,000 on the common and box tables. In the doubling variant it is twice the three-of-a-kind value, so four 2s would be 400 and four 1s would be 2,000.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Farkle Rules, PlayMonster. Read September 28, 2026.
- Farkle, Wikipedia. Read September 28, 2026.