Dice Poker

How to play

Each turn you roll five dice up to three times. After a roll, tap any dice you want to keep and roll the rest again. When you are done, put the result in one of the thirteen boxes on the scorecard, and each box can only be used once. The upper section scores the total of one chosen number, and taking sixty three or more up there earns a thirty five point bonus. The game is thirteen turns long, so every box has to be filled by the end, including the ones you would rather not.

Tips

• Chase the upper bonus early. Three of each number is exactly the pace that gets you to sixty three.
• Keep pairs and triples, not high numbers. Five sixes is worth less than a full house you actually complete.
• Take the chance box for a genuinely bad roll rather than wasting a category you can still fill well.
• A long straight needs four in a row first. If you have three plus a gap, keep the gap open.
• Sacrifice the ones box when a turn goes wrong. It costs the fewest points of any box on the card.

The scorecard, explained

Thirteen boxes, thirteen turns, every box filled once. The upper section is the six number boxes, and it carries a bonus of 35 points if the six of them total 63 or more, which is exactly three of each number. That bonus shapes the whole game: chasing it is worth more than almost any single lower box, and losing it late is the most common way a good game turns mediocre.

The lower section is where the big scores live. Three and four of a kind score the total of all five dice, a full house is 25, the small and large straights are 30 and 40, five of a kind is 50, and chance is a dumping ground worth whatever you rolled. The card shows what each open box would score with your current dice, so every decision is visible before you make it.

Playing the odds

• Go for the upper bonus early. Three of each number is the pace, and the 35 points is worth more than a mediocre four of a kind.
• Keep pairs and triples over high singletons. Five sixes almost never happens; a full house built from a pair does.
• A three with a gap, like 2, 3, 5, is a straight in waiting. Keep the gap open and reroll the rest.
• Chance is for a genuinely bad roll. Spending it on a good one wastes the safety net.
• When a turn goes wrong, sacrifice ones. It is the cheapest box on the card.

Common questions

How do I get the upper bonus?

Score 63 or more across the six number boxes, which is what three of each number adds up to. The bonus is 35 points.

How many rolls per turn?

Up to three. After each roll you can hold any dice and reroll the rest.

What does five of a kind score?

50 points, the highest single box on the card.