Farkle, free online
Farkle is a push-your-luck dice game played with six dice. It is also known as 10,000, Zilch, Hot Dice or Greed, and it has been a family and pub game for generations. Each roll you grab the dice that score and face the same question: take the points now, or roll again and risk losing the whole turn.
Here you can play against the computer on Easy, Normal or Hard, or with a friend on the same phone or computer. Choose a full game to 10,000 points or a quick game to 5,000. The scoring table is always one tap away under Rules.
How to play Farkle
- Roll all six dice.
- Tap the dice you want to set aside. Every die you set aside must score, and the value of your selection shows under the dice as you tap.
- Press Roll to roll the remaining dice and add the selection to your turn points, or press Bank to add your turn points to your score and end your turn.
- If a roll shows no scoring dice, it is a Farkle. Your turn points are lost and the dice pass to the other player.
- If you manage to set aside all six dice, you have hot dice: roll all six again and keep building the same turn.
- The first player to reach the target score wins.
Farkle scoring table
Farkle scoring varies a lot between families and rule books. This is the scoring used in this game, which follows the most common modern rules:
| 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 | 2 × the three of a kind (four 4s = 800) |
| Five of a kind | 4 × the three of a kind (five 4s = 1,600) |
| Six of a kind | 8 × the three of a kind (six 4s = 3,200) |
| Straight 1-2-3-4-5-6 | 1,500 |
| Three pairs | 1,500 |
A few things to know about these combinations:
- Sets only count when the dice come up in the same roll. A 5 kept on one roll and two more 5s on the next are three single 5s (150), not three of a kind.
- You can combine scoring dice in one roll. 1, 1, 1, 5, 5 is worth 1,100: three 1s for 1,000 and two 5s for 100.
- 2s, 3s, 4s and 6s score nothing on their own, so a single 2 or a pair of 6s can never be set aside.
- Four 1s are worth 2,000, five 1s 4,000 and six 1s 8,000.
- Four of a kind plus a pair scores as the four of a kind plus any 1s or 5s in the pair (four 1s and two 5s = 2,100).
House rules we do not use
Many groups add their own twists. In this version there is no minimum score needed to get on the board, no penalty for three Farkles in a row, and no final round once someone passes the target: the first player to bank the target wins. Starting turns alternate between games so neither side keeps the first-roll advantage.
Farkle strategy
The skill in Farkle is knowing how much risk each roll carries. The more dice you roll, the less likely a Farkle is:
| Dice rolled | Chance of a Farkle |
|---|---|
| 6 | about 2% |
| 5 | about 8% |
| 4 | about 16% |
| 3 | about 28% |
| 2 | about 44% |
| 1 | about 67% |
That table explains most good play. With four or more dice left, rolling again is usually right. With one or two dice left, banking anything from 300 up is usually right. Hot dice is the big swing: six fresh dice almost never Farkle, so keep going.
The other habit worth learning is setting aside fewer dice. If you roll a 1 and a 5 with no other scoring dice, keeping only the 1 leaves you five dice instead of four. The extra die lowers your Farkle risk and raises the chance of a big set on the next roll.
Finally, keep an eye on the scores. Early in the game, steady banks of 350 to 600 win races. Late in the game, if your opponent is close to the target, you may need to push for a 1,000-point turn even when the odds say stop.
Why play Farkle online?
There is no setup and no counting. The game adds up every selection for you, only lets you set aside dice that really score, and shows the value before you commit, which makes it a friendly way to learn the rules. Once you know them, the Hard computer is a tough opponent that plays close to the mathematically best strategy. If you like turn-based games against the computer, try Mancala and Four in a Row next.
How to play Farkle
- On your turn, roll all six dice. Set aside at least one scoring die (a 1, a 5, three of a kind, a straight or three pairs).
- Then choose. Bank your turn points and pass the dice, or roll the dice you have left to try for more.
- If a roll has no scoring dice at all, that is a Farkle. You lose every point from that turn and the dice pass to your opponent.
- If all six dice end up set aside, you have hot dice. Pick up all six and keep rolling the same turn.
- The first player to bank 10,000 points (or 5,000 in a quick game) wins.
Farkle tips
Keep fewer dice
You do not have to set aside every scoring die. From a roll like 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 6, keeping just the 1 and rolling five dice usually beats keeping 150 and rolling four.
Know when to stop
With one or two dice left, the chance of a Farkle is high (about 67% with one die, 44% with two). Bank 300 or more at that point unless you are far behind.
Push with five or six dice
Six fresh dice only Farkle about 2% of the time and five dice about 8%, so after hot dice it almost always pays to roll again.
Watch the scoreboard
Near the end, play the score, not the odds. If your opponent is one turn from winning, a small bank will not save you, so keep rolling.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of Farkle?
Players take turns rolling six dice. After each roll you set aside at least one scoring die, then either bank your points for the turn or roll the rest of the dice. A roll with nothing that scores is a Farkle and you lose that turn's points. The first player to bank 10,000 points wins.
What is the best strategy in Farkle?
Keep as few dice as you need when you have many dice left, roll on with four or more dice, and bank once you have about 300 points with only one or two dice left. The Hard computer here plays by working out the expected points of every choice, so watching it is a good way to learn.
How much is three pairs worth in Farkle?
In our rules three pairs, for example 2-2, 4-4 and 6-6, score 1,500 points, the same as a straight from 1 to 6. Some house rules give three pairs only 500 or 750.
What is hot dice?
Hot dice happens when all six dice have been set aside as scoring dice in the same turn. You keep your turn points, pick up all six dice and roll again. If that roll is a Farkle, you still lose everything from the turn.
How strong is the computer?
Easy keeps every scoring die and banks early, so it is beatable. Normal keeps dice more carefully and pushes its luck when it has many dice. Hard uses expected value to choose which dice to keep and when to bank.
Can two people play on one device?
Yes. Choose 2 players on the start card and pass the phone or share the screen. The score of the player whose turn it is lights up in gold.
