What is Yacht?
Yacht is one of the best-loved dice games around — and one of the easiest to pick up. All you need are 5 dice, a cup and a score card with 13 boxes. On each turn you get up to 3 rolls to build the most valuable combination you can: lots of the same number, a full house, a straight or, with a little luck, five of a kind. That is a Yacht, worth 50 points and the moment every game is waiting for.
What makes it compelling is the mix of luck and decisions. Which dice do you keep, which do you roll again? Do you settle for a so-so result now or push your luck? And which box do you sacrifice when nothing fits? Because each of the 13 boxes can be filled only once, every choice echoes until the very end of the game.
As with many table classics, house rules vary. Here you choose between two variants, Classic and Bonus & Joker. They share the same core rules and only differ in how a further Yacht counts once the Yacht box is filled — the rules comparison shows exactly how.
How to play Yacht here
Our Yacht feels like a real table: the dice tumble across the felt with simulated physics, bounce off the cushions and stay where they land.
Shake the cup
Grab the cup with your mouse or finger and drag it back and forth — you will hear the dice rattle. Let go and they fly onto the table. A plain click or tap on the cup does not roll. You can also roll with the “Roll” button or the space bar.
Keep your dice
After a roll all dice stay on the table. Click or tap the ones you want to roll again and they go back into the cup; click or tap a die in the cup to put it back in its place. Only the dice in the cup are rolled. Drag a die to move it across the felt, for example to line up your combination neatly. You have 3 rolls per turn.
Score a box
The score card shows how many points your dice would earn in every open box. Pick one — or scratch a box for 0 points when nothing fits. Then it is the next player’s turn.
In the start menu you set up your table: up to 6 seats, any mix of people and bots (easy, normal or hard), plus the rule variant. Several people can take turns on one device. A game in progress is saved in your browser automatically, so you can pick it up again later.
To play with friends on their own devices, create a lobby and share the invite link, the six-character code or the QR code. As host you pick the rule variant there. Everyone watches the cup being shaken and the dice rolling live, the chat keeps the table talk going, and you can fill empty seats with bots.
On a computer, keyboard shortcuts help: space rolls, keys 1 to 5 select dice, S pins the score card. On a phone you can turn on shake-to-roll in the settings, and on Android devices vibration feedback as well. Graphics quality, dice style (classic, casino or onyx) and sound are adjustable too.
Yacht rules
The rules fit on a beer mat — the finer points live in the boxes of the score card.
Goal and flow of the game
A game lasts 13 rounds, one for each box on the score card. Players take turns, one turn per round each. You play with 5 ordinary six-sided dice, and the highest total after the last round wins.
A turn
Roll all 5 dice. Then keep as many as you like and roll the rest again — up to 3 rolls in total. Dice you kept earlier may join the next roll again. You do not have to use every roll: if you are happy, score right away.
Scoring and scratching
At the end of your turn you fill exactly one open box. If your dice do not meet its condition, you score 0 there — the box is scratched. A filled box can never be changed, not even with a better roll later on.
Upper section and bonus
In the boxes Ones to Sixes only dice showing that number count: three fours in the “Fours” box score 12, the rest of the roll is ignored. If your upper section adds up to at least 63 points, you earn a 35-point bonus on top.
63 points is exactly three dice of every number (3 × 1 + 3 × 2 + … + 3 × 6). Score four of a high number and you can afford a gap among the low ones.
Lower section
The lower section rewards combinations. Some are worth fixed points, others the sum of all five dice:
- Three of a Kind: at least three dice the same — sum of all dice.
- Four of a Kind: at least four dice the same — sum of all dice.
- Full House: three of one number plus two of another — 25 points.
- Small Straight: four consecutive numbers, e.g. 2-3-4-5 — 30 points.
- Large Straight: five consecutive numbers (1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6) — 40 points.
- Yacht: five of a kind, the top combination — 50 points.
- Chance: any roll — sum of all dice.
End of the game
After 13 rounds every box is filled. Your total is the upper section including the bonus plus the lower section — and, in the Bonus & Joker variant, 100 points for every bonus Yacht. The highest total wins; tied players share the place.
Score table
All 13 boxes at a glance — with condition, example roll and points.
| Box | Condition & example | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Upper section | ||
| Ones | Count all ones= 3 | 0–5 |
| Twos | Count all twos= 4 | 0–10 |
| Threes | Count all threes= 12 | 0–15 |
| Fours | Count all fours= 12 | 0–20 |
| Fives | Count all fives= 10 | 0–25 |
| Sixes | Count all sixes= 24 | 0–30 |
| Bonus | Upper section worth at least 63 points | 35 |
| Lower section | ||
| Three of a Kind | At least three the same, sum of all dice= 19 | 5–30 |
| Four of a Kind | At least four the same, sum of all dice= 27 | 5–30 |
| Full House | Three of one number and two of another | 25 |
| Small Straight | Four consecutive numbers | 30 |
| Large Straight | Five consecutive numbers | 40 |
| Yacht | Five of a kind | 50 |
| Chance | Any roll, sum of all dice= 21 | 5–30 |
| Yacht bonus | Bonus & Joker only: every further Yacht while the Yacht box holds 50 points | +100 |
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Classic vs. Bonus & Joker
You choose the rule variant before each game — in the start menu, where Bonus & Joker is preselected, or as host in the lobby. The two only differ when you roll a Yacht while the Yacht box is already filled — with 50 points or scratched.
Variant “Classic”
A Yacht scores 50 points in the Yacht box. If you roll another one later, there is no extra bonus: you score it like any other roll in an open box of your choice — as Three or Four of a Kind, Chance or in the matching upper box.
It does not count as a Full House or a straight, because five equal dice do not meet those conditions. There is no joker rule, so you are never forced into a particular box.
Variant “Bonus & Joker”
Here every further Yacht pays off twice: if the Yacht box already holds 50, each additional one earns a 100-point bonus on top of what you score with it. If you scratched that box, there is no bonus — but the joker rule still applies.
Under the joker rule a further Yacht must be scored in a fixed order:
- If the matching upper box is still open — “Fours” for five fours — you must score it there.
- If that box is taken, pick any open box in the lower section. Full House, Small and Large Straight then count as jokers worth the full 25, 30 and 40 points; Three of a Kind, Four of a Kind and Chance score the sum of the dice.
- If the lower section is full as well, you scratch an open upper box for 0 points.
| Rule | Classic | Bonus & Joker |
|---|---|---|
| First Yacht in the Yacht box | 50 points | 50 points |
| Every further Yacht | no bonus | +100 points if the box holds 50 |
| Joker rule | no, free choice of box | yes, fixed order |
| Further Yacht as Full House or straight | no, scores 0 there | yes, as a joker once the matching upper box is filled |
| Highest possible total | 375 points | 1,575 points |
Tips & strategy
Luck decides a single roll, strategy decides the game. These principles will lift your average score noticeably.
Plan for the bonus
The 35 bonus points in the upper section are the foundation of a good score. Rule of thumb: three dice of every number make exactly 63. Keep track of whether you are above or below that par — four sixes are 6 points over and make up for being two threes short.
That is why it pays to go for four or five of a high number in the early rounds and score them up top. Ones and twos, on the other hand, are little more than padding: even five ones are worth just 5 points.
When to chase a Yacht
A Yacht in a single throw is rare: the odds are 1 in 1,296. Over three rolls, always keeping the most frequent number, they rise to about 4.6 percent per turn. With four of a kind after the first roll and two rolls left you have roughly a 31 percent chance; with three of a kind about 9 percent.
So three of a kind is a good reason to give it a go — especially since the roll stays useful if the Yacht does not come: as Three or Four of a Kind or in the upper section.
Play straights the smart way
Straights need different numbers, not equal ones. A run from the middle like 3-4-5 is worth more than 1-2-3 because it can grow in both directions. With an open run of four such as 2-3-4-5 and two rolls left, you complete the Large Straight a little over 55 percent of the time; with a one-sided run like 1-2-3-4 only about 31 percent.
Once you hold a Small Straight, keep it and roll the fifth die for the Large one. If it misses, the Small Straight is still safe — the re-rolled die cannot break it.
Full House: take it when it comes
A Full House is always worth 25 points, whatever the numbers. Waiting rarely pays: if one lies on the table and the box is open, scoring it is almost always right.
Two pairs are a good starting point: with two rolls left they turn into a Full House a little over half the time — and if you are going for three of a kind you often land there along the way.
Use Chance and scratches wisely
Chance is your safety net for a failed roll with a high sum. Do not waste it early on 15 points; save it for rolls of about 22 or more.
When you have to scratch, pick the box that costs you least. Early on that is usually Ones, which can never be worth more than 5 points. Late in the game the Yacht box is often the cheapest sacrifice: with only a few rounds left, five of a kind is unlikely anyway.
Read the scoreboard
Against other players the goal is winning, not the highest possible score. Ahead near the end? Play the safe boxes. Behind? Take risks and go for the Yacht or the Large Straight.
For perspective: even with perfect strategy the average is about 245 to 255 points, depending on the rule variant — anything over 200 is a solid game, anything over 250 a really good one. The bots make great sparring partners: on “easy” they follow rules of thumb and slip up now and then, on “normal” they plan one roll ahead, and on “hard” they calculate every turn exactly.
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Yacht FAQ
Can I play Yacht here for free?
Yes. Yacht on The Usuals is completely free — no sign-up, no download and no in-app purchases. All you need is an up-to-date browser.
How do I play Yacht online with friends?
Click “Play with friends”, pick a name and create a lobby. Share the invite link or the six-character lobby code, or show the QR code. Whoever joins sits down at your table — up to 6 players per game; anyone beyond that, or who arrives during a running game, watches. The host can fill empty seats with bots, and everyone can chat along.
Can I play on my own?
Of course. Play solo to chase a high score or challenge up to 5 bots on easy, normal or hard.
Does Yacht work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The game is made for touch screens: drag the cup with your finger to shake it, tap dice, pick a box. If you like, roll by shaking your phone; on Android devices you can also feel the dice through vibration. On older devices, a lower graphics quality in the settings helps, down to 2D with no 3D graphics at all; where 3D does not run, the game starts in 2D by itself.
How many people can play?
1 to 6 players per game, any mix of people and bots. On one device you take turns; online everyone plays on their own device.
What is the difference between Classic and Bonus & Joker?
The core rules are the same; the two only differ in how further Yachts count once the Yacht box is filled. In Bonus & Joker every further Yacht earns 100 bonus points while the Yacht box holds 50. On top of that, the joker rule applies — even if you scratched the Yacht box: the Yacht must go into the matching upper box if that is open, otherwise into any open lower box, where Full House and both straights then score in full; only if none is left do you scratch an upper box. Classic has neither: further Yachts score like any other roll. See the rules comparison for details.
What if my roll does not fit any box?
Then you have to scratch a box, i.e. fill it with 0 points. The cheapest choice is usually a box with little potential, such as Ones.
What is the highest possible score?
In Classic it is 375 points: five of a kind in every upper box plus the bonus, and the maximum in every lower box. In Bonus & Joker up to 12 bonus Yachts worth 100 points each can be added in theory — 1,575 points in total.
How likely is a Yacht?
In a single throw of all five dice the odds are 1 in 1,296. Using all three rolls and always keeping the most frequent number, you get a Yacht in about 4.6 percent of turns.
Is my game saved?
Yes, games on a single device are saved in your browser automatically. Close the page and continue later with “Continue”. No data is sent to us for this.