How to Play Farkle AKA 10,000
The Goal
Be the first player to score 10,000 points. Once a player reaches the target, other players get one final turn to try and beat their score.
This game play is based on how my son taught me, there are plenty of variants out in the wild!
Your Turn: The Basics
Your turn consists of one or more rolls. The core of the game is deciding when to risk it all for more points and when to play it safe.
Roll the Dice: Click "Roll Dice" to begin your turn. All available dice are rolled.
Select Scoring Dice: After your roll, you must select at least one scoring die or combination (see Scoring below). If you can't, your turn is a "Farkle," and you score zero.
Bank or Roll Again: Once you have selected scoring dice, you have a choice:
Bank Points: Click "Bank Points" to add the points from your current turn to your total score. Your turn is now over.
Roll Again: Set aside your selected dice and roll the remaining dice. The points from your set-aside dice are safe for this turn, but if you Farkle on a subsequent roll, you lose everything you've accumulated in the turn.
Scoring
Points are awarded for single dice and specific combinations. You can select multiple scoring sets from a single roll (e.g., a 1 and three 2s).
Roll | Points |
|---|---|
Single 1 | 100 |
Single 5 | 50 |
Three 1s | 1000 |
Three 2s | 200 |
Three 3s | 300 |
Three 4s | 400 |
Three 5s | 500 |
Three 6s | 600 |
4 of a kind | 2x the 3-of-a-kind score |
5 of a kind | 4x the 3-of-a-kind score |
6 of a kind | 8x the 3-of-a-kind score |
Straight (1-6) | 1500 |
Three Pairs | 1500 |
Important Rules
Farkle: A roll with no scoring dice is a "Farkle". Your turn ends immediately, and you lose all points you accumulated during that specific turn. Your previously banked total score is safe.
Hot Dice (The Drop-a-Die Rule): If you manage to score with all dice currently in play, you get "Hot Dice"! This is a high-risk, high-reward situation.
You must drop one die from the game for the rest of your turn.
You then continue your turn by rolling the remaining dice (e.g., if you had 6 dice and got Hot Dice, you now roll 5).
This continues until you either bank your points or Farkle.
The Final Die: If your "Hot Dice" progression leaves you with only one die to roll, the outcome is immediate:
Rolling a 1 or 5: You score the points for that die, and your entire turn's score is automatically banked. Your turn ends.
Rolling a 2, 3, 4, or 6: This is a Farkle. You lose all points from the turn.
Playing Tips & Strategy
Know When to Quit: The most important skill in Farkle is knowing when to stop pressing your luck. Banking a small, guaranteed score is often better than risking it all for a big one. If you only have one or two non-scoring dice left, the odds of Farkling are high.
Chase the Ones: Single 1s are your most reliable source of points. Prioritize keeping them over riskier plays.
Be Patient: Don't feel pressured to score thousands of points every turn. Consistent, smaller gains will win the game.
The "Safe" Roll: If you have 3 or more dice left to roll, your odds of getting at least one scoring die are reasonably good. If you have only 1 or 2 dice left, rolling again is very risky.
Play the Scoreboard: If you are far behind, you may need to take more risks. If you are in the lead, play conservatively and protect your score by banking more often.
