Guide
How to Play Farkle
Farkle is a game of nerve and arithmetic. Roll six dice, set aside the ones that score, and decide whether to bank your points or risk them for more — first to 10,000 wins.
Play FarkleThe objective
Be the first to bank 10,000 points
Farkle is played with six dice. You and the computer take turns rolling, setting aside scoring dice, and deciding when to stop. Points only count once you bank them — if you roll no scoring dice you Farkle and lose everything you had built up that turn.
There is no board to learn and no deck to track. The whole game is one question, asked again and again: is the next roll worth the risk?
The game is free, runs in the browser, and needs no account. Open the table when you want to play; use this guide for the scoring chart, the rules, and the habits that win more games.
A turn
Roll, keep, then bank or roll again
Your turn begins with all six dice. After each roll you must set aside at least one scoring die, and only dice that contribute to a score can be set aside. You then either bank the turn's points or roll the dice you did not set aside.
Every roll of fewer dice is riskier than the last. Roll no scoring dice at all and the turn ends with zero. Set aside all six and you get hot dice — all six come back for another roll.
Controls
Tap, click, or use the keyboard
Every method does the same thing. Pick whichever fits the device in your hand.
Everywhere
Tap or click dice
Tap a die to select it, tap again to put it back. The turn-points counter updates live and shows the value of your selection, so you always know what a roll-again or a bank is worth. Invalid selections simply keep the buttons disabled.
Phone and desktop
On-screen buttons
Roll dice starts a turn, Roll again locks your selection and throws the rest, and Bank cashes in the turn. New game restarts instantly, the chart icon shows your stats, and the speaker icon mutes sound.
Desktop
Keyboard
Space or R rolls, the number keys 1–6 select the dice from left to right, B banks, N starts a new game, and M mutes the sound. Every button also has a visible focus ring for keyboard navigation.
The loop
Four steps that repeat all game
- 1
Roll six dice
Start your turn by rolling all six dice. Look for anything that scores: any 1 or 5, three or more of the same number, a 1-2-3-4-5-6 straight, three pairs, or two triplets. If nothing scores, that is a Farkle and your turn is over.
- 2
Set aside scoring dice
Select at least one scoring die (or a full combination) and lock it in. Only dice that actually contribute to the score may be selected — you cannot keep a stray 3 alongside a 1. Locked dice are out of play for the rest of the turn.
- 3
Bank or roll on
Bank to add your turn points to your total and pass the dice, or roll the remaining dice to add more. Every extra roll with fewer dice raises the chance of a Farkle, which wipes out every point you have not banked this turn.
- 4
Race to 10,000
Score all six dice and you get hot dice: pick all six up and keep rolling with your points intact. The first player to bank 10,000 or more triggers the final round — the other player gets one last turn to beat that score.
Scoring chart
What every combination is worth
Every die you set aside must belong to one of these. Dice that are not part of a combination score nothing and cannot be kept.
| Combination | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A single 1 | 100 | Each 1 not part of a bigger set scores on its own. |
| A single 5 | 50 | Each 5 not part of a bigger set scores on its own. |
| Three 1s | 1,000 | The most valuable three of a kind. |
| Three 2s | 200 | Three of a kind is worth 100 × the number. |
| Three 3s | 300 | |
| Three 4s | 400 | |
| Three 5s | 500 | |
| Three 6s | 600 | |
| Four, five, or six of a kind | × 2 per extra die | Four 2s = 400, five 2s = 800; four 1s = 2,000, six 1s = 8,000. |
| Straight 1-2-3-4-5-6 | 1,500 | Uses all six dice — triggers hot dice. |
| Three pairs | 1,500 | Three different pairs, all six dice. |
| Two triplets | 2,500 | Two different three-of-a-kinds, all six dice. |
Rules
Every rule that decides a turn
The objective
Be the first to bank 10,000 points. Points only count once you bank them — anything you are holding when you Farkle is lost.
Scoring dice only
Every die you set aside must contribute to a combination. Selecting a die that scores nothing keeps the roll and bank buttons disabled. Dice from earlier rolls never combine with new dice, so three 4s must be rolled together.
Getting on the board
Until you have banked once, your first bank must be at least 500 points from a single turn. This stops players from banking a lone 50 and forces a little risk before the score counts. After that, you can bank any amount.
Hot dice
If all six dice are set aside as scoring dice — in one big combination or across several rolls — you get hot dice: all six dice come back and you roll again with your turn points intact. You can also bank instead of rolling, but hot dice are the safest roll in the game.
The final round
When a player banks to 10,000 or more, the other player gets exactly one more turn. If they finish with a higher total they win, otherwise the player who reached 10,000 does. An exact tie is a draw.
Common mistakes
Why good turns get lost
Locking every scoring die
Keeping two 5s on a roll with a 1 leaves you three dice instead of four. Sometimes the small extra 50 points is not worth the jump in Farkle risk. Ask what each die you set aside costs you next roll.
Banking too early with many dice
Cashing in 350 with five dice left throws away a roll that busts about one time in twelve. Rolling on is usually the higher-value play until your dice count drops.
Chasing losses with one die
Rolling a single die to squeeze out 100 more points fails two times in three. The turn total you would lose is almost always bigger than what you would win.
Ignoring the score you need
Banking rules are averages. When the opponent has already passed 10,000, a safe 400-point bank loses the game — you must gamble for a total that beats them.
Strategy habits
Tips to win more games
A summary — the full tips page has the odds table and the reasoning.
- Bank when you have 300 or more points and only two or three dice left — the odds of a Farkle jump to about 28–44%.
- With four or more dice, roll on. The chance of a Farkle is 16% with four dice and just 2% with six.
- When a roll has a single 1 or 5 and nothing else, take just one die and keep the rest rolling rather than locking every scorer.
- Never pass on hot dice. Six fresh dice with a points cushion is the most profitable spot in the game.
- Until you are on the board, keep rolling: a bank below 500 is not allowed, so take risks earlier in the game.
- In the final round, ignore your usual banking rule. If you are behind, keep rolling until your total beats the leader.
- Three or more of a kind is worth more than the singles inside it — always check for triples before you lock 1s and 5s.
Where you can play
Same game on phone and desktop
playfarkle.app runs in any modern browser with no app to install. Progress stays on the device you played on.
Desktop browsers
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari all run the game with no plugin. Click the dice, or use the keyboard: Space to roll, 1–6 to select, B to bank.
Phones and tablets
The layout is touch-first. Six large dice and the Roll and Bank buttons all sit on one portrait screen with no scrolling, and restarting is instant.
Progress on this device
Games played and won, best score, biggest turn, win streaks, and your farkle and hot-dice counts live in local browser storage. They stay until you reset them or clear site data, and they do not sync between devices.
Still stuck on a rule? Read the Farkle FAQ or jump in and play.
Play Farkle free