One of our favorite games is the 10,000 dice game. It’s a fun and simple dice game that’s simple to play with a group of people but also makes a great two-player date night game.
Games like that tend to stick around.
In the last few months, we’ve been playing card games and board games like crazy around here. The dice game 10,000 has made a strong comeback. Big M even likes to play it by himself (although his score is extremely high for games without an opponent… hmmm).
Have you ever played 10,000? Some people call it Farkle.
All you need are six dice and the directions. Of course, if you want to add in a dice tray or dice cup, you can.
Click here to receive the printable directions.
Big M is 8, and Little M is 6. They both play without much help (we do give Little M a few strategy suggestions, but she makes her own decisions).
I love how much math is involved, even for the players who are not writing out the score.
How To Play 10,000 Dice Game
Six Dice
Pencil and paper for a score sheet
Dice tray (optional)
Dice cup (optional)
Object of 10,000
The player with the highest score greater than 10,000 points in the final round wins.
How to Play 10,000 Dice Game
Decide who goes first by having everyone roll one die. Whoever has the highest number goes first. Play then continues to the left.
The first player rolls all six dice.
The player can decide to keep as many scoring dice as he/she chooses but must keep at least one. (See scoring section). Set the scoring dice aside and reroll the remaining dice. Again the player may keep as many scoring dice as he/she chooses but must keep at least one. Place the scoring dice off the side and roll the remaining dice.
Play continues until:
- The player decides to stop and keep that score OR
- The roll doesn’t have any scoring die and loses their score OR
- The Player has kept all six dice. In this case, the player MUST roll again using all six dice. This new dice roll adds to the previous score.
Note: You must earn 1,000 to start scoring (meaning you can’t stop with 600). Once you reach a score of 1,000 or more, you are “on the board.” Any turn after you are on the board, you may keep any score you want (even if it is 50 or 100).
The Final Round
When a player reaches 10,000 (or passes 10,000), every other player gets one more roll. The player with the high score wins.
10,000 Dice Game Scoring Combinations
1- worth 100 points
5- worth 50 points
Three of a kind of 1 – worth 1000 points
Three of a kind of 2 – worth 200 points
Three of a kind of 3 – worth 300 points
Three of a kind of 4 – worth 400 points
Three of a kind of 5 – worth 500 points
Three of a kind of 6 – worth 600 points
For each number over three of a kind, you double the amount (example 3 2s =200, 4 2s =400, 5 2s =800, 6 2s=1,600).
Pairs and Straights. When a player rolls 1,2,3,4,5,6, when all dice are rolled, this is a Straight. When a player gets three sets of pairs when rolling six dice, this is Pairs. Pairs and Straights are worth 5oo points the first time they are rolled by any player in the game. They are worth 1,000 points the second time they are rolled by any player in the game. They are worth 1,500 points the third time. This resets back to 500 for the fourth time.
Note: Three of a kind must all be rolled together. Rolling one and then rolling another one and another one is 300. Rolling 3 1s at a time is worth 1,000.
What are the rules to the dice game 10,000?
You can print the 10,000 dice game rules here.
How many dice does it take to play 10,000?
It takes 6 Dice
Can you play 10,000 with 5 dice?
A variation from the comments: “One thing we do differently is we play with only five dice… One of which is always a different color and that one is the most important… “the double dice” so if the red (we always use four white and one red) is a one and one white die is a one it’s 1,000. It’s the way I was taught so I’ve never actually played with six dice or with straights.”
If you’re stuck because you only have five dice, you could add a mark or sticker to create a “red” die.
If you have a variant to share, add it to the comments.
How many points is a straight in the dice game 10,000?
When a player rolls 1,2,3,4,5,6, when rolling all six dice, this is a Straight. Straights are worth 5oo points. Straights are worth 5oo points the first time they are rolled by any player in the game. They are worth 1,000 points the second time they are rolled by any player in the game. They are worth 1,500 points the third time. This resets back to 500 for the fourth time.
Do you have to get exactly 10,000 in Farkle?
10,000 and Farkle are very similar games. Whether you have to reach exactly 10,000 or not is a “house rule.” It’s only important that everyone playing understands how the game will end.
When using the “must score exactly 10,000 points to win the game” rule: If a player’s score adds up to more than 10,000 points, then all points scored that turn are lost, and the play moves to the next player.
When using the “must score 10,000 or higher” rule: when a player reaches a minimum of 10,000 (or passes 10,000), every other player gets one more turn. They roll the dice until their turn ends with a high score, or they get nothing. The player with the highest score wins.
If I roll three 5’s, do I score them as both three of a kind (500 points) AND three fives (150)? Or just three of a kind?
You have to choose how you want to use the roll, only one score counts. In this example turn, I would choose the 500 points!
So, let’s say I roll 3 4’s on 1st roll. Does rolling another 4 on second roll result in any score? Or does it have to be strictly a 1 or a 5?
You don’t add to 3 of a kind with additional rolls. In this case, the 4 on the second roll would not count as four of a kind.
How much to get on the board?
The amount it takes to get on the board can vary. We play that 1,000 gets you on the board. You can play 750 to get on board. If you’re playing with younger kids that might get frustrated with a long wait time, you could start with everyone on the board.
New Game Playing Idea
We did something fun this summer. Because my family is spread out around the US, we try to use games to connect virtually.
We had great success with playing 10,000 over text.
The number of players varied with almost every game, but we got even the quietest in our group involved. I think they liked not having to talk while playing.
Everyone needs access to dice. My husband kept his with him in his work truck, my son had his in his room. For our family, we needed three sets of six dice. My parents shared theirs. My sister found a way to roll dice on her phone.
I kept score. I sent a screenshot of the total score a few times per game. This allowed everyone to know what the scores were… and check my totals were correct.
I think I’ve explained it well enough, but feel free to ask in the comments if you need me to clarify.
TIP: You also buy Tensi Dice; everyone would then have different colors.
10,000 Dice Game Tray
One of the reasons we love 10,000 so much is that it’s portable. We have played on airplanes, while camping, at baseball games, while waiting at restaurants, and in many delivery rooms.
What makes it so easy to play anywhere is having a dice tray (we have one that was leftover from a terrible game that ended up in the trash).
There is something special about our dice tray because it has an area to put the dice that have been set aside. Since I don’t recommend you buy that yucky game just to get a dice tray, I went in search of a different option for you.
Make your own dice tray.
It was really easy (and free) to make this dice tray. I used an old shoebox lid and a piece of thin cardboard (a cereal box would be perfect for this). Cutting a strip long enough to stretch across the box and fold along the sides worked pretty well, but making sure I had another strip to glue to the bottom of the box made it really sturdy. I used a hot glue gun to glue the strip in place. EASY!
Buy a dice tray
Dice Tray with Lid
Folding Dice Tray affiliate link)
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Thank you so much for introducing us to this game. We played it today and had so much fun!!! This is a great game for getting children adding! Thanks again!
YES! We got Farkle for Christmas last year, and everyone loves it! Who knew 6 dice could be so fun? Ok, and who knew 6 dice could photograph so beautifully? Gorgeous shot!
Ha ha. Dice and Lego are easy… they don’t move! Thank you. 😉
I have never heard of this game! Thank you for the great tutorial – I think it will be a hit at my house!
Yay! We love new games. Did your family like it?
It is so funny. I just started playing Farkle for math with my boys (5 and 3) this past weekend, and then read your post this morning. The rules we use are the ones found on the box, but I may need to try your rules for the extra math they could learn. Thank you for the idea for the dice tray!
10,000 dice game — awesome game for the entire family!
Good write up. I just discovered this game via a friend and I am instantly hooked. It is a great game for the mind. After learning the game I came home to see if there was an app and there is one fittingly called farkle addict. have you ever played it? You should review it for your site. You would probably get more hits
I’d be curious to hear what you think
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/farkle-addict-10-000-dice/id436919932?mt=8
And also, you need a strategy guide here. That is what I cam for to see if you played the same way I do. This game could become a popular fad. It is great for teaching math and probabilities. I’ll bet your kids have better math skills because of this. 🙂
Have a great night
If I roll three 5’s, do I score them as both three of a kind (500 points) AND three fives (150)? Or just three of a kind?
You have to pick one, but you choose. Obviously in that case you would want 500. 🙂
Three 5’s are 500 points
When u roll 3-1’s & it comes to 1000 & roll 2more which comes to a total of3000.
What is the score if you roll the last die and its a1?
Is it counted as 1000 or 100?
4 ones would be 2000, and a 5th one would double that to 4000….each extra duplicate doubles the score.
One thing we do differently is we play with only 5 dice… One of which is always a different color and that one is the most important… “the double dice” so if the red (we always use 4 white and one red) is a one and one white die is a one it’s 1,000. It’s the way I was taught so I’ve never actually played with 6 dice or with straights.
What a fun variation! We may have to give it a different name and try it out. Thanks for sharing!
Love the game 10,000
Been playing it for 25 years.
We play with five dice but six would work too.
Recently been teaching my hunting buddies the game and we came up with the rule that if your total you keep or automatically loose is less than the previous players you have to take a shot of fireball.
Also a rule I heard was if the previous player stops to write total on board you can start off where they stopped and roll the remaining dice they have left.
I was introduced to a game similar to this about 15 years ago by my neighbor who called it “Whammy”she only played with 5 dice though. My husband and his grandmother had played a game they called “the dice game” which had similar rules from what he could remember. The Whammy rules were that 3x 1s were still only 300, and the next person could add on to your score with the remaining dice. For instance if you rolled 3 x6s and a 5 so you stopped with 650pts. The next person could take the remaining dice and try to add on, so if they rolled a 1 or 5 they would have 750 or 700 plus they could roll all the dice again and continue on. We’ve had games where several people built on the person before. This also is a game changer the last round when the agreed upon total has been met and passed. We’ve had a person come from behind to win the whole game by pushing there luck. These games also leave room to discuss ratio or fractions,
Oh! also, you said “whammy” when a person missed rolling points. We also hadn’t done the doubling score
I love this! Thank you for including the rules. 🙂
If the person picked up the remaining dice from the previous player and got a score, they get the score of the previous player plus what they rolled with those remaining dice right? Does the previous player lose the points for that round that they just scored?
What would the score be for 3 4’s and 3 1’s in 1 roll?
So, let’s say I roll 3 4’s on 1st roll. Does rolling another 4 on second roll result in any score? Or does it have to be strictly a 1 or a 5?
Great question! Each roll is tracked on it’s own. So if on the first roll you get 3 4’s a 4 on your next roll would not count. 1 and 5’s are the only rolls that count as singles.
Some older people might know 10,000 as “Oh Hell”.
When you got too greedy and lost, you said “Oh Hell”
Ha ha… that’s funny! I could totally see that.
I was taught to play this game differently.750 to get on board. As for the multiples of the same number the 3 of a kind is the same but nothing for the rest of that same number example 4 of a kind. You have to reach 10,000 exactly to win.
Fun to see different variations… 🙂
if you dont score befor end of game does your bet double? This is for street 10 000.
I used to play this game.This game is completely Whizzo! if you are surrounded by a monotonous environment then this game is highly recommended.
when rolling a straight can you roll 12345 and work from that>?
The straight has to be rolled with all six die. So it can only be rolled on your first roll or if you have used all six and are rerolling all six. 🙂
How would u score a 3/6’s and 3/1’s on the first roll?
3/1’s = 1000 when rolled together. 3/6’s = 600 when rolled together.
Thanks a lot
If we have 2 five and a one and roll 3of same it that count
I am looking for continuing a player’s roll with a non scoring pair. But did want to offer the way I learned to score.
A strait is worth 1500
3 pair = 750
The real difference is with multiplying the dice for 4 of a kind, and 5 of a kind.
Also some clarification MAY be useful.
There is NO continuation; if you roll 3 6’s on your first roll. And roll a 6 on your 2nd roll, it should NOT be included as part of the first 3of a kind. In other words. It is worth nothing.
Also each die over 3 of a kind is ONLY worth 100 times face value. The four die of the roll, in fact, does double the the score
3 2s is 200, 4 2’s is 400, 5 2’s is 600, NOT 800.
3 3’s is 300, 4 3’s is 600, 5 3’s is 900… NOT 1200
What happens if a die rolls off the board on your first roll? Can you re-roll that die and count it as a part of that first roll?? Me and my family got into a huge argument about this because I rolled two “1s”, three “5s”, and the sixth die fell off the board. I re-rolled the die that fell off the board and it was a “1”. They did not want it to count with the rest of the dice that I rolled, and thus they prevented me from getting three “1s”. I told them they were wrong, but they insisted that it shouldn’t count as part of my first roll since it fell off the board. This seems totally wrong to me.
Ahhh man!!! That’s a tough one. When something like that happens we decide on a family rule to use from then on.
When a player is trying to get “on the board” with 1,000 points does this have to done on one turn?
Yes.
We (my friends & I including my husband) played this game as adults in 1981 and it really kept our get togethers going for years. I recently found our dice and wanted to start again but couldn’t remember the rules. Thanks for the rules!
Can you only score points for three of a kind on the first roll? For example if you had 150 points from the first roll and on the second roll threw three 7s, do those three 7s score 700?
Can you double your score in subsequent rolls? Say you had three 1s for 1000pts and your second roll had another 1. Would you have 2000pts or 1100?
Second roll would be considered 1100
Wow, interesting game!
I’m sure my daughters will love it.
I was not familiar with this game. Good to know about such interesting game. The rules are a bit tricky to me. You need to be mentally alert to play this. It’s kind of a mental math. Thank you for sharing.
I have never heard of this game! Thank you for the great tutorial.
This is really a good game.
We play with a variation. If player rolls three one’s for a thousand and keeps that score, the three remaining wre passed to the next player. They can choose to play all six dice OR continue to play with the three remaining dice. You score the previous players 1000 plus any new points you roll. Same applies to two, or one remains dice.