10000 Dice Game Rules

The ten thousand dice game on one printed sheet: press Print this list for the six-dice rules.

10000 Dice Game Rules

  1. 1: Begin by throwing the full set of six.Two or more players, six dice, paper and a pencil.
  2. 2: After every roll, set aside at least one scoring die.A 1 or a 5 scores alone. Other faces score only in sets, as on the Scoring chart sheet.
  3. 3: Now choose: bank what the turn has made, or throw the remaining dice.Say the turn total aloud after each roll.
  4. 4: A roll with no scoring die ends the turn, and the turn's points are lost.Points banked on earlier turns are safe.
  5. 5: Set aside all six dice and you may roll all six again.The turn total carries on, and this can happen more than once in a turn.
  6. 6: Sets must be thrown together to score as sets.Two 5s set aside and a third 5 rolled later are three single 5s, worth 150, not a set worth 500.
  7. 7: Banked points go on the score sheet, and the dice pass to the left.Keep a running total in each player's column.
  8. 8: When a player reaches 10,000, every other player gets one last turn.The game does not stop at the moment 10,000 is passed.
  9. 9: Whoever is ahead when the last turns are done takes the game.So the first player past 10,000 can still be beaten.
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How it works

The dice game 10,000 is a folk game: roll six dice, set aside what scores, and bank before a scoreless roll takes the turn. Boxed versions are sold under names such as Farkle; this page has no tie to them.

Read the full guide

10000 dice game rules, 6 dice

The page opens on The six-dice game: nine steps from the first roll to the last turn. Scoring chart in the menu under Print this list is a sheet of its own to keep beside the dice. Lines marked Varies are where tables differ.

House rules to settle first

Opening scores and penalties lists what a table has to agree on before the first roll: a score of 500 to get on the board, three scoreless turns, picking up the last player's dice. The five-dice version drops three pairs and the run.

Tips
  • The page does not roll or keep score. Bring six dice, paper and a pencil.
  • Print the scoring chart as well as the rules: most arguments are about three pairs and the run.

Questions and answers

How do you play the dice game called 10,000?

Roll six dice and set aside at least one scoring die: a 1, a 5 or a set. Then bank the points or roll the rest. A scoreless roll loses the turn. Once someone passes 10,000 the others get one last turn; highest score wins.

Is the zilch dice game the same as 10,000?

Usually, yes. Zilch, Zonk, Greed and Ten Thousand are names used for this folk game and its close relatives, and Hot Dice is sometimes the name of the five-dice version. Scoring charts differ from table to table, so settle on one before the first roll.

What 6 dice game can we play tonight?

The race to 10,000 on this page: every turn opens with all six dice. Sequences, Sevens and Midnight are other traditional games for six dice, and they are on our dice games list.

What is a run worth in 10,000?

The chart here prints 2,500 for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in one roll. Tables also play 1,000, 1,500 or 3,000, so agree on the number before the first roll and write it on the score sheet.

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The six-dice game 9

  • 1: Begin by throwing the full set of six. Two or more players, six dice, paper and a pencil.
  • 2: After every roll, set aside at least one scoring die. A 1 or a 5 scores alone. Other faces score only in sets, as on the Scoring chart sheet.
  • 3: Now choose: bank what the turn has made, or throw the remaining dice. Say the turn total aloud after each roll.
  • 4: A roll with no scoring die ends the turn, and the turn's points are lost. Points banked on earlier turns are safe.
  • 5: Set aside all six dice and you may roll all six again. The turn total carries on, and this can happen more than once in a turn.
  • 6: Sets must be thrown together to score as sets. Two 5s set aside and a third 5 rolled later are three single 5s, worth 150, not a set worth 500.
  • 7: Banked points go on the score sheet, and the dice pass to the left. Keep a running total in each player's column.
  • 8: When a player reaches 10,000, every other player gets one last turn. The game does not stop at the moment 10,000 is passed.
  • 9: Whoever is ahead when the last turns are done takes the game. So the first player past 10,000 can still be beaten.
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Scoring chart 9

  • A run of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in one roll: 2,500 points. Varies: 1,000, 1,500 or 3,000. Agree on the chart before the first roll.
  • Each 1: 100 points. Alone or with others. Two 1s are 200.
  • Each 5: 50 points. Two 5s are 100.
  • Five of a kind in one roll: 2,000 points. Varies: 4,000 at some tables.
  • Four of a kind in one roll: 1,000 points. Varies: 2,000 at some tables, or double the score for three.
  • Six of a kind in one roll: 3,000 points. Varies: 6,000, 10,000 or an outright win.
  • Three 1s in one roll: 1,000 points. Varies: one set of rules counts them as 300.
  • Three 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s or 6s in one roll: 100 times the face. That is 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600.
  • Three pairs in one roll: 1,500 points. Varies: 750 or 2,000 at some tables.

The five-dice version 7

  • 1: Take one die away and use five. The turn runs the same way: roll, set aside, then bank or roll on.
  • 2: A 1 scores 100 and a 5 scores 50, and three of a kind scores as on the chart. Sets still have to land in one roll.
  • 3: Three pairs and the run of six cannot be made, so those lines are not used. Both need six dice.
  • 4: Score with every die and the whole handful goes around again. The turn total carries on.
  • 5: A roll with no scoring die loses the turn's points. Banked points are safe, as in the six-dice game.
  • 6: Many five-dice tables: five of a kind on the first roll of a turn wins the game. It wins at once, whatever the scores are.
  • 7: Play to 10,000, or to 5,000 for a shorter game. Everyone else still gets one last turn.

Opening scores and penalties (choose before you play) 8

  • A minimum every turn: 300 or 350 before you may bank. A stricter rule that some tables use on every turn, not just the first.
  • All six set aside: you must roll again. At these tables you may not bank straight after setting aside the sixth die.
  • Exactly 10,000: a turn that goes past it does not count. At some tables the points of that turn go to the player with the lowest score.
  • Four or more 2s in one roll: your whole score is lost. A harsh rule. Leave it out with younger players.
  • Opening score: bank nothing until one turn makes 500. Varies: 1,000 at some tables. After that first banked turn you may stop when you like.
  • Picking up the dice: the next player may roll the dice you left. If that roll scores, they add your turn's points to their own. If not, they score nothing.
  • Six of a kind in one roll wins the game outright. Played at some tables in place of a score for six of a kind.
  • Three scoreless turns in a row: lose 500 points. Varies: 1,000 at some tables.

For two players, or a big table (our suggestions) 7

  • A table of five or more: shorten the game to 5,000 too. With a long wait between turns, a shorter game keeps the table together.
  • Agree on the last-turn rule before anyone is near the target. The standard rule gives every other player one more turn.
  • Eight or more: play in pairs. Partners sit opposite, take separate turns and share one column on the sheet.
  • Two players: keep the 500 needed to get on the board. It stops the game from starting with a string of tiny banked turns.
  • Two players: play to 5,000. A game to 10,000 between two can run long.
  • Use one scorekeeper and say every banked total aloud. It saves the argument about who is on what.
  • Write the chosen chart at the top of the score sheet. Three pairs, the run and four of a kind are the lines tables disagree about.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03, in our own words. The game to 10,000 is a folk game with no governing body, so tables differ. The turn, the scoring chart, the five-dice version, the opening scores and the penalties were checked on 2026-10-03 against English Wikipedia's article on the game, which covers it under its many names, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=1559036. A second reading was taken the same day from a reference page for traditional dice games, https://www.dice-play.com/Games/TenThousand.htm. Where the two differ the chart prints the Wikipedia base value and the line under it says what varies: the run is 2,500 there and 3,000 on the second page. The sheet for two players or a big table is the editors' own. This page is not affiliated with any boxed edition of the game. Licence: own work