Going to Boston Dice Game Rules

Three dice, three throws: keep the highest die from each throw, then add up the three you kept.

1: Agree on a number of rounds before anyone throws.Three dice, paper and a pencil are all the kit. Any number can play, and four or more is best.
2: Each player throws one die. The highest throw goes first.Turns then pass to the left.
3: On your turn, throw all three dice and set the highest one aside.From 2, 5, 3 the 5 is kept.
4: If two or three dice tie for highest, keep only one of them.From 6, 6, 2 one 6 is kept, and the other 6 is thrown again with the 2.
5: Throw the other two dice and set the higher one aside.A tie here works the same way: keep one.
6: Throw the last die, then add all three dice. That total is your score.A 5 and a 4 kept and a 2 on the last die make 11.
7: When everyone has had a turn, the highest score wins the round.Put one mark beside that player's name.
8: After the agreed rounds, the player who won the most rounds wins the game.Level on rounds? Those players play one more round.

How it works

Going to Boston is a fast game of pure luck. A turn is three throws, the highest total takes the round, and the player who takes the most rounds wins. All it needs is three dice, paper and a pencil.

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Instructions for the Going to Boston dice game

Throw three dice and set the highest aside. Throw the other two and set the higher aside. Throw the last die and add the three. What a turn can score has the numbers: the most common score is 13, and 15 or more comes up on about 28 turns in 100.

More dice games from Going to Boston

Variations changes one thing at a time. Multiplication adds the first two dice and multiplies by the third, for a top score of 72. A running total rewards every good turn, not only the best of each round. Three more are ours, among them a game with lives and Low Boston, where the lowest die is kept.

Agree on the number of rounds before the first throw, and write it at the top of the paper.

Questions and answers

Is the dice game Going to Boston all luck?

Yes. You must keep the highest die from each throw, so there is never a decision to make. That is what keeps it quick: a turn is three throws and one sum.

What is the highest score in Going to Boston?

It is 18, from a 6 kept on each of the three throws. The lowest is 3. Most turns land near the middle: 12, 13 and 14 together make up more than four turns in ten.

What happens if two dice tie for highest?

Only one of them is set aside. From 6, 6, 2 you keep a single 6 and throw the other 6 again with the 2. The same goes for the second throw.

How many players can play Going to Boston?

Any number, sharing three dice around the table. One rule page asks for three or more and another says four or more is best.

Is Going to Boston the same as Yankee Grab?

Yes. Yankee Grab and Newmarket are other names for the same game: three throws, the highest die kept each time, and the three dice added.

All 27 rows

Standard game (three dice) 8

1: Agree on a number of rounds before anyone throws. Three dice, paper and a pencil are all the kit. Any number can play, and four or more is best.
2: Each player throws one die. The highest throw goes first. Turns then pass to the left.
3: On your turn, throw all three dice and set the highest one aside. From 2, 5, 3 the 5 is kept.
4: If two or three dice tie for highest, keep only one of them. From 6, 6, 2 one 6 is kept, and the other 6 is thrown again with the 2.
5: Throw the other two dice and set the higher one aside. A tie here works the same way: keep one.
6: Throw the last die, then add all three dice. That total is your score. A 5 and a 4 kept and a 2 on the last die make 11.
7: When everyone has had a turn, the highest score wins the round. Put one mark beside that player's name.
8: After the agreed rounds, the player who won the most rounds wins the game. Level on rounds? Those players play one more round.

Show all 27 rows (19 more)

What a turn can score 7

1: The best turn is 18: a 6 kept from each throw. It takes 1,001 of the 46,656 ways a turn can go: about one turn in 47.
2: The worst turn is 3, and it needs six 1s in a row. Three 1s, then two 1s, then a last 1: a single way in 46,656.
3: The most common score is 13, and the average turn is just under 13. Scores of 12, 13 and 14 together cover more than four turns in ten.
4: A 6 shows among three dice on 91 throws in 216. So the first die kept is a 6 a little more than four times in ten.
5: A score of 15 or more comes up on about 28 turns in 100. A score under 10 is rarer: about 9 turns in 100.
6: Worked turn: 4, 4, 1, then 3, 2, then 6. Keep one 4, then the 3, then the 6: a score of 13.
7: Worked turn: 6, 2, 1, then 5, 5, then 1. Keep the 6, then one 5, then the 1: a score of 12.

Variations 6

1: The same game is also called Yankee Grab and Newmarket. The rules do not change with the name.
2: Multiplication: add the first two dice kept, then multiply by the third. A 5 and a 3 kept and a last 6 score 48. The best turn is 72.
3: Running total: write down every score and add them up. After the agreed rounds the highest total wins, not the most rounds.
4: Lives (ours): everyone starts with three counters. The lowest score of each round gives one up. The last player holding a counter wins.
5: Low Boston (ours): set aside the lowest die each time. The lowest total wins. The same turn turned upside down: now a 3 is the perfect score.
6: Single turn (ours): everyone throws one turn, and the highest score wins. A quick way to decide who picks the next game.

Table rulings 6

1: You must keep the highest die. There is no choice to make. The game is all luck, which is why it moves so fast.
2: A die set aside stays as it lies. Do not pick it up or throw it again in that turn.
3: A tie for the round: the tied players each take another turn. The higher score takes the round. Repeat while they stay level. A common ruling.
4: Three throws make a turn: three dice, then two, then one. Throw all the dice you are due together.
5: A die that leaves the table or leans is thrown again. Our ruling. Only that die.
6: Keep the tally of rounds where everyone can see it. Our suggestion: it saves the argument at the end.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site on 2026-10-08, in our own words. Going to Boston is a traditional game with no governing body. The standard game (three dice; the highest die set aside from the first throw and again from the second, only one kept when dice tie; the three dice added for the score; the highest score taking the round; an agreed number of rounds, with the most rounds won taking the game; best with four or more players), its other names Yankee Grab and Newmarket, and the variation called Multiplication were checked on 2026-10-08 against a reference site for traditional dice games, https://www.dice-play.com/Games/GoingToBoston.htm. That page says the game is usually played for a stake. This page leaves the stake out. The throw of one die for the first turn and the running total were checked the same day against https://gamerules.com/rules/going-to-boston/. Replaying a tied round is a common ruling; the two pages give none. The version with lives, Low Boston, the one-round decider, the worked turns and the other table rulings are this site's own suggestions and are not official. The scores and chances were counted from all 46,656 ways the six dice of a turn can land. Nothing is played for money: rounds and counters only keep score. Licence: own work