Threes Dice Game – Rules to Print, Lowest Total Wins

How it works

In the threes dice game low is good and a 3 counts zero. Roll five dice, set at least one aside after every roll, and add up what you kept. Lowest total wins, and five 3s is a perfect zero.

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How a turn goes

The page opens on The game. Every roll costs you a die: you must set at least one aside, and it stays as it fell. Keep 3s and 1s, and decide whether a 2 is worth keeping or the dice are worth another roll.

Playing it around a table

A table round for 3 to 8 players in the menu under Print this list adds tally marks, a roll-off for ties and a version with lives. Rulings tables argue about covers five 6s and what you may set aside.

Tips

The page does not roll. Five dice are enough for the whole table: they pass from player to player.
Push dice you set aside well away from the rolling area, so nobody rolls into them.

Questions and answers

How do you play the threes dice game?

Roll five dice and set at least one aside. Roll the rest and set at least one aside again, until all five are kept. Each 3 counts zero and every other die counts its face. The lowest total wins.

What is the best score in Threes?

Zero, made with five 3s. The worst is 30, from five 6s, although some tables treat five 6s as an outright win for the player who rolls them.

Do you have to keep a die after every roll?

Yes. At least one die must be set aside after each roll, even if every die shows a 6. You may set aside more than one, and a die set aside is never rolled again.

How many players can play Threes?

Two or more share one set of five dice. Three to eight makes a good table, because everyone has one turn a round and rounds stay short.

All 21 rows

The game (five dice) 8

1: Pick up all five dice and roll. Two to eight players, five dice and a way to write down totals.
2: Keep one die or more from what you rolled. You may set aside more than one.
3: A kept die is final. It is never rolled again and its face does not change.
4: Throw the rest, then keep one or more again. So a turn has five rolls at most.
5: Stop when all five have been kept. Then your turn is over.
6: Add up the five dice: a 3 counts zero and every other die counts its face. A 1 counts one, a 6 counts six.
7: Whoever has the smallest sum takes the round. Five 3s make zero, the best total there is.
8: Players tied for lowest roll again. Only the tied players. The lowest of them wins the round.

Show all 21 rows (13 more)

A table round for 3 to 8 players 6

1: Seat three to eight players with five dice and one score sheet. Draw a column for each player.
2: Everyone takes one turn a round, and each total goes in its column. Write the totals where all can see them.
3: The lowest total wins the round and gets a tally mark. Ties for lowest roll off first.
4: Win a round and you open the following one. Rolling first means setting the total the others must beat.
5: Our scoring: the first player with three tally marks wins the game. For a longer game, play to five.
6: A version with lives (ours): hand each player three counters. The highest total of each round gives one up, and the last player holding a counter wins.

Rulings tables argue about 7

A die knocked after it was set aside goes back to the face it showed. Our ruling.
The best total is 0 and the worst is 30. Five 3s, and five 6s without the special rule.
Each die shows a 3 one time in six. So a first roll of five dice has no 3 at all about two times in five.
The fewest you may set aside is one. There is no upper limit. Setting aside all five after the first roll ends the turn there.
Five 6s: at some tables this wins the round at once. It totals 30, the worst score, so the rule turns a disaster into a win. Agree on it first.
The game is also called Tripps. Threes is the usual name.
You must set a die aside even when you would rather not. A roll of all 6s still costs you a die.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03, in our own words. Threes is a folk dice game with no governing body. The game (five dice, at least one set aside after every roll, dice set aside not rolled again, 3s counting zero, the lowest total winning, a roll-off for ties, the winner rolling first in the next game, five 6s as an outright win, and the name Tripps) was checked on 2026-10-03 against a reference page for traditional dice games: https://www.dice-play.com/Games/Threes.htm. That page gives the game with a stake. This page leaves the stake out. The tally scoring, the lives and one ruling are the editors' own and say so. The chance of a first roll with no 3 is five sixths to the fifth power, about 0.40, worked by script. No other source was used. Licence: own work