How to Play The Dice Game 10,000

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The dice game 10, 000 goes by many names. When I was younger we simply called it The Dice Game. It goes by the names Zilch, Dix Mille, Greed, Bones and is very similar Farkle.

The dice game 10, 000 is best played in a group, like the games Fifty, Hockey Dice and Mafia. Also like Vampire dice and Qwixx, other player’s rolls can affect your turn. It also has a push your luck element like Pig.

In this post you’ll learn how to play, see all the variations of play and see how you can get your free scoresheet that makes playing easier.

What you Need for The Dice Game 10,000

You will need six dice and something to keep score with. You can get your free score sheet in our Fun Library. No need to do math on this sheet, simply cross off your score as you collect points. Join the community to get access.

We love to play this game with fun colored dice.

How to Play The Dice Game 10,000

The first thing you need to know is the scoring. 1s are worth 100 points and 5s are worth 50 points. If you roll three 1s in the same roll, they are worth 1,000 points. Similarly, if you roll three of any number, they are worth the number of hundreds. For example, if you roll three 2s then it’s worth 200 points; three 4s would be 400 points. Last, if you roll a straight then it is worth 1,000 points.

Round One

On a player’s first turn, she will roll all six dice. She can set aside any dice that score and roll all the other dice. At least one dice needs to be kept pre roll. For example, if she rolls a 1, 5, 6, 6, 3, 4 she can choose to keep only the one 1 and reroll the 5 if she would like.

In a player’s first turn, they need to score 1,000 points “go down” that is to keep her score. She must keep rolling until she accumulates the 1,000 points. When all six dice are set aside, her tally stays and she rerolls all six dice again.

When a player rolls and there are no scoring dice, then she has busted and her turn is over. She scores no points for the round and she passes all the dice over to the next player.

When all six dice are used in scoring, she needs to reroll all of the dice again. In this roll, she must use at least one die to score with, otherwise she will bust.

Once a player has reached the 1,000 points, she can choose to stop and take the points or she can choose to risk it and reroll any remaining dice. Remember, if she rolls non scoring dice she loses all of her points and her turn is over.

Round Two

For round two and all other rounds after it, the play and the scoring stays the same with two big changes.

First, once a player is “down”  or “open” (meaning that he has scored the 1,000 needed to score) she can choose to stop at any time during her turn and take the score she has, with one exception. When all six dice are used to score, she will need to reroll all six dice. For example, if she is feeling unlucky and has a score of 200 points, she can stop and score 200 for the round.

Second, when a player is “down” or “open” he can choose to roll the remaining dice left from the player’s turn before him. If he chooses to do this and rolls at least one scoring dice, then his score is the combination of that roll and the player’s before him.

Now, he can choose to stop rolling and take the score or he can risk it and roll whatever dice are remaining. As before, if he rolls no scoring dice then his score for the round is 0 and his turn is over. Similarly, if he uses all six dice, he will need to roll again.

For example, if the player before has rolled the needed 1,000 points and has three dice left, the next player can choose to roll the three remaining dice. If he chooses to do this and rolls a 1 -1 -5 then his score is now 1,250 for the round but needs to roll all six dice again. If he rolls a 1 and 5 on this roll he can choose to take the score of 1,400 points. He may roll again if he feels lucky. Otherwise, he will mark his score down.

Rolling On

Now, if the next player is also open, she can choose to “roll on 1,400” and roll the four remaining dice. This passing continues until someone either choose not to take the roll, in which case they would roll all six dice and start from 0,  or until someone rolls and busts. In that case, that player would score 0 and pass all of the dice to the next player.

If a player has not “gone down” they are not eligible to “roll on”. In this case, he will get all six dice and roll form 0 hoping to get the 1,000 points needed.

At any time, a player can choose to “roll on” the player’s before him. For example, if a player has rolled a sum of 400 points and stops, then he can choose to roll whatever dice are left.

Winning The Dice Game 10,000

The first player who reaches 10,000 points is the winner.

The Dice Game 10,000 Variations or Rule Changes

Different Starts

In some variations of 10,000, players need to get a score of 500 points or 750 points before going down. Other variations start with everyone being open or down, therefore you do not need to reach a specific goal before scoring. This is a great way to speed up the game or if you are playing with younger children.

350 Needed

In this game of 10,000 player need to score a minimum of 350 points on every turn to score.

Four or More of a Kind

When three of a kind are rolled it is that number x 100 (three 3s is 300 points). But what happens when you roll four or more of a kind? In this rule change, the amount is doubled. For example: if you roll three 2s = 200 points, four 2s = 400 points, five 2s = 800 points, six 2s = 1,600 points.

Pairs

When you roll three sets of doubles in a single roll, it counts for 500 points. Some play that the first time that this is rolled it’s worth 500 points, the second time it’s worth 1,000 points, the third is worth 1,500 points. At that point it resets so that if it is rolled a fourth time it’s worth 500 points. The pairs do not need to be rolled by the same player.

Race to the Win

In some variations of the dice game 10,000, when a player reaches the 10,000 points, he does not automatically win. In this game, all other players have one turn to roll and see if they can beat the 10,000 score. They keep rolling until they either bust or they surpass the highest score. The player who has the highest score wins.

Straights

For this game, a high straight, that is the dice 1 through 5 in a row, count as 1,250 points. A low straight, the dice 2 through 6 does not count and only scores 50 points for the 5 that is rolled.

Bones Rule

In the variation called Bones, when you roll five of one kind, you automatically win the game.

Exact Finish

In some variations, like Farkle, a player has to get the exact 10,000 points to win. If they go over the score, then their score for the round is 0 and they have to try again on their next turn.

Three Farkles Rule

What is a Farkle? That is when you roll and do not score. In this rule change, when you have three turns in a row where you Farkle, your score is reduced by 1,000 points.

The Dice Game Zilch Rules

The game Zilch is very similar to the dice game 10,000 with a few different rules. First, when you roll and score 0, it’s called Zilch. Second, you need 15,000 points to win. Third, when you roll six of a kind, it’s an automatic win.

Greed Rules

Yet another variation of the dice game 10,000 is Greed. For this one, you will need 10 dice. When you roll three pairs it’s worth 800 points. For four of a kind, you triple the number on the dice. When five of a kind is rolled, you multiply the triple score by 4 and when six of a kind is rolled, you multiply the triple by 8.

Five Dice 10,000

For this variation of the dice game 10,000 you will need five dice—four in one colour and one in a different colour. If you are playing with four white dice and red one dice then the red dice counts are double. For example, if you roll a 1 on a white dice and a 1 on the red dice then you have scored 1,000 points.

The Fun’s in the Roll

As you can see, the dice game 10,000 is very popular. That is for god reason. It’s a great group game with its “roll on” ability. It’s also an easy to play game that players of all ages can play and enjoy. Lat but not least, it’s also a fast moving game with a great press you luck element to it.

It does need lots of dice though, so if you need some new dice, you can shop here. Canadians can shop here. You may also want a dice tray to keep track of what dice are being used and which are free to roll. Be sure to grab your free 10,000 score sheet in our Fun Library.

For lot’s more fun dice games, be sure to check our dice game section and our Family Game Shelf Shop.