The Yams or Yahtzee rules

Yams or Yahtzee is a dice game played between at least 2 players. The aim of the game is to finish the game with the maximum number of points. To do this, the player must make all the combinations that appear on the grid.

Materials

• 5 dice,
• 1 grid.

Set up

• Each player in turn throws the 5 dice.
• The player with the highest score starts.
• Play clockwise.
• Write the name of each player on the score sheet.

Before you start…

• A game consists of 13 rounds, i.e. 1 grid per round.
• One round consists of 3 throws.
• A throw allows the player to make a certain combination.
• A combination earns a certain number of points.

How do you play?

• During his turn, a player throws the dice.
• He is allowed 3 throws.
• He can put dice aside and only roll one part.
• He can also re-roll all of his dice.
• When the player is satisfied, he can pass the turn to his opponent.
• He indicates his score or a zero in one of the 13 boxes of the grid.

How to fill the grid

• Each player is allowed one column.
• It is compulsory to fill in one of the 13 squares of the grid at the end of each turn.

Example:

• A square can only be filled in once.
• If the player does not want to score, he/she marks zero.
• The grid is divided into two parts:

• The numbers part, the upper part,
• The combination part, the lower part.

• At the end of each round, the player has the choice of filling in a number box or a combination box.

The number squares

• Score points by adding up the identical sides.

Example:

Roll 1 : 

 = 4 points

The Combination boxes

• Score points by forming combinations.

Example:

Throw: 

Three of a kind: 16 points

Or Full House: 25 points.

The different combinations

Combination	Ce qu’il faut comprendre	Example	Reported points
Blanket	3 faces identiques		The sum of the 5 sides
Square	4 faces identiques		The sum of the 5 sides
Full	3 faces identiques + 2 faces identiques		25 points
Small Suite	4 faces dont les chiffres se suivent		30 points
Large Suite	5 faces dont les chiffres se suivent		40 points
Yam’s	5 faces identiques		50 points
Chance			The sum of the 5 sides

Example:

Roll 1: 

The player decides to set aside and reraises 3 dice.

Roll 2: 

The player re-rolls all 3 dice.

Roll 3: 

His final result is : 

He has the choice of marking on the grid Number :

Total of 2: 4

Or

Total of 4: 12

He has the choice of scoring on the grid Combination:

Three of a kind: 16

Or 

Full house: 25

Extra points

• If the total on the number grid is 63 or more, the player gets 35 extra points.

Yam’s as a joker

• In some versions, the Yam’s can be used as a joker.
• The conditions are as follows:

• The player has already made a Yam’s before.
• The Yam’s square is already filled.
• The number box corresponding to the face obtained is already filled.

• In this case, the player can fill in any of the squares in the lower part of the grid.
• If none of the squares in the lower part of the grid are free, the player must write a zero in one of the squares in the upper part.

Yam’s Bonus

• In some versions, a bonus of 100 points may be awarded.
• The conditions are as follows:

• The Yam’s box has already been filled and there is no zero in it.
• The player makes a new Yam’s combination.
• Caution! If a zero appears on the yam’s square, the yam’s bonus does not apply.

End of the game

• When the grid is filled, the game ends.
• The player who has scored the most points wins the game.

A Yam’s grid

THE NUMBERS	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3	Player 4	Player 5
Ace One at the Yams
Two Two at the Yams
Three Three at the Yams
Four Four at the Yams
Five Five at the Yams
Six Six at the Yams
Subtotal (A)
+35 points if A > 63 points (B)
Total Number (A+B)
COMBINATIONS
Three of a kind
Four of a kind
Full house
Small suit
Large suite
Yam’s
Chance
Subtotal (C )
Yam’s 100 points bonus (D)
Total Combination (C+D)
Grand total