Farkle strategy
Two decisions win Farkle games
Nearly every choice in Farkle comes down to two questions: which scoring dice should you keep, and should you roll again or bank? Both mean weighing the points you might add against the chance of losing everything you have built this turn.
The numbers on this page were calculated for the scoring used in our game (see the Farkle rules). If your table uses a different chart, the exact cut-offs move a little, but the patterns stay the same.
Farkle odds: your chance of farkling with 1 to 6 dice
The risk of a roll depends almost entirely on how many dice you throw. These figures come from checking every possible outcome for each number of dice:
| Dice | Farkle | Scores | Hot dice | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2.31% | 97.69% | 7.79% | 418 |
| 5 | 7.72% | 92.28% | 3.04% | 225 |
| 4 | 15.74% | 84.26% | 4.01% | 144 |
| 3 | 27.78% | 72.22% | 5.56% | 87 |
| 2 | 44.44% | 55.56% | 11.11% | 50 |
| 1 | 66.67% | 33.33% | 33.33% | 25 |
“Farkle” is the chance that nothing scores and “Scores” the chance that something does. “Hot dice” is the chance that every die scores. “Points” is what the roll is worth on average if you take every scoring die, with farkles counted as zero.
Two things stand out. First, the risk climbs fast: six dice farkle about once in 43 rolls, three dice more than one time in four, and a single die two times in three. Second, one die gives hot dice a third of the time, while two dice manage it only one time in nine. That difference shapes the banking points below.
When to bank in Farkle
Your turn total is everything you have set aside this turn, including the dice you just kept. Find the number of dice you would roll next and compare. These cut-offs were found by working through every possible roll and every choice of dice to keep, hot dice included, and picking the play that gives the highest average score per turn.
| Dice left to roll | Keep rolling | Bank |
|---|---|---|
| 6 dice | Any amount | Always roll |
| 5 dice | Up to 3,050 | 3,100 or more |
| 4 dice | Up to 1,000 | 1,050 or more |
| 3 dice | Up to 400 | 450 or more |
| 2 dice | Up to 200 | 250 or more |
| 1 die | Up to 300 | 350 or more |
Played this way, a turn averages about 590 points with our scoring, which puts 10,000 roughly 17 turns away.
Why one die beats two
It looks backwards that you should roll one die with up to 300 points but stop at 250 with two dice. The reason is hot dice: when your last die scores, you get all six dice back, and six dice are the safest and richest roll in the game. Two dice only get you there if both of them score.
Close calls
Some cut-offs are near ties. Rolling one die with 300 points is worth only about 3 points more on average than banking. In spots like that, let the scoreboard decide: bank when you are ahead, roll when you are chasing.
Which scoring dice to keep
You must set aside at least one scoring die after each roll, but nothing makes you take all of them. Every die you leave in play is a die you roll next time, and more dice mean a much smaller chance of farkling. Early in a turn, a lone 1 or 5 is worth less than the extra die. Four opening rolls of six dice:
- One 1, one 5, nothing else
- Keep only the 1 and roll five dice. Average turn: about 403 points, against about 310 if you keep both and roll four.
- Two 1s, nothing else
- Keep one 1 and roll five dice. About 403 points on average, against about 346 for keeping both.
- Two 5s, nothing else
- Keep one 5 and roll five dice. About 367 points on average, against about 279 for keeping both.
- Three 2s and a 1
- Keep only the 1 and roll five dice. About 403 on average. Taking all four dice and banking gives 300; keeping the three 2s and rolling three dice averages about 260.
Rules of thumb for keeping dice
- Early in a turn, with five or six dice rolled and only single 1s and 5s showing, keep one die (a 1 if you have one) and roll the rest.
- If the choice is between leaving yourself one die or two, leave one. A 1 and a 5 from three dice should both be kept.
- Low triples (three 2s or 3s) cost three dice for 200 or 300 points. If the same roll also has a 1, the 1 alone is often the better keep.
- If you are about to bank, take every scoring die first. Points left on the table are simply lost.
On this site
Tap only the dice you want to keep; the Roll button counts the rest (“Roll 5 dice”). Bank sets aside exactly the dice you have picked, so before you bank, tap every scoring die that is still on the table.
Hot dice strategy
- Roll fresh dice
- After hot dice you hold six dice again: a 2.3% farkle risk and about 418 points on average. Banking here throws that away, whatever your turn total. In our game the button reads “Roll all six” when you have picked every die that was left.
- Use the last die
- With one die left and 300 points or less, roll it. A third of the time it scores and hands you all six dice back.
- Spot full-roll combos
- Three pairs, straights and two triplets are hot dice in one roll and easy to overlook. Check every six-dice roll for them before picking out 1s and 5s.
Adjusting to the scoreboard
The banking table maximizes your average score per turn. That is very nearly the goal in our single-player game, where you race to 10,000 in as few turns as possible and your fewest turns is kept as a personal best. The one exception comes at the end: once banking would take you to 10,000, bank, because rolling on can only cost you turns. Against other players, the score changes the picture:
When you’re ahead
- Bank a little earlier than the table suggests. Steady scoring keeps the pressure on.
- Avoid long two-dice gambles. A big farkle is the easiest way to let opponents back in.
When you’re behind
- Roll past the cut-offs when the leader is close to 10,000. An average turn will not catch them.
- On your final turn, keep rolling until your total passes the leader. Banking short loses anyway.
House rules matter too. With a 500-point opening minimum you cannot bank below 500 until you are on the board, so keep rolling until you get there. With a three-farkle penalty, bank smaller totals after two farkles in a row, since a third one costs more than the turn.
Common Farkle mistakes
- Banking with six dice in hand
- After hot dice, the next roll almost always pays.
- Keeping every 1 and 5 by reflex
- An extra die to roll is usually worth more than 50 or 100 points.
- Rolling two dice with 250 or more at stake
- Two dice farkle 44% of the time; bank from 250 up.
- Stopping too early with four or five dice
- Four dice are still worth rolling up to 1,000; five dice up to 3,050.
- Counting a five-dice run as a straight
- Only 1-2-3-4-5-6 with all six dice scores 1,500.
Ready to play?
Keep the banking table in mind and see how few turns you need to reach 10,000.