Official Rules of Farkle

Farkle is one of our favorite games to play.  My wife and I have been playing it for over 20 years.  Since it can be played using any 6 dice, most people don’t purchase an official game but rather learn the rules and play on their own.  Doing this helps to save lots of money but also can cause problems when rules are forgotten or two different people play by different rules.  You’ll notice that different game companies publish the game using different spellings.  Is it Farkle or is it Farkel?  (It’s Farkle!)

This site is here to help!  We’ve published the official rules of farkle as well as some alternative rules as well.

If you would like to just purchase the game, you can do that too.  Just click on the image below. (No, I’m not affiliated with this game manufacturer, It’s just one of the many Farkle games that are available.)

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54 thoughts on “Official Rules of Farkle

  1. Sheila

    When playing by your rules,am I understanding this correctly? Roll the dice and say I get a 1 and a 5 , I can keep both or toss 5 back in and roll the rest. Then the next roll I get three of a kind and two odd balls. I take the three of a kind out and then I have option of quitting or rolling. I chance and roll and get a 1 and a 5, do I get to continue rolling or am I over? I was thinking I can still roll as long as I get dice that are useful my husband was under the impression that my turn would be over. So if it is over how would I get to 1,000 points to even get to count on the board? Thanks for clearing this up.

    By the way lol I think I’m going to get some Farkle spray lol cause it sure stinks to Farkle hahaha

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      You are correct. After you roll the last 1 and 5, you not only get to keep rolling, you have to keep rolling. When you get all 6 dice as point dice, you have to roll all 6 again to continue adding to your score. If you roll a 6-die Farkle, then you lose it all. hehe, Farkle spray. 🙂

      Reply
      1. Bob Pankonin

        We are confused. 8 are playing the game. The first one to reach 10,000 did so by rolling two pairs of 3 each for 2500 points. Not wanting to lose those 2500, he left them on the board and went out at 10,400 points. The next player took the 2500 points and added to it to reach 3200 points to his score, going out on his turn at 11,650 to win the game. No one else exceeded that score. THE QUESTION: All during the game the next succeeding player has the right to roll whatever dice are left to add to the preceeding player’s score. The first player, having reached 10,400 points, left all six dice on the table so that the next player could roll and add to the 2500 which he did. Was this a correct play or should he not have been allowed to add to the prior score? As I see it, the only error was that the first person should have rolled the six dice that remained after he reached the 2500. Is there an official rule that applies and did we play this correctly?

        Reply
        1. dacy Post author

          First of all, We don’t play with the rule of the succeeding player taking over the left over dice. That is not a part of the original rules. It’s an alternative rule therefore, its however you decide as the players.

          Second of all, in the original rules, if all 6 of your dice are point dice, you cannot stop at all. You HAVE to roll all the dice again.

          Sorry I can’t be of more help. When you play with alternative rules, you need to set up how those rules work before you start the game.

          Reply
        1. dacy Post author

          The original rules didn’t have 4 of a kinds or three pairs so for us, it would just be 400 points for 3 Fours. The fourth four is meaningless. Alternative games have added in those other rules, so I guess it’s whichever alternative you are playing.

          Reply
  2. Patricia Manson

    I play with a group of women who when they roll all six dice and get a good score, they do not want to roll again. They think it is an option to quit. Is this one of those rules where different groups play with one rule and another play with another rule?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      The original rules are that you have to roll again. There of course are some that play otherwise.

      Reply
  3. paru

    I have recently bought the farkle game. The box does not have the instructions sheet. I don’t know how to play the game.. I cant understand it on your site. Why and what type of risks should be taken. Please reply as soon as possible

    Reply
  4. R LaRance

    I am playing Farkle on a tablet. It mentions special dice (3 of them) that doubles a score, reverse a farkle etc. Help explains how to use these but not how to get these to use.

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      That is not the original way to play. That rule is specific to your game. I would contact the company that made that App and ask them. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

      Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      Yes. You must keep at least one point die from each roll but you only have to keep one. I often times will throw back a 5 if I still have a lot of dice left in hopes of getting a triple.

      Reply
  5. Kevin

    Have the farkle app and able to play then it gives this message.
    Game centre error 2. The requested operation has been cancelled or disabled by the user
    From (authenticateLocalPlayer) and i dont know what that means,do you.can you fix it.

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      You’ll need to talk to the App developer. We have nothing to do with electronic versions of the game.

      Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      In the original rules, there was no “4 of a kind”. 4 “ones” would be valued at 1100. 1000 for 3 of them and 100 for the 4th. There are alternate rules that some people play with that the 4th one will double their score.

      Reply
  6. Candyce potter

    If you roll a 1 on the first roll and all others are nothing and the roll the remaining 5 dice again and get a 2,3,4,5,6 does that count as a straight OR do you have to roll the straight on the first roll?

    Reply
  7. Dee

    We play in the way that if it’s your roll, you score and have any left over dice, the following player is allowed to steal or not steal. So. For example; It’s my turn and I roll 3 scoring dice. With those points that puts me at 10,050 IF the person following me steals but doesn’t score. If the person decides to steal and doesn’t score, I’m officially at 10,050. The rules say everyone gets one last roll after someone reaches 10,000. Does that person now get a final role? Or was the steal their final roll?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      In the original rules, the person who gets to 10,000 first does not get to re-roll if someone beats them.

      Since the original rules don’t include the “steal” rule, then it doesn’t really apply. When you are playing alternative rules, just make sure the answers to these questions are determined by your players before the play starts.

      Reply
  8. Susan

    Playing Farkle, say on your first roll you roll two 1’s and then you hold them. On your second roll, you roll two pair. Is that considered as having three pairs equaling 1500 points?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      The original rules didn’t have “pairs” so I can’t answer your question. If you are playing alternative rules, then it’s however you decide to play.

      Reply
  9. TNP

    Wondering about rolling a straight. Do you have to roll it all in one roll, or can you say keep a 1, 2, 3, 4 and roll the other 2 die to try for a straight?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      Is was no “Straight” in the original rules. That is an alternative rule, so however you wish to set up your alternative rules is fine.

      Reply
  10. Alwine

    Hi there

    How come that someone on level 21 has 30 dices or more?
    Im on level 19 and I get only 19 new dices everyday

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      I’m assuming you are talking about an electronic game. This site has nothing to do with electronic versions of the game.

      Reply
  11. Dan Knutson

    If your at 9800 and you roll three one’s can you keep 2 one’s for 9900 and stay tell your next turn even though you got points still on th board?

    Reply
  12. Michael Miller

    If you bank a scoring dice (1 or 5) on a throw and you continue, then on your next throw you get a better outcome say 3 5’s and you bank those and you decide to continue are you allowed to take the original dice (1 or 5) out of the bank to and add it the remaining two to continue throwing with 3 dice? In other words, can you take a banked dice out of the bank and add it to your throwing dice if you have replaced the banked dice with something better?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      No, Once you bank dice, they are banked and cannot be re-rolled unless you use all your dice, then you roll them all again.

      Reply
  13. Steve Bigelow

    must you have a one or five in every roll? If you roll dice with no ones or five but have 3 sixes or other combinations that make points, do these count?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      If you get 3 of a kind, that counts as points so that counts. You have to get “points” by rolling a one or a five or 3 of a kind.

      Reply
  14. SHERE delafranier

    A friend of ours has nine (yes that’s right) farkles with six dice to try and get 500 points to begin the game. Is there any limit to the number of farkles before you can begin the game? Maybe there is a “Queen of Farkles” position available.
    Shere

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      No, we always find if fun when someone can’t get in the game. The Queen of Farkles would be fun. Maybe some sort of crown!

      Reply
  15. Lisa

    I was wondering if on your turn, I know you can quit at any time but what I’m asking is can you quit shaking the dice and only count the dice that you have banked even if you have other dice that have points and you don’t want those points. My husband says you either have to take all the points if you stop or if you don’t take all the points you have to shake again.

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      We play that you have to take at least one of the dice for points and then you can stop or roll again.

      Reply
  16. Ann Martin

    Player 1scores 10,000 the player 2 scores 10,000. He still has 3 dice left (not used to reach 10,000). He wants to call it a tie and continue play. I say he has to continue to roll dice to beat the score of 10,000. Who is right?

    Reply
  17. Tina

    My question is…
    After using ALL SIX DICE and you get another roll, of the six dice, do you get ONLY ONE roll or do you keep rolling until yo Farkle or choose to stop?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      No official rule. We play that you must reroll any die that leaves the table. You cannot count what the die lands on when off the table. Others play that they must reroll all dice if one die leaves the table.

      Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      Original rules would be 1100. 1000 for the 3 ones and then 100 for the extra. There are alternative rules that double the score to 2000 for the extra one. It’s important to know what rules you are playing before you start.

      Reply
  18. Deidra ONeal

    If you roll a 1 and a pair of two’s ( the other dice 3, 4 and 6) can you keep the 1 and the pair of two’s hoping to get another two on the second roll for three two’s ( three if a kind)?

    Reply
    1. dacy Post author

      You can only keep point dice. Two 2’s aren’t point dice so you can’t keep them. To get 3 of a kind, all 3 have to be rolled at the same time.

      Reply

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