The 10,000 Dice Game: Rules, Scoring and Odds
Quick answer
In the 10,000 dice game you roll six dice, set aside scoring dice (1s are 100, 5s are 50, three of a kind is 100 times the face, three 1s are 1,000), and keep rolling the rest or bank your points. Roll nothing that scores and you lose the turn's points. First to 10,000 wins. With six dice you score something 97.7% of the time; with one die only 33.3%.
| Players | 2 or more |
|---|---|
| Equipment | 6 dice (some groups use 5), pencil and paper |
| Goal | First to 10,000 points |
| Also called | Ten Thousand, Zilch, Greed, Farkle |
| Chance of no score with 6 dice | 2.31% (common scoring) |
The 10,000 dice game, also called Ten Thousand, Zilch or Greed, is the classic kitchen-table push-your-luck game. The basic idea never changes: roll, keep what scores, and decide whether to bank or risk it. The scoring sheet varies from family to family, so below you'll find the most common version and the usual variations.
How to play 10,000
- Roll all six dice.
- Set aside at least one scoring die or combination from that roll.
- Bank or roll on. Bank your turn total and pass the dice, or roll the remaining dice for more.
- Bust: if a roll contains no scoring dice, you lose all the points from this turn.
- Hot dice: if every die has scored, roll all six again and keep adding.
- Finish: once someone banks 10,000 or more, everyone else gets one final turn to beat them.
Common 10,000 scoring
| Combination | Common score | Frequent variations |
|---|---|---|
| Single 1 | 100 | — |
| Single 5 | 50 | — |
| Three 1s | 1,000 | 300 in some groups |
| Three of a kind (2–6) | Face × 100 | — |
| Four of a kind | Double the three-of-a-kind score | Flat 1,000 |
| Five of a kind | Double again (×4) | Flat 2,000 |
| Six of a kind | Double again (×8), or instant win | Flat 3,000 |
| Straight 1–6 | 1,500 | 1,000 or 2,500 |
| Three pairs | 750 | 500 or 1,500 |
Write your house rules down before the first roll. Most arguments in 10,000 are about scoring, not luck.
Odds of busting with 1 to 6 dice
Under the scoring above, the chance of a roll with nothing that scores is the same as in Farkle, because only 1s, 5s, three-or-more of a kind, straights and three pairs count. We checked every possible roll:
| Dice rolled | Chance something scores | Chance of a bust |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33.33% | 66.67% |
| 2 | 55.56% | 44.44% |
| 3 | 72.22% | 27.78% |
| 4 | 84.26% | 15.74% |
| 5 | 92.28% | 7.72% |
| 6 | 97.69% | 2.31% |
If your group doesn't count three pairs, six-dice busts become slightly more likely, because rolls like 2-2-3-3-4-4 no longer score. Everything else in the table stays the same.
Strategy: when to stop rolling
The table tells you most of what you need. With five or six dice, busts are rare, so keep rolling. With one or two dice left, you bust 67% or 44% of the time, so bank unless your turn total is small. Our Farkle guide turns this into a simple banking rule with the average points each roll adds, and includes a score calculator. It uses Farkle's flat scores for four or more of a kind, so adjust those if your group doubles them.
More dice games
Frequently asked questions
Is 10,000 the same as Farkle?
They're the same family of game, and many people use the names for the same thing. The main differences are house rules: some 10,000 groups double the three-of-a-kind score for each extra die, score a straight at 1,000 or 1,500, or play with five dice.
How much is four of a kind in 10,000?
It depends on the house rules. A common 10,000 rule is to double the three-of-a-kind score for each extra matching die, so four 2s = 400 and five 2s = 800. Many Farkle rule sets use flat scores instead: 1,000 for four of a kind, 2,000 for five and 3,000 for six.
Do you need points to get on the board?
Many groups require a minimum first bank, commonly 350, 500 or 1,000 points in a single turn. It's a house rule, so agree it before play starts.
Sources
- Farkle (also known as 10000, Zilch) — Wikipedia