While it is important to understand that people have come up with the optimal strategy and have actually found a solution to this game, most likely it won’t serve any practical purpose to your game. It is almost to complex to read, much less memorize. Even more so, it is too vast to even comprehend enough to actually apply it to the game of Yahtzee. Therefore, you actually have to learn the basic strategy in which to play the game so that you can reach your optimal strategy in real life.

The basic strategy of Yahtzee is an approximation of the optimal strategy. Its purpose is to mimic the optimal strategy while retaining sufficient simplicity so that it can be applied by regular people who are playing a regular game. Essentially it is a set of simple guidelines that grasp the essence of the optimal strategy but allow it to be put into practical use.

With the exception of Chance, each and every score card category can be considered either an “X of a kind” or a “straight.” All of the upper categories can be considered X of a kind hands since the aim is to get as many of each value, such as Aces, as possible. The 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, and Yahtzee entries are clearly X of a kinds while the Small Straight and the Large Straight are clearly straights. A Full House is a 3 of a kind plus a pair. Understanding that the game of Yahtzee consists of only these two types of entries has important strategic ramifications. In particular, there are 10 different X of a kind categories, but just two categories of straights. Given this information, it seems logical that a winning strategy would embody a bias toward trying for an X of a kind hand.

Another fact you need to consider about the game is that higher valued dice are worth more than those with lower values. For example, three 6’s are more valuable than three 3’s. There are several reasons for this and not just the obvious either. First, hands such as 3 of a kinds, four of a kinds and Chance are scored by adding all of the dice together. So it’s best to make X of a kind hands with dice of a high value. Furthermore, in the Upper Section you are trying to score at least 63 points in order to get the 35 point bonus. The added importance of higher valued dice is obvious here. Getting ahead in the Sixes category puts you ahead of the average whereas getting an extra Ace only puts you one point ahead. In addition if you score less points in the Fives category for example, it is more difficult to overcome then if you score less than average in the Twos box.

The Chance entry is unique in that it is neither an X of a kind nor a straight. It’s simply the sum of all five dice. As such, it may be used any time with the knowledge that it will never have a zero score. When playing competitively it is never proper to purposely try for Chance unless you are at the end of the game. Instead, this entry serves as a catch-all in case things go wrong for you in the midst of a hand. In other words, winning strategy dictates that Chance should be reserved as a safety mechanism only for an unwanted outcome.