strategy guide

the 63-point bonus is everything

The upper section bonus (+35 points for scoring 63 or more) should drive most of your early decisions. Here's the math: if you score exactly 3 of each number (3+6+9+12+15+18 = 63), you hit the bonus threshold perfectly.

category priority order

When you roll something good, take it in this order:

1. 1Jatzee (50 pts) - always take it immediately
2. 2Large straight (40 pts) - hard to get, fixed points
3. 3Full house (25 pts) - unless you have three 5s or 6s
4. 4Small straight (30 pts) - if you have the 4 dice locked
5. 5Upper section 6s and 5s - build toward that bonus

save your dump categories

Ones and Chance are your safety net. In late game, you might roll garbage that doesn't fit anywhere. Having Ones available lets you take a 0-3 point hit instead of zeroing out a valuable category.

the risk calculation

Four of a kind with 2 rolls left? Push for Jatzee - you have roughly a 20% chance and the payoff is huge. But with 1 roll left, that drops to about 17%. Take your guaranteed points.

Three of a kind with 3 rolls? You have about a 4.6% chance of hitting Jatzee. Usually not worth the risk unless it's late game and you need a miracle.

straight hunting

Got 3 in a row (like 2-3-4)? Keep them and roll the other two. You have decent odds of completing a small straight, and if you luck into a large straight, even better.

The magic sequences to watch for:

• 11-2-3-4 (need 5 for large)
• 22-3-4-5 (need 1 or 6 for large)
• 33-4-5-6 (need 2 for large)

endgame tactics

When you have 3-4 categories left, shift from "maximize points" to "minimize damage." Calculate which combination of remaining categories gives you the best total, even if it means taking a zero somewhere.