Why should we almost always use Excel for boring things like invoices, expense reports or plans? Why should we not try to entertain ourselves with such games as Yahtzee, for example? That’s what I was thinking about when I watched my some people close to me playing the dice game Yahtzee on the lakeshore.

Today there is an Excel template for Yahtzee!

In addition, I’ll explain the rules, the probabilities of individual throwing combinations and refer you to sources where you can play Yahtzee online in the browser for free 🙂

But first preview the Excel template.

Update: Thanks to Laura there is a new Yahtzee-template with automatic calculation! Have a look here.

Have a look at the screenshot of the Yahtzee excel template

Download the Yahtzee template for free

Here you may find this template in different file formats (.xls, .xlsx, .xltx, .pdf and zip). Please, the users of Internet Explorer should pay attention to the fact that direct download of .xls files may fail to function in your browser, that’s why you have to choose a .pdf or zip file.

• Yahtzee excel file download in format .xls
• Yahtzee excel file download in format .xlsx
• Yahtzee excel template download in format .xltx
• Yahtzee in format .pdf
• all files in a zip

New Excel-template with automatic calculation:

• New Yahtzee excel template download in format .xltx
• New Yahtzee excel file download in format .xlsx

Let me explain you the rules:

The aim of the game is to dice as many points as possible. You may roll with 5 dice. Each player has three attempts to reach his respective target. After the first roll the player may put aside those dice which he needs for the combination and continue playing with the remaining ones. After every roll the player may change the planned combination.

Example:

1. The player rolls: 1 6 3 5 6.
2. He puts two sixes aside and rolls the remaining three dice further.
3. In the second roll the player gets: 1 3 6.
4. He puts the six aside and now has 3 sixes collected.
5. In the third attempt he rolls 2 and 5.
6. Now he can enter 18 in the upper section in the “Sixes” row (3 x 6 = 18) or 25 in the “Three-of-a-Kind” area in the lower section (3 x 6 + 2 + 5).

In the upper section you should note that there is a bonus when you have collected a total of 63 or more points. The 63 is selected on the following basis: when you have collected 3 numbers in each row, the final total will be 63. (3*1) + (3*2) + (3*3) + (3*4) + (3*5) + (3*6) = 63. So, beware when you reach a lower total with one number, you have to create 4 of the same value with another higher number again in order to get the bonus.

Three-of-a-Kind

Three dice of the same value should be rolled. As a result, all scores will be noted.

Four-of-a-Kind

Four dice of the same value should be rolled. As a result, all scores will be noted.

Full House

3 and 2 dice of the same value should be rolled. There are 25 points for it.

Small Straight

4 dice with consecutive numbers should be rolled (1, 2, 3, 4 or 2, 3, 4, 5 or 3, 4, 5, 6). There are 30 points for it.

Large Straight

5 dice with consecutive numbers should be rolled (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). There are 40 points for it.

Yahtzee

5 dice of the same value should be rolled. There are 50 points for it.

If you have rolled a second Yahtzee, you get 50 extra points, and you can use a joker in the lower section. Joker: If, for example, you do not have full house, you can record 25 points.

 

You may use other sources for playing Yahtzee online:

It’s a free source for playing Yahtzee online just in your browser:

http://www.yahtzee-game.com/

or take your chance here, also with explanation of rules and absolutely free:

http://www.yahtzeeonline.org/

Here you may read about Yahtzee variations:

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Yahtzee