Triple Yahtzee is played like standard Yahtzee, but with three score columns instead of one. Each column is worth a different multiplier: the first column scores points as usual (1x), the second column doubles the points (2x), and the third column triples them (3x). You fill all three columns over the course of a single game, which means you have to plan which categories to use in which column to maximize your total score. The core rules, five dice, three rolls per turn, thirteen categories, upper-section bonus, Yahtzee bonuses, stay exactly the same. The only change is that you have three times as many scoring opportunities, and the order in which you fill the columns matters a lot.

The Three-Column Setup

In a standard game of Yahtzee, you have one scorecard with thirteen categories. Once you score a category, you cannot use it again. Triple Yahtzee gives you three identical scorecards, each with the same thirteen categories. You fill them in order: you must complete the first column before you can start the second, and the second before the third. The multiplier for each column is fixed:

  • First column: 1x (normal scoring)
  • Second column: 2x (double points)
  • Third column: 3x (triple points)

That means a Yahtzee (50 points) scored in the third column is worth triple points. A Full House (25 points) in the second column is worth 50. The upper-section bonus (35 points for 63 or more in the upper section) also gets multiplied by the column’s factor. So if you earn the 35-point bonus in the third column, you actually add a much larger amount.

How Turns Work Across Columns

On each turn, you roll the five dice up to three times, keeping any dice you want between rolls. Then you choose a category to score, but you can only score it in the column you are currently filling. You cannot skip ahead to the second or third column until the previous one is completely filled. This means you must use all thirteen categories in the first column, then all thirteen in the second, then all thirteen in the third. A full game of Triple Yahtzee therefore requires many turns (13 categories × 3 columns).

Strategy for the First Column

Because the first column has no multiplier, you want to use it for categories you are less confident about hitting. For example, if you have a weak roll, you might take a low score in Ones or Twos in the first column rather than waste a high-value category like Yahtzee or Large Straight. Save the big categories for the second and third columns where the multipliers boost them.

Scoring Each Category

All thirteen categories score exactly as they do in standard Yahtzee. The multiplier is applied after you calculate the base score. Here is a quick reminder of the scoring rules:

  • Upper Section (Ones through Sixes): Sum of the dice showing that number. If you total 63 or more in the upper section of a column, you earn a 35-point bonus (multiplied by the column factor).
  • Three of a Kind: Sum of all five dice.
  • Four of a Kind: Sum of all five dice.
  • Full House: 25 points (three of one number and two of another).
  • Small Straight: 30 points (four consecutive numbers, such as 1-2-3-4 or 2-3-4-5).
  • Large Straight: 40 points (five consecutive numbers, 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6).
  • Yahtzee: 50 points (five of a kind). Each additional Yahtzee after the first one in any column earns a 100-point bonus (also multiplied by the column factor).
  • Chance: Sum of all five dice.

The Upper-Section Bonus in Triple Yahtzee

The 35-point bonus for reaching 63 or more in the upper section applies separately to each column. Because the multiplier affects the bonus, the third-column bonus is worth a lot more. This makes the upper section much more valuable than in standard Yahtzee. You should aim for at least 63 in the upper section of the second and third columns whenever possible, even if it means taking a lower immediate score in the first column. The bonus alone can swing a game by hundreds of points.

Note that the Scandinavian version Yatzy has a 50-point upper bonus for 63 or more, with fixed straights (small 1-2-3-4-5 scores 15, large 2-3-4-5-6 scores 20). Triple Yahtzee, as played on most modern platforms, uses the classic American Yahtzee scoring rules from 1956, not the Yatzy rules.

Why the Order of Columns Matters

Because you cannot start the second column until the first is full, and the third until the second is full, you have to plan ahead. If you waste a high-value category in the first column, you lose the chance to multiply it. If you save too many hard categories for the third column, you might end up with a zero in a category (which scores nothing and costs you the multiplier). The best approach is to use the first column for categories you can reliably hit (like Chance, Three of a Kind, or lower numbers), and reserve Yahtzee, Large Straight, and Full House for the columns with higher multipliers.

If you want to practice Triple Yahtzee without setting up physical scorecards, you can play Yahtzee online at yahtzee.now. That site includes Triple Yahtzee alongside standard Yahtzee, Nordic Yatzy, and several other dice games, all free with no sign-up required.