Copyright: Copyright ©1996 J. Jessup
Citation: Triple Yahtzee ©1996 J. Jessup


Contents

Welcome to Triple Yahtzee, a game of chance.  This help file is divided into six main sections:

Overview

Play

Scoring

Strategy

Windows and Menus

Credits


Overview

Triple Yahtzee is a game of chance where players attempt to achieve the highest possible score by placing various die rolls on the scorecard.

Once a game is started, the player takes thirty-nine turns to completely fill the scorecard.  During each turn, the player may roll the dice up to three times.  Prior to a roll, the player may opt to keep any or all of the rolls in an attempt to achieve the desired sequence or combination of numbers.  After three rolls one field on the scorecard must be filled.  Placement of a score can occur prior to the third roll at no penalty.  After all of the boxes on the scorecard have been filled, the game is over.


Play

To begin a new game, select Game | New Game from the menu or press Control+N.  When a new game is started, the dice are initially rolled and the status bar at the bottom of the scorecard displays the total number of rolls remaining.  The initial default game is One player.  The number of players can be changed under the Options menu.

A game consists of thirty-nine turns, one turn to fill every scoring area on the scorecard.  Each turn consists of up to three rolls of the dice.  During a turn, the player may select any number of the dice to keep or score the roll on the scorecard.

To keep a die and roll again, click on the die, or use the keys numbered 1 through 5.  By being selective as to which die rolls are kept and which are rerolled, better scores are possible.  To roll the dice again, click on the Roll! button or press the Enter key.

After the third roll, the score must be placed somewhere on the scorecard.  See the section on Scoring for more information about the various scoring combinations of rolls.

When the last scorecard area is filled, the game is over.  If the player has earned top five score, a dialogue box appears to allow name entry.


Scoring

During each turn, a player may roll the dice three times.  On the first roll, all five die must be rolled.  Thereafter, the player may hold any or all of the dice in an attempt to achieve a desired sequence or combination.  On the third roll, the dice must be scored.

There are 13 scoring boxes in each column on the scorecard.  The boxes are: "Aces", "Twos", "Threes", "Fours", "Fives", "Sixes" in the Upper Section, and "3 of a kind", "4 of a kind", "Full house", "Small Straight", "Large Straight", "Chance", and "Yahtzee" (five of a kind), in the Lower Section.

There are three scoring columns per game.  Each column has a different multiplier associated with it.  In the first column, the multiplier is one times the number scored on the scorecard.  The middle column is two times and the last column is three times the score.  Obviously, a high score depends on maximizing the point potential of the third column while balancing the trade-offs of potential bonus points.  The Strategy section has more details on scoring techniques.

The Upper Section and Lower Section totals are added together to obtain the Grand Total at the bottom of the scorecard.  It is possible to earn scoring bonuses which count toward the final score based on different roll combinations.

Upper Section Scoring

The Upper Section consists of "Aces", "Twos", "Threes", "Fours", "Fives", and "Sixes".  Only the dice which correspond to the matching row are counted toward the score.  If a player has three fours, a one, and a two, a score of 12 could be entered into a column in the "Fours" row.  Or, a score of 1 could be used in a "Aces" row, or 2 in a "Twos" row.

If the sum of any column is 63 or more, a bonus is applied to that column.  See Bonus Scoring below for more details.

Lower Section Scoring

The Lower Section consists of "3 of a kind", "4 of a kind", "Full house", "Small Straight", "Large Straight", "Chance", and "Yahtzee".

3 of a Kind: At least three of the same number on the dice.  The score is the sum total of all five of the die.

4 of a Kind: At least four of the same number on the dice.  The score is the sum total of all five of the die.

Full House: Three matching die, and a pair of matching die (3 - 3 - 3 - 2 - 2).  The score is 25.

Small Straight: The dice must be a sequence of four numbers (1 - 2 - 3 - 4).  The score is 30.

Large Straight: The dice must be a sequence of five numbers.  The score is 40.

Chance: No requirements exist to use the Chance row.  The score is the sum total of all five die.

Yahtzee: All five die must match.  The score is 50.

Bonus Scoring

If a player attains an unadjusted score of 63 in a column in the Upper Section, a 35 point bonus is awarded to that column.  The bonus is then multiplied based on its column position.  Hence, earning the bonus in the triple column is worth an additional 105 points toward the Grand Total.

It is also possible to obtain bonus points from multiple Yahtzee rolls.  A player can receive a bonus score for the second and third Yahtzee roll only if: (a) The first Yahtzee was scored in a Yahtzee box, and (b) the second or third Yahtzee is scored in a Yahtzee.  The player receives a bonus for the fourth and subsequent Yahtzee only if the first three Yahtzees were scored in Yahtzee boxes.

The fourth and subsequent Yahtzees are scored as follows:

1. First, in the appropriate matching box in any column in the Upper Section.  A Yahtzee in fours would score 20 points in the "Fours Box".

2. As a "Joker" in the Lower Section if all three appropriate matching number boxes in the Upper Section had been used previously.

3. If there are no open boxes in the Lower Section a zero must be scored in any open box in the Upper Section.

4. If all the above conditions are met, then a bonus of 100 points (times the appropriate column multiplier) is awarded for the second and subsequent rolls of Yahtzee.


Strategy

In formulating your game plan you must keep in mind that the highest scores should be posted in the third column which is tripled in point value at the end of the game.  Similarly, the next higher scores should be posted in the second column which will be doubled in point value at the end of the game.  The first column should be used for the lowest scores whenever possible.  In order to attain the highest total score, shrewd judgment should be exercised as to the choice of columns for posting each score.

In placing scores in the Upper Section, keep in mind the bonus of 35 points.  To obtain the bonus, rolls of at least three of each kind must be scored to reach the 63 point minimum.  In other words, you must have rolled at least 3 Aces, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, and Sixes in a given column to earn the bonus.  Using higher rolls (4 Sixes, for example) allow extra points in the event that some of the other rolls are not as high.

The effect of the Upper Section bonus is determined by its column.  In the third column, the bonus is tripled for a total of 105 points.  In close games, the bonuses often determine the winner.  Be sure to try to obtain the bonus in the triple column first, then the double column, and lastly the single column.

In the Lower Section, be sure to use your best rolls in the triple column as well.  When filling in the "3 of a kind" and "4 of a kind" rows, the score is the sum of the dice.  Because of this, it is best to score only higher (5's and 6's) in these two columns when you can.

Since a "Full House" is scored as 25 points regardless of dice total, it is advantageous to score lower rolls in the row where they otherwise would earn fewer points.

"Small Straights" typically do not present an important scoring problem since they occur frequently.  If a such a straight occurs on the first roll it is a good strategy to try to obtain a Large Straight on the second and third rolls.

"Large Straights" are somewhat difficult to obtain and are best to attempt to score first.  There are only two possible Large Straights in the game: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5; 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6.

You should try to keep the Yahtzee box in column three open util your very last turn if you do not succeed in filling it sooner.  This allows for maximum scoring at the last minute because of the 300 point bonus.  See Scoring for more details.  One or more of the Lower Section boxes in the third column should also be left open until close to the end of the game in the event that you get a Yahtzee which can be scored as a Joker.  The logical box to leave open is the Large Straight unless you can fill it earlier in the game.

The Chance box should be used as a last resort for scoring.  It is wise to fill in this box in column three with the largest possible score which cannot be used elsewhere.  A good rule of thumb is if the score is 21 or more, it should be entered in Chance box of column three.

As you play the game, you will develop your own scoring strategies and techniques based on experience.


Credits

Thanks for playing Triple Yahtzee.

This game is absolutely free.  Distribution is welcome and encouraged.

A special thanks to Bryan Bellis and Irene Limpe for their helpful comments and criticism.  Many of the enhancements and features were a direct result of their input.

All design, coding, and, art work (bad as it is), was done by Jeremy Jessup.  If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about this game, please contact him via email: jessupj@bahsd.com.


Windows and Menus

Triple Yahtzee is divided into two main windows: the Scorecard Window, and the Dice Window.  Some actions can be done on either.

In two player mode, a second scorecard window is created.  This window behaves the same as the single player scorecard window except the menu options are not directly accessible.

Scorecard Window

This window represents the Triple Yahtzee scorecard as well as provides menu functionality for the game.  The main menu has three major sections: Game, Options, and Help.

The Game menu provides two sub-sections: New, and Exit.  To begin a game, select Game | New or Control+N.  To quit the program, select Game | Exit or Alt+X.

The Options menu provides a toggle for the sound, number of players selection, and access to the high score listing.  The sound can be toggled by selecting the menu item.  When sound is on, a check appears next to the menu item.  To toggle the sound click on Options | Sound.  To change the number of players, click on Players | One (for a single player game) or Players | Two.  To view the highscores click on Options | Highscores.

The Help menu displays Contents (this help file), and an About box describing the game.

Some menu options can also be selected by pressing the right mouse button while on the Scorecard.

The Scorecard can be used to interact with the Dice Window.  Pressing the Enter key causes the dice to roll.  Individual die can be "Locked" by pressing the keys numbered 1 through 5 which correspond to the dice from left to right.  Deciding which die to "Lock" is aspect of Strategy.

The Scorecard keeps track of how many rolls remain in a given turn by displaying the information in the lower portion of the scorecard on the Status Bar.  Messages regarding game status are displayed in this area.

When a turn is complete, you will be unable to roll until you click on the scorecard to enter your score.  After the roll is scored, the dice are automatically rolled for you.  If you attempt to enter a score which will be zero, a confirmation dialogue is displayed.

The Dice Window

This window displays the your current roll.  To keep individual die, click in the checkbox beneath the die.  To roll the dice, click on the Roll button.  Status information is displayed at the bottom of the Scorecard Window.