How to play Ten Thousand
- Roll all six dice at the start of your turn.
- Set aside at least one scoring die. 1s and 5s score on their own, and so do three or more of a kind (see the table below). Every die you set aside must score.
- Bank or roll on. Bank the points you've collected this turn and pass the dice on, or roll the dice that are left to try for more.
- Bust: if a roll has nothing that scores, your turn ends and you lose every point you made in it.
- Hot dice: if every die you've set aside scores and none are left, you may roll all six again and keep adding to your turn.
- Getting on the board: your first bank of the game must be worth at least 500 points. Until then, keep rolling.
- The last round: when someone banks their way to 10,000 (or 5,000 for a shorter game), everyone else gets one more turn. The highest total wins.
Scoring
| Dice | Points |
|---|---|
| Each 1 | 100 |
| Each 5 | 50 |
| Three 1s | 1,000 |
| Three 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s or 6s | 100 times the number: 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600 |
| Four of a kind | Double three of a kind (four 4s are 800) |
| Five of a kind | Double four of a kind (five 4s are 1,600) |
| Six of a kind | Double five of a kind (six 4s are 3,200) |
| A straight: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 | 1,500 |
| Three pairs (four of a kind and a pair counts too) | 1,500 |
Points only count within a single roll: a 5 now and two more 5s on the next roll are three separate 5s, not three of a kind.
Controls
- Roll: press Roll to start your turn.
- Set aside dice: tap the dice you want to keep. The panel shows what they score. Tap a die again to put it back.
- Roll on or bank: press Keep and roll to set those dice aside and roll the rest, or Bank to keep the points and end your turn.
- Keyboard: Tab moves between the dice and Enter picks one, A picks the best scoring dice, R rolls and B banks.
The scores along the top show everyone's total, with the player whose turn it is highlighted. The dice you've set aside sit in the tray below the roll.
Computer levels
Computer players roll the same fair dice as you, in the open. All of them except Easy know that in the last round, stopping short of the leader is no use, and Hard and Expert bank the moment a turn takes them to the target.
| Level | How it plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Often keeps dice and stops at random, and otherwise banks as soon as it has 300. |
| Medium | Always sets aside every scoring die, and banks once a turn is worth 300 to 1,200 points, depending on how many dice it would roll next. |
| Hard | Sets aside fewer dice when that lets it roll more (one 1 instead of a 1 and a 5), and banks fairly early: from 250 to 1,000 points, depending on how many dice it would roll next. |
| Expert | Plays the best odds, worked out in advance for every number of dice and every score so far in a turn: which dice to keep, and when to stop. |
Tips to win
- Know the odds. With one die left, you bust two times in three. With two dice it's 44%, with three 28%, with four 16%, with five 8% and with all six just 2%.
- Keep fewer dice. Rolled a 1 and a 5? Setting aside only the 1 leaves you five dice instead of four, and five dice bust far less often.
- Bank small with few dice. 350 points in the bank beats a two-in-three chance of losing them.
- Roll on with hot dice. When all six dice score, you get six fresh dice, and only 2% of six-dice rolls bust.
- Watch the scores near the end. If a rival is close to 10,000, you'll need bigger turns to keep up.
About Ten Thousand
Ten Thousand is a folk game, played around kitchen tables for generations, and its rules change from one family to the next. Some play with five dice, some count three pairs differently, and some need more or less to get on the board. The scores here are among the most common, with straights and three pairs worth 1,500 and each extra die of a kind doubling the score.
Questions
Which dice score in Ten Thousand?
1s (100 each), 5s (50 each), three or more of a kind, a straight from 1 to 6 and three pairs. Single 2s, 3s, 4s and 6s don't score on their own.
What happens if I roll nothing that scores?
That's a bust: your turn ends straight away and you lose all the points you made in it. Points you've already banked are safe.
What does hot dice mean?
It means every one of your six dice has scored. You can then pick them all up and roll all six again, adding to the same turn.
Why do I need 500 to start?
It's the usual rule for getting on the board: your first bank has to be worth at least 500. After that, you can bank any amount.
What happens when someone reaches 10,000?
Everyone else gets one more turn to beat that score. When the turn comes back round, the highest total wins.
How many people can play?
From 2 to 4 on one device. Playing alone, choose vs Computer and set the number of players: the other seats are filled by computer players.
Is Ten Thousand free?
Yes. It's free in your browser, with no download, no sign-up and no ads during a game.
Updated 8 November 2026