Players
2 or more
Equipment
6 six-sided dice
Length
20 to 40 minutes
How to play, step by step
- Roll all six dice. Look for scoring dice using the chart below.
- Set aside at least one scoring die. You must keep at least one scoring die from every throw. You may keep more.
- Roll again or bank. With the remaining dice, either throw again to add to your turn total, or bank everything into your score.
- Zonk ends the turn. A throw with no scoring dice at all is a Zonk — the entire turn total is lost.
- Hot dice. If all six dice end up scoring, you may pick up all six and continue with your turn total intact.
- Race to 10,000. First to 10,000 wins. Some rule sets require an opening bank of 500 or 1,000 to get on the board.
Zonk scoring chart
| Single 1 | 100 |
| Single 5 | 50 |
| Three 1s | 1,000 |
| Three 2s | 200 |
| Three 3s | 300 |
| Three 4s | 400 |
| Three 5s | 500 |
| Three 6s | 600 |
| Four of a kind | Double the three-of-a-kind value |
| Five of a kind | Quadruple the three-of-a-kind value |
| Six of a kind | 3,000 |
| Straight 1-2-3-4-5-6 | 1,500 |
| Three pairs | 1,500 |
The odds of Zonking
With six dice in hand a Zonk is almost impossible — about 2%. With three dice left it climbs to roughly 28%. With two dice it is about 44%, and with a single die you fail two throws in three. That escalation is the whole game.
A workable rule of thumb: bank once your turn total passes 300 and you have three or fewer dice left. Keep rolling below that, or with four or more dice in hand.
Keep fewer dice than you think
Beginners set aside every scoring die. That is usually wrong. If you roll 1-5-2-3-4-6 you could bank 150 and roll four dice — but that is a straight worth 1,500. Read the whole throw before you touch anything, and when a choice exists, keeping fewer dice leaves more dice to roll and lowers your Zonk risk.
Endgame rules
- Most rule sets give every other player one final turn once someone passes 10,000.
- Some require you to bank exactly 10,000 — overshooting means you score nothing that turn.
- Opening thresholds (500 or 1,000 to get on the board) slow the early game and are optional.
Common variants
- Farkle — identical game, different name and occasionally a 2,000-point straight.
- 10,000 — same chart, sometimes with a 1,000-point entry requirement.
- Team Zonk — partners share a score and alternate turns.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Zonk?
A throw containing no scoring dice at all. It wipes your entire turn total and ends your turn.
Is Zonk the same as Farkle?
Yes — same six dice, same scoring chart, different regional name.
What are three 1s worth in Zonk?
One thousand points, the highest three-of-a-kind in the standard chart.
Keep playing
Roll six dice online, or browse the full dice game rules library and our free dice tools.