The Yahtzee Manifesto

Yahtzee is oftentimes a game of tough decisions with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each whispering sweet temptations directly into your cerebral cortex. In this post we will examine one of the most well-known dilemmas in Yahtzee strategy, the Joker's Gambit. Consider the following situation and decide for yourself. Only two turns are left in your game, with the Yahtzee and Fives boxes still open. The 35-point Upper Section bonus appears to be out of reach as you would need to roll five Fives* to surpass the 63-point threshold. Things aren't looking too great but being a serious Yahtzeeist you never give up hope. On your penultimate turn you roll a couple of Fives, then a couple more - and, yes, it's a Yahtzee in Fives! Welcome to the Joker's Gambit. Instinctively, your pencil is drawn to the Lower Section of your Yahtzee scorecard to mark 50 big ones in the empty Yahtzee box. But after a moment's reflection you realize that scorin...

  Archaeological evidence suggests that an early form of Yahtzee has been played on the Tibetan steppes and throughout the wider Himalayan region for thousands of years. The most well-preserved artifact from these early days is a set of five yak bone dice nestled inside a leather pouch. Historians believe that the game gradually transitioned from a popular pastime that the general population enjoyed into one that was used primarily by a small group of elites during sacred rituals or religious rites. As a consequence, Yahtzee’s popularity as an everyday activity declined. Yahtzee’s modern day resurrection is due to a wealthy Canadian couple who rediscovered the games ancient origins while on a tour of Tibet in the early twentieth century. They were immediately won over by the game’s complex simplicity and began playing it regularly as they cruised around the world on their private yacht. Unfortunately the game’s original name has been lost to history so the couple refe...