Yahtzee

Yahtzee is an adaptation of a traditional English dice game (Yacht), altered slightly and given a pseudo-Oriental makeover by the E.S. Lowe Company (who were later bought out by Milton Bradley). Players roll five dice, trying to get as many matching numbers as possible. If a player succeeds in getting all five dice to match, he gets a "Yahtzee" (called a "Yacht" in the traditional version) and a 50-point bonus. Bonuses are also awarded for poker hand-esque combinations, such as a pair of twos and three threes, making a full house.

A recent variant, Power Yahtzee, includes a red Power Die, which can double or triple a player's score. Yahtzee was also the basis for a short-lived syndicated Game Show with Peter Marshall in the mid-1980s.

Not to be confused with Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw.


 * Luck Manipulation Mechanic: Yahtzee incorporates this as a core game mechanic. Players roll five dice each round, and if they don't like how they come up, they can re-roll some or all of them up to twice in one turn in attempts to get specific dice combinations.