📋 Yams Challenge Rules

Strategic 4-Column Version

Master this unique variant of the world's most popular dice game

🧭 Quick Navigation

The 4 Columns Game Flow Filling Rules Examples Combinations Strategies

🎲 Required Materials

🎲

5 Dice

Standard 6-sided dice

📊

Score Grid

4 game columns

✏️

Writing Tool

Pencil or pen

🏛️ The 4 Game Columns

The great innovation: This Yams version is played with 4 distinct columns, each with its own filling rules!

⬇️

Descending

Strict filling

Rule : Boxes MUST be filled from top to bottom in order.

Order : 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → Three of a Kind → Four of a Kind → Full House → Small Straight → Large Straight → Yams → Plus → Minus

⬆️

Ascending

Reverse filling

Rule : Boxes MUST be filled from bottom to top in reverse order.

Order : Minus → Plus → Yams → Large Straight → Small Straight → Full House → Four of a Kind → Three of a Kind → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1

🔀

Disorder

Total freedom

Rule : Any box can be filled at any time.

Advantage : Allows flexible strategy and tactical adjustments.

🎯

Dry

For the bold

Rule : Free filling BUT only with results from rolling all 5 dice simultaneously.

Restriction : If you keep even one die, you cannot use this column!

⚖️ Plus/Minus Rule (CRITICAL!)

🚨 In each column, the Plus (+) score must be STRICTLY GREATER than the Minus (-) score!

✅ Valid example:

Minus (-) = 15 points Plus (+) = 18 points

❌ Invalid example:

Minus (-) = 20 points Plus (+) = 20 points (equal = forbidden!)

🎮 Turn Flow

🎲 Dice Rolls (3 maximum)

1️⃣ First Roll

Roll all 5 dice and examine the result. Decide which dice to keep.

2️⃣ Second Roll

Re-roll only the dice not kept. You can modify your selection.

3️⃣ Third Roll

Last roll! You can take back previously kept dice.

🎯 Special Case: The "Dry" Roll

Condition : To use the "Dry" column, all 5 dice must have been rolled simultaneously.

✅ Valid examples:

• 1st roll with all 5 dice
• 2nd roll after taking back ALL dice
• 3rd roll with all 5 dice together

❌ Invalid example:

• Keep 2 dice and re-roll 3 dice
• Cannot score in "Dry"!

📝 Filling Rules by Column

⬇️ Descending

Boxes filled strictly from top to bottom.

1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → Three of a Kind → Four of a Kind → Full House → Small Straight → Large Straight → Yams → Plus → Minus

⬆️ Ascending

Boxes filled strictly from bottom to top.

Minus → Plus → Yams → Large Straight → Small Straight → Full House → Four of a Kind → Three of a Kind → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1

🔀 Disorder

Total freedom! Any box can be filled at any time. Perfect for strategic flexibility.

🎯 Dry

Free choice of box like "Disorder", BUT result must come from a roll of all 5 dice simultaneously.

💡 Turn Examples

🎯 Example 1: Classic Turn (Aiming for Three of a Kind)

1 First roll: 2, 3, 3, 5, 6 → I keep the two 3s

2 Second roll: 1, 3, 4 → Excellent! I now have three 3s

3 Third roll: 2, 5 → Final result: 3, 3, 3, 2, 5

✅ Result: Three of a Kind of 3s = 9 points (3+3+3)

🔄 Example 2: Strategy Change

1 First roll: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 → I aim for a straight, keeping 1, 2, 3

2 Second roll: 3, 6 → No 4... I change tactics!

3 I take back ALL dice: 4, 4, 4, 2, 1 → Jackpot!

✅ Result: Three of a Kind of 4s = 12 points (4+4+4)

🎯 Example 3: "Dry" Roll

1 First roll: 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 → I keep the two 5s

2 Second roll: 1, 2, 4 → ❌ Cannot go in "Dry"!

3 I re-roll all 5 dice: 3, 3, 3, 3, 6 → All rolled together!

✅ Result: Four of a Kind of 3s = 12 points - Can go in "Dry"!

🏆 Combination Values

🔢 Upper Section (Numbers)

1 (Ones) Sum of dice with value 1

2 (Twos) Sum of dice with value 2

3 (Threes) Sum of dice with value 3

4 (Fours) Sum of dice with value 4

5 (Fives) Sum of dice with value 5

6 (Sixes) Sum of dice with value 6

🎁 30-point bonus

If upper section sum ≥ 60 points

🎯 Lower Section (Combinations)

Three of a Kind Sum of the 3 identical dice

Four of a Kind Sum of the 4 identical dice

Full House Sum of all 5 dice

Small Straight 10 fixed points

Large Straight 20 fixed points

Yams 40 fixed points

Plus (+) Sum of all 5 dice

Minus (-) Sum of all 5 dice

⚠️ Warning!

There is NO "Chance" line in this version

🧠 Advanced Strategies

💰 Bonus Management (30 points)

Aim for at least 60 points in the upper section (numbers 1-6) to secure the precious 30-point bonus.

Astuce : An average of 10 points per number is enough (example: 3 dice of each value)

❌ When to Cross Out a Box

Sometimes you must "sacrifice" a box by crossing it out (mark "x") to optimize your overall score.

🎯 Boxes to cross out first:

• Difficult combinations (Yams) if no chance
• Small values if far from bonus
• Boxes that penalize the least

⚠️ Crossing restrictions:

• "Dry" column: only with 5 dice rolled
• Ordered columns: must respect order

🎮 Suggested Play Order

1 Start with the "Disorder" column for more flexibility

2 Use "Dry" when you get a good result with 5 dice rolled together

3 Plan ordered columns according to your rolls

4 Watch the Plus/Minus rule: don't block yourself!

🚨 Example of Difficult Situation

You scored 25 in "Minus" of the "Ascending" column.

Next turn, you roll 24 (sum of dice).

❌ Cannot put 24 in "Plus" of this column (24 < 25)!

💡 Possible options:

• Use this 24 in another column
• Cross out the "Plus" box if it's next in order
• Look for another combination with this roll

🏁 End of Game

📊

Condition

All boxes in the 4 columns are filled

🧮

Calculation

Add the totals of the 4 columns

🏆

Victory

Final score is the sum of the 4 columns

🎯 Ready to Take the Challenge?

Now that you've mastered the rules, it's time to test your skills!

🎲 PLAY NOW 🏠 Back to home