Generala (or "General") is a dice game played with five six-sided dice. It is a Latin American version of the commercial game of Yahtzee (or Yacht).
Like Yahtzee, the object is to fill in each category on the score sheet and make the highest score. Differences in gameplay include:
- The game has only one "straight", and it can be either 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6. It counts for 25 points if it's a "natural" (on the first throw), or 20 points if made on the second or third throws.
- A full house is worth 35 points on the first throw, 30 points on subsequent throws.
- A four-of-a-kind is worth 45 points on the first throw, 40 points on subsequent throws.
- Five-of-a-kind is called a "generala". If you roll it on the first throw, it's called a "big generala" and wins the game outright. If you roll it on the second or third throws, it's known as a "small generala" and is worth 60 points.
- There is no "Three of a Kind" category.
- There is no "Chance" category.
- There is no bonus scoring.
A player may choose to take a "0" for a category score. This is known as a "scratch". However, if the "Generala" category has been scratched, and the player then rolls a five-of-a-kind on the first roll, it is not an automatic win.
The player with the highest score after filling all categories is the winner (unless, of course, a "Big Generala" has already decided the game)!
Generala Rule Variations
- Some play that a straight may "wrap around", so 3-4-5-6-1, 4-5-6-1-2, 5-6-1-2-3, and 6-1-2-3-4 are also valid straights.
- Some players allow a "1" to be a "wild card" in a straight, so that, for example, 2-3-1-5-6 would be a valid straight.
- A bonus may be earned by rolling a second "generala" in the same game. This is known as a "Double Generala", and is worth 120 points if accomplished on the first roll, and 100 points on subsequent rolls. A first-roll Double Generala is not an automatic game-winner.
See also: Other Dice Game Rules
