Kismet is a popular commercial dice game that is a close relative of Yacht and Yahtzee. It is billed as "The Modern Game of Yacht".
Kismet is played with five six-sided dice. Kismet dice are unique in their use of colored pips – "1" and "6" have black pips, "2" and "5" have red pips, and "3" and "4" have green pips. A dice cup is often used as well, though this is optional.
Players take turns rolling the dice and attempting to score the maximum number of points by rolling specific combinations of dice.
For each player's turn, they are allowed to roll the dice up to three times in an attempt to get the highest scoring combination. For the first roll, throw all five dice. From among the five, set aside any you wish to keep, and pick up the rest and roll again. Repeat once more if you like.
At the end of the three rolls (or sooner if you prefer), you must fill in one of the blank category spaces on the score sheet, either with a point value that you've earned, based on the combination rolled, or a zero if you're unable to make an available combination.
Kismet Scoring Categories
| Category | Description | Example | Ex. Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1's | 1 point for each "1" thrown |
1
1
1
4
5
|
3 |
| 2's | 2 points for each "2" thrown |
2
2
1
4
5
|
4 |
| 3's | 3 points for each "3" thrown |
3
3
3
3
5
|
12 |
| 4's | 4 points for each "4" thrown |
4
4
4
2
5
|
12 |
| 5's | 5 points for each "5" thrown |
5
5
1
4
6
|
10 |
| 6's | 6 points for each "6" thrown |
6
6
6
6
1
|
24 |
| Upper Sub-Total | Sum of 1's + 2's + 3's + 4's + 5's + 6's | 65 | |
| Bonus | Bonus (see notes) | 35 | |
| Two Pair | 2 pairs of the same color scores total of all 5 dice |
3
3
4
4
5
|
19 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 of any value scores total of all 5 dice |
1
1
1
2
3
|
8 |
| Straight | 5 numbers in a row scores 30 |
2
3
4
5
6
|
30 |
| Flush | All dice of the same color scores 35 |
3
3
4
4
4
|
35 |
| Full House | 3 of one value and 2 of another value scores total of all 5 dice plus 15 |
2
2
2
4
4
|
29 |
| Full House Flush | 3 of one value and 2 of another value all of the same color scores total of all 5 dice plus 20 |
2
2
2
5
5
|
36 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 of any value scores total of all 5 dice plus 25 |
4
4
4
4
5
|
46 |
| Yarborough | Total of all 5 dice |
4
4
2
5
6
|
21 |
| Kismet | 5 of any value scores total of all 5 dice plus 50 |
3
3
3
3
3
|
65 |
| Lower Sub-Total | Sum of all categories in Kismet Section | 389 | |
| Total Score | Upper Sub-Total + Bonus + Lower Sub-Total | 295 |
Here are some free printable Kismet score sheets from centralconnector.com.
If you manage to roll more than one Kismet, you are not awarded a bonus, but you may use the dice in any other category to which they might apply. However, the other players are penalized – they each must record a zero in the nearest empty space to the top of the score sheet, and they each lose a turn. The player who has rolled the extra Kismet rolls again.
The game continues until all 15 available spaces are filled in, either with a score or with a zero. The scoring is divided into upper and lower sections (on the score sheets, these are labeled "Basic Section" and "Kismet Section").
Basic Section Scoring
The upper section is used to roll 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, and 6's. Only the dice with the specified value are totaled in each category; the rest are ignored. For instance, in the first example shown above, you rolled a 1-1-1-4-5. Since you chose to use the 1's category, you count only the three 1's, for a total of 4 points. You also could have chosen to write down a "4" in the 4's category, or a "5" in the 5's category.
When all the categories in the upper section are complete, get a sub-total by adding the scores for 1 through 6. If it's 63-70, you earn a 35-point bonus; if it's 71-77, you earn a 55-point bonus; if it's 78 or more, you earn a 75-point bonus!
Kismet Section Scoring
In the lower section, you score either the sum total of all the dice (for two pair, three-of-a-kind, and chance), the sum total of all the dice plus a bonus (for full house, full house flush, four-of-a-kind, and kismet), or a fixed amount (for the straight and flush).
Final Score
The final score is the sum of the basic section, bonus, and kismet section. The winner is the player with the highest score!
Official Kismet Rules
Kismet is published by Endless Games (all rights reserved), and they have the official rules online (PDF).
See also: Other Dice Game Rules, Buy Kismet Games
