Yamb looks like a game of pure luck, but that is only true for a single roll. Over a whole game you fill nine columns of 13 boxes each, and there decisions matter more than luck: which dice to keep, where to score a result and where to write a zero. The tips below are for yamb as played on Društvene Igre – six dice, three rolls and nine columns. If you are still learning the game, read the yamb rules first.
1. The 30-point bonus comes first
If the upper part of a column (ones to sixes) adds up to 60 or more, you get 30 extra points. The easiest way there is three of a kind in every box: 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 = 63.
So:
- in sixes, fives and fours aim for four or five dice – every extra die covers a shortfall in the low numbers;
- if you end up with fewer than three ones or twos, make it up in sixes;
- before scoring, count how much you still need for 60 – sometimes 24 in sixes is better than waiting for a 30 that may never come.
2. Ones are worth more than they look
The middle part of a column scores (Max − Min) × the number of ones in the same column. With 28 in Max, 8 in Min and four ones, the middle part is worth (28 − 8) × 4 = 80 points.
That changes two things:
- Don’t zero your ones lightly – a zero there wipes out the middle part of that column.
- For Max keep sixes and fives, for Min keep ones and twos: the bigger the gap, the more your ones pay.
3. Six dice are your advantage
You roll six dice but need five for a combination. That spare die makes a straight, full house or four of a kind far more likely than in five-dice games. After the first roll don’t keep everything that is “almost good” – keep what leads to one combination and reroll the rest.
A straight is worth 66 on the first roll, 56 on the second and 46 on the third. With four dice towards a straight after the first roll, going for it almost always pays.
4. High numbers in the lower part
Three of a kind, full house, four of a kind and yamb score the sum of the dice plus a bonus (+20, +30, +40, +50). Four sixes are worth 24 + 40 = 64, four ones only 4 + 40 = 44. When choosing which group to build, go for high numbers – unless you need the ones for the upper part.
5. Column order: plan ahead
- The down and up columns are filled in order, without skipping. The up column starts with yamb, so its first box is the hardest – don’t waste turns hunting a yamb just for it. When a yamb falls by chance, remember it has a home there.
- The free column is your reserve. Don’t fill it with average results early; keep it for good rolls that have nowhere else to go.
- The to the middle and from the middle columns run towards or away from Max and Min – watch the next box in both, because the same roll often fits only one.
6. Hand, announce and maximum
- The hand column only accepts a result from rolling all six dice, with none kept. Don’t play for it; use it when a first roll simply hands you a good result.
- In the announce column you call the box after the first roll and cannot change it. Announce what you are already close to – a straight with four in a row, four of a kind with three or four alike. Your announcements also set the order in which your opponent fills the D column.
- The M column only accepts the best possible result for a box. Score there only when the perfect roll actually happens.
7. Where to write a zero
A zero is sometimes the smartest move. Put it where it costs least:
- yamb or four of a kind in a column where you can no longer get them;
- a box that cannot bring a bonus anyway;
- never ones in a column where Max and Min can still score well.
8. Watch your opponent
In a two-player game you are playing against your opponent, not the score sheet. If you lead, choose safe scores; if you trail, take risks – go for yamb and first-roll straights. A 50-point gap in the last ten moves can only be closed by bold play.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the bonus in yamb? 60 or more points in the upper part of a column earns 30 extra points.
How are Max and Min scored? Max is the sum of the five highest and Min of the five lowest dice you keep. The middle part of the column is worth (Max − Min) times the number of ones in that column.
Which is better, a full house or a straight? A first-roll straight (66) beats almost any full house; a full house of sixes and fives (28 + 30 = 58) beats a third-roll straight (46).
The best way to test these tips is a game – challenge a friend or find an opponent on Društvene Igre.