Pig dice game

Play to

Computer players1

Play with friends

Make a private room and share the link, or join one with its code. Everyone plays on their own phone; add computer players to fill seats.

Roll as often as you dare. A 1 loses the turn.

One die, one rule: roll as long as you dare, but a 1 wipes out your turn. First to 100 wins.

Players
2+
Time
10 min
You need
1 die, pen and paper
To win
First to 100

Pig rules

  1. Players take turns. On your turn, roll one die.
  2. Roll a 2 to 6 and add it to your turn total. Then choose: roll again, or hold and add the turn total to your score.
  3. Roll a 1 and your turn ends with nothing added.
  4. The first player to reach 100 points wins.

Strategy

The chance of rolling a 1 is the same every time: one in six. So the longer you roll, the more you have to lose. Holding at around 20 points a turn is a well-known rule of thumb, because that's roughly where the points you expect to gain from one more roll stop outweighing the points you risk losing.

  • Close to 100? Keep rolling until you can win.
  • Far behind late in the game? Take bigger risks; holding at 20 won't catch up.

Variations

  • Two-Dice Pig: roll two dice. A single 1 ends the turn; double 1s reset your score to zero.
  • Big Pig: with two dice, doubles count double, and double 1s are worth 25.
  • Shorter game: play to 50 for young children.

Pig and Pass the Pigs

Pass the Pigs is a commercial game built on the same push-your-luck idea: instead of a die you toss two little rubber pigs, scoring by how they land, and a "pig out" loses your turn. If you enjoy Pig, you'll enjoy Farkle too: the same tension with six dice.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the Pig dice game?

On your turn, roll one die as many times as you like, adding up the numbers. Stop whenever you want and bank the total. If you roll a 1, you lose everything from that turn. The first player to 100 wins.

What is the best strategy for Pig?

A simple rule that works well: keep rolling until you have 20 points in the turn, then hold. Near the end, roll until you can win, and take more risks when you're far behind.

How many dice do you need for Pig?

Just one. A two-dice version (Two-Dice Pig) loses the turn on any 1 and wipes your whole score on double 1s.

Is Pig the same as Pass the Pigs?

They're cousins. Pass the Pigs is a commercial game where you roll two little rubber pigs and score by how they land; the push-your-luck idea is the same as Pig.

Is Pig good for kids?

Yes. It teaches adding and a little probability, takes ten minutes, and needs only one die.