Yacht — Tips
Keep flexible dice early
After the first roll, prefer holds that leave several categories available. A pair or three matching dice can grow toward Four of a Kind, Full House or Yacht, while useful consecutive values can develop into one of the two exact straights.
Respect exact straights
Little Straight needs exactly 1-2-3-4-5 and Big Straight needs exactly 2-3-4-5-6. Duplicates break the combination. When four needed values are present, hold them and reroll the duplicate or unrelated die.
Use Choice as insurance
Choice accepts any roll, so it is a useful safety category when a planned combination misses. Do not spend it automatically on a weak total, because a later roll with several Fives or Sixes can turn Choice into a strong score.
Value high Four of a Kind rolls
Four of a Kind scores only the four matching dice. Four Sixes are worth 24, four Fives 20 and four Fours 16 regardless of the fifth die. High matching faces therefore make especially efficient scores in this category.
Choose zeros deliberately
A zero can be the correct damage-control choice late in the game. Compare the open categories and sacrifice the one that is hardest or least valuable to complete from the remaining opportunities rather than destroying a strong score elsewhere.
Read the whole scorecard
Before committing a score, check every open category. A roll aimed at Yacht may become a strong number score, Four of a Kind, Full House or Choice instead. The best category is the best use of the final dice, not necessarily the target you had before rolling.