How to Play
Pig Dice
The ultimate push-your-luck game. One die, one rule — roll a 1 and lose everything you built this turn. First to 100 wins.
Game Overview
Pig Dice is the original push-your-luck game. Each turn you roll a single die as many times as you like, adding to a running turn total. Hold at any point to bank those points. Roll a 1 (the Pig) and you lose everything accumulated that turn — your previously banked score stays safe. First player to reach or exceed 100 banked points wins.
Turn Structure
Scoring Reference
| Die Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| 🐷 Roll a 1 | Turn total reset to 0 — turn ends, pass to opponent. Banked score is safe. |
| Roll a 2 | +2 to turn total. May roll again or hold. |
| Roll a 3 | +3 to turn total. May roll again or hold. |
| Roll a 4 | +4 to turn total. May roll again or hold. |
| Roll a 5 | +5 to turn total. May roll again or hold. |
| Roll a 6 | +6 to turn total. May roll again or hold. |
| Hold | Bank entire turn total. Turn ends. |
| Bank ≥ 100 | 🏆 Win the game! |
Strategy Tips
🎓 The Optimal Strategy: Hold at 20
Research published in 2004 proved the mathematically optimal strategy is to hold whenever your turn total reaches 20 points, unless holding at that point would win the game, or unless the opponent is close enough to winning that you need to take more risk. Against most opponents, the 20-point rule maximises expected score gain per turn.
Why 20 points?
Each roll has a 1-in-6 chance of hitting the Pig. The expected gain per roll is about +3.5 points minus the risk of losing everything. Below 20, expected gain > expected loss. Above 20, the math flips.
Adjust near 100
If holding now would put you at 100+, hold immediately — there's no reason to risk a Pig for extra points you don't need. Lower your threshold to whatever gets you over the line.
Play aggressively when behind
If the opponent is at 90+ and you're at 50, conservative play loses anyway. Push for 30-40 point turns. High risk is justified when the expected outcome of playing safe is still a loss.
Protect your lead
When you're 30+ points ahead, bank early and let the opponent carry the risk. Your goal shifts from maximising points to not giving them a chance to catch up.
CPU Difficulty Levels
Frequently Asked Questions
Does rolling a 1 reset my total score?
No — only your turn total is lost. Your banked score (from previous turns where you held) is permanently safe.
Can I win mid-turn, or do I have to hold first?
You must hold to bank the points. Rolling a winning total doesn't win the game — only holding does.
Is there a minimum score before I can hold?
No minimum. You can hold with a turn total of just 2 if you want — though it's rarely wise.
What's the highest possible turn total?
Theoretically unlimited, but the Pig makes very long turns extremely rare. A turn total above 40 is exceptional.
How is Pig Dice different from Farkle?
Pig uses one die with one loss condition (rolling a 1). Farkle uses six dice with multiple scoring combinations and a Farkle when no dice score. Pig is faster and simpler; Farkle has richer scoring decisions.
Ready to Push Your Luck?
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