About Free Printable Pig (Dice) Rules
You pig out: your turn total drops to 0, your turn ends straight away, and the die passes to the next player. Only the points from that turn are lost; your banked score is not affected.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Pig is a push-your-luck dice game for 2 to 10 players (best with 2 to 6) that needs only one six-sided die and a pencil and paper. On each turn you keep rolling to build up points, but a 1 wipes out everything you rolled that turn, so you have to decide when to hold and bank your score. The first player to bank 100 points wins, and a game takes about 10 to 20 minutes. The full printable rules sheet with dice diagrams and a sample scoresheet is on this page.
How to play Pig
- Set up: write each player's name at the top of a column on a scoresheet, all starting at 0. Decide who goes first with a coin flip, the youngest player or a high roll.
- Roll the die: on your turn, roll the single die. A 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 is added to your turn total.
- Roll again or hold: after every roll, choose to roll again to grow your turn total, or hold to bank it. There is no limit on how many times you may roll.
- Bank your points: when you hold, add your turn total to your banked score on the scoresheet. Your turn ends and the die passes to the next player, usually clockwise.
- Pig out on a 1: if you roll a 1 at any point, your turn total drops to 0 and your turn ends at once. Your banked score from earlier turns is safe.
- Win at 100: the first player to bank 100 or more points wins. The points must be banked, so when your turn total would take you past 100, hold.
Pig scoring at a glance
| Action | Effect | Example |
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| Roll 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 | Add that number to your turn total | Roll 4: turn total goes up by 4 |
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| Roll 1 (pig out) | Turn total goes to 0, turn ends | Turn total of 18, roll a 1: lose all 18, banked score unchanged |
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| Hold | Turn total added to banked score | Turn total 22 + banked 45 = banked 67 |
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| Win | First to 100 or more banked points | Banked 88, roll 6 + 5 + 4 = 15, hold: 103, you win |
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Examples
Strategy tips
- A simple rule that plays well: keep rolling until your turn total reaches 20, then hold. Analysis by Neller and Presser at Gettysburg College puts it at only about 8% behind perfect play.
- Holding at 25 is closer to optimal, about 4% behind perfect play, if you can keep track of it.
- Push harder when you are well behind. Small, safe turns rarely catch a leader who is close to 100.
- When you are near 100, you only need enough to cross the line. If you are on 92, hold as soon as your turn total reaches 8.
- Every roll has a 1 in 6 chance of a 1, whether your turn total is 3 or 30. The die does not remember, so the risk is the points you stand to lose, not a pig out being "due".
- Keep the turn total on a scratch corner of the paper and only write banked points in the columns, so a busted turn never gets banked by mistake.
Example: one turn
You roll a 4 (turn total 4), then a 6 (10), then a 5 (15). You decide to push past 15 and roll a 3, bringing your turn total to 18, then hold. You add 18 to your banked score and pass the die. Had your next roll been a 1 instead of the 3, you would have lost all 15 points from that turn, but your earlier banked points would still be safe.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you roll a 1 in Pig?
You pig out: your turn total drops to 0, your turn ends straight away, and the die passes to the next player. Only the points from that turn are lost; your banked score is not affected.
Do you have to roll at least once before holding?
The rules don't require it, but in practice almost every player rolls at least once, since holding at 0 adds nothing to your score.
Do you win the moment your turn total gets you past 100?
Not until you hold. Points only count once they are banked, so if you reach 100 or more mid-turn you must choose to hold to win. If you keep rolling and get a 1, you lose that turn's points like any other turn.
When should you hold in Pig?
A common rule of thumb is to hold once your turn total reaches 20. The best decision also depends on the scores: take more risk when you are far behind and hold earlier when you only need a few points to reach 100.
How many players can play Pig?
2 to 10 players, though it works best with 2 to 6. Larger groups mean a long wait between turns, so in a classroom groups of 3 or 4 keep everyone involved.
What is the difference between Pig, Two-Dice Pig and Big Pig?
Pig uses one die. Two-Dice Pig uses two: a single 1 ends your turn with nothing, and double 1s wipe your whole banked score back to 0. Big Pig also uses two dice, but double 1s add 25 to your turn total and any other double scores twice its face value, so double 4s add 16.
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