How to play Ten Pins
Ten Pins is a dice game for 2-6 players. A round usually takes 15-25 minutes, and the recommended age is 6+.
Rules for Ten Pins: Bowling with two dice over ten frames, where 5-5 is a strike and any six rolls off the alley.
Setup
Ten Pins is played with two dice, a sheet of paper and something to write with. Give each player a column divided into ten boxes, one for each frame. The game works for two to six players, and you do not need to know much about bowling to join in.
How to play
The game is played over ten frames, just like real bowling. On your turn you have up to three rolls. After each roll you may leave one or both dice on the table, or roll again. When you stop, or have used all three rolls, the total of the two dice is your score for the frame.
Sixes never count. A six means the ball has rolled off the alley, and that die scores nothing for the throw.
Strikes and spares
Two fives is the best throw in the game:
- Strike: 5-5 on your first roll scores 10 points, plus the result of your last roll in the next frame as a bonus.
- Spare: 5-5 on your second or third roll scores 10 points, plus the result of your first roll in the next frame.
A strike or spare in the tenth frame is worth just the 10 points, since there is no frame after it. If you want it to feel like the bowling alley, agree on one extra roll to settle the bonus.
Winning
After ten frames, each player adds up their scores, and the highest total wins. Keeping the running total frame by frame is good mental arithmetic practice, especially once the strike and spare bonuses come into play.
A little tactics
A common rule of thumb: if your first roll shows no five, roll both dice again and chase the strike or spare. On the second roll, ones and twos are worth rerolling, while threes and fours are usually good enough to keep.
Variants
House rules vary a little from home to home. Some skip the bonus rules entirely and simply play for the highest total each frame, which makes the game easier for the youngest players.
If you enjoy sports on the table, Dice Golf is a natural next round. Fifty is another quick game with two dice.
Is Ten Pins a good game for kids?
Yes, from around six years old. The rules are simple, and the scores are small enough for kids to add up on their own. The only part that needs a little help at first is the bonus scoring for strikes and spares.
Similar games
Fifty
Only doubles score, double 6 is worth 25 and double 3 wipes your score. The first player to reach 50 points wins.
Round the Clock
Roll the dice and hit the numbers 1 to 12 in order, like the hands moving around a clock face.
One-O-Five
Roll five dice and chase ones, then twos, all the way up to sixes. The first player to finish all six numbers wins.