How to Play Martinetti

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Martinetti is a fast-moving dice racing game for two to six players in which everyone competes to advance a counter through the numbers 1 to 12 and back again. Progress depends entirely on what three dice produce each turn, but the catch is that all players use every single roll, so inattention costs you ground just as surely as bad luck does.

Its appeal lies in the combination of simplicity and tension. The rules take two minutes to explain, yet the shared-roll mechanic means there is always something at stake on someone else's turn. It works equally well as a kitchen-table family game and as a light filler between longer sessions.

A little history

The precise origins of Martinetti are unclear. It is known under several names including Ohio and Texas in North America, and variations of the core mechanic appear in a number of 19th and early 20th century parlour game collections, though no single authoritative source documents where or when the game was first codified. It is traditionally regarded as a North American folk game that spread through family and social circles rather than through commercial publication.

Setting up

1. Draw or lay out a track numbered 1 through 12 in a row, with a clear start and finish position at each end.
2. Each player places their counter at the start, off the number 1.
3. Decide the playing order, for example by each player rolling one die and the highest going first.
4. Choose who will call the roll aloud each turn; in informal play the active roller usually does this themselves.

How to play

1. On your turn, pick up all three dice and roll them in full view of all players.
2. Announce the three values clearly: for example, 2, 3 and 5.
3. Every player, including those not rolling, may now use the result to advance their own counter if it helps them.
4. A player advances by forming their next required number from the dice. Numbers may be formed by using a single die showing that value, by adding any two dice together, or by adding all three dice together.
5. Example: a roll of 1, 4 and 6 allows a player to claim 1 (single die), 5 (1+4), 7 (1+6), 10 (4+6), 11 (1+4+6) and also 4 or 6 as single-die values. A player needing any one of those numbers may advance one step.
6. A player may only advance one step per roll, even if multiple needed numbers could be formed from a single roll. Move to the next number in your sequence; you cannot skip numbers.
7. After all players have taken whatever advance is available to them, the turn passes clockwise and the next player rolls.
8. Once a player reaches 12, they must then work their way back down from 12 to 1. The direction simply reverses; the same formation rules apply.
9. If a player fails to claim an advance before the next roll is made, they forfeit that advance for that roll. There is no going back.
10. Play continues until one player completes the return journey and moves off the 1 at the bottom.

Winning and scoring

The first player to advance through 1 to 12 and then back down from 12 to 1, moving off the track at the bottom, wins the game outright. There is no points system in the standard game; it is a single-winner race. In a multi-round session, players may agree in advance to play a set number of rounds and award one point per win, with the highest tally deciding the overall champion.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns whether a player can use the same die in two separate combinations within a single roll. The standard ruling is no: each die may only be used once per roll when forming a number. So with a roll of 2, 2 and 3, a player can form 4 (2+2), 5 (2+3), 7 (2+2+3) or a single 2 or 3, but they cannot use 2+3 and simultaneously claim 2+3 again from the same roll to cover two different steps.

A second common edge case arises when a player needs 12 exactly. The number must be reached by forming 12 from the dice, not by rolling a combined total beyond it. Because 12 is the maximum possible sum of three dice, it can only be formed as 6+6+0 (impossible on standard dice) or specific multi-die combinations totalling 12, meaning a roll of 6, 3 and 3, for example, works via 6+3+3. Players should also be aware that if two players could advance on the same roll, both may do so simultaneously; there is no priority order for claiming a roll result.

How to win more often

• Stay alert on every roll, not just your own. Missing a valid advance on another player's roll is the single biggest avoidable error in the game.
• The numbers 1, 2 and 12 are statistically the hardest to hit. Plan for delays at these points and do not be surprised when play stalls there.
• Middle numbers such as 7, 8 and 9 come up frequently because they can be formed in many different ways from three dice. Expect to move quickly through this range.
• In a close race, pay attention to where opponents are on the track. If several players are near the same number and you are rolling, the roll benefits everyone equally, so there is no tactical advantage in rolling slowly or quickly.
• When teaching newer players, encourage them to keep a simple tally of which numbers can be formed from a given roll before committing, rather than scanning dice mid-claim. A moment's mental arithmetic at the start of each roll prevents missed opportunities.

Variations

Penalty for Missing a Roll

In this stricter variant, if a player fails to claim an advance they were entitled to before the dice are picked up for the next roll, they must move their counter back one space as a penalty. This keeps all players fully engaged and makes the game noticeably more tense, particularly with younger or easily distracted players at the table.

Extended Track

The track is extended to run from 1 to 18, requiring players to reach higher totals that are impossible with two dice and can only be formed using all three. This increases the run-time and demands sharper mental arithmetic, making it better suited to older or more experienced players.

Team Play

With six players, pairs can compete as teams. Partners share a single counter and alternate rolling turns. A team wins when their shared counter completes the full journey. This variant works well for mixed-age groups where pairing a stronger player with a younger one balances the table.

Targeted Scoring (Ohio Rules)

Known in some regions as Ohio, this variant awards points rather than declaring an outright winner. Players score one point for each number they reach before the round ends when the first player completes the course. Scores accumulate across multiple rounds and a target total, commonly 50 points, determines the overall winner. This rewards consistent progress rather than a single fortunate run.

Martinetti: frequently asked questions