How the roll works
Each die is rolled on its own with your browser's secure random generator, and every face from 1 to 6 has a one-in-six chance. The dice never influence each other, and the earlier rolls do not affect the next. The sum is shown beneath the faces.
The odds with two dice
Two dice can land in 36 equally likely ways, six faces times six faces. Sums are not equally likely, though, because some totals can be made in more ways than others. A total of 2 needs two ones, so only 1 of the 36 ways works, about 2.8%. A 7 can be made six ways (1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 4+3, 5+2 and 6+1), so the chance is 6 out of 36, or exactly 1 in 6, about 16.7%.
That is why 7 is the most common total and why it turns up so often in games like Monopoly and Catan. The numbers fall off in both directions, with 6 and 8 each at 5 of 36 and 12 at just 1 of 36.
Doubles, where both dice show the same face, come up 6 times in 36, so one roll in six. Three doubles in a row, as in Monopoly, has a chance of 1 in 216.
Using several dice
More dice make the total cluster around the middle. One die is flat, with each face equally likely, while the sum of six dice is most often near 21, with low and high totals becoming quite rare. That bell shape is a classic way to see probability in action.
Good moments to roll
- Board games and card games when you are short a die.
- Tabletop games with a group that want quick rolls.
- Teaching kids simple probability and adding up.
- Deciding who goes first by high roll.
Questions people ask
Are the dice fair?
Yes. Each die is an independent draw where every face has a 1 in 6 chance.
What is the most likely total with two dice?
Seven, which has a 6 in 36 chance, or 1 in 6.
Can I roll dice with more than six sides?
This tool rolls standard six-sided dice. For other ranges, the random number generator will do the job.