How to Figure the Odds of Rolling a Set of Numbers With Dice

Determine the number set for which you want to calculate the odds. This determines how many dice you use in your calculation, since, if you roll each die once, you need one die to generate each number in your set. For example, you may wish to calculate the odds of getting the set of numbers 3, 5 and 6 from the roll of three dice.

Calculate the probability of rolling your first number on the first dice roll. Assuming these are standard six sided dice, the odds of getting any particular number from one through six on a given roll are 1/6. So, in the example, the odds of getting a 3 on the roll of the first die are 1/6.

Calculate the odds of getting the other numbers in your set on the rolls of the remaining dice. Do this using the same technique as in the previous calculation. Once again, the odds of getting any chosen number on a single roll are 1/6. In the example, the probability of rolling 5 with the second roll and 6 with the third roll are both 1/6.

Calculate the probability of rolling your particular number set by multiplying together the individual odds which you have now calculated. In the case of the example, you would multiply 1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6 and so you would calculate the odds of obtaining the number set 3,5,6 from rolling three dice are 1/216. In words, you would express these odds as one chance in two hundred and sixteen. Notice that the odds of any three number set from three rolls is 1/216.