Dominoes

Overview

Players take turns matching numbered tiles end to end, trying to be first to play out their hand. These are the rules for Block and Draw dominoes, the two most common games, with the spinner variants covered separately.

No single body sets the rules. Federations run competitive play in some countries, but we haven't checked their rules. Domino games vary widely by region and household, so agree the details before the first tile goes down.

1. The set

A double-six set has 28 tiles, covering every combination of two numbers from blank to six, including doubles. Larger sets — double-nine (55 tiles) and double-twelve (91) — exist for more players.

A blank counts as zero and matches only other blanks.

2. Setup

Shuffle the tiles face down — the boneyard. Deal by player count:

Players	Tiles each
2	7
3–4	5

These are common deals; others are played. The rest stay face down in the boneyard.

The player holding the highest double leads with it. If nobody has a double, reshuffle, or draw for the lead.

3. Play

Going clockwise, each player adds one tile to an open end of the layout, matching the pips on that end.

Block — if you cannot play, you pass.

Draw — if you cannot play, you draw from the boneyard until you can, or until it is empty; then you pass.

4. Doubles and the spinner

This is where rule sets diverge, and it is the most common source of argument.

In basic Block and Draw

Doubles are placed crosswise — perpendicular to the line. They are a presentational convention only. They do not open extra branches. The layout still has exactly two open ends, and you play off the ends as normal.

In spinner games

In Muggins, All Fives and similar scoring games, the first double played becomes the spinner.

The spinner can be played off all four sides — the two ends plus both flanks — turning the layout into a cross. Once both sides of the spinner have been extended, the layout has four open ends.

In most versions only the first double is the spinner. Later doubles are placed crosswise but don't open new branches. Some groups play every double as a spinner, so check.

In Mexican Train

Every double must be satisfied — the next player must play a matching tile onto it before normal play resumes. If they cannot, they draw, and if they still cannot, the double stays open and anyone may satisfy it.

So the honest answer to "can you play off a double" is: it depends entirely on which game you are playing, and this must be agreed before the first tile goes down.

5. Ending a hand

A hand ends when a player plays their last tile — calling "domino" — or when the game is blocked because nobody can move.

6. Scoring

The player going out scores the total pip count of every tile left in the other players' hands.

If the game is blocked, the player with the lowest pip count in hand scores the difference between their total and each opponent's total.

Play to 100 or 250 points as agreed.

In All Fives, players also score during play whenever the sum of the open ends is a multiple of five.

Commonly argued

• Whether you can play off a double depends on the game. Basic Block: no, doubles are decorative. Spinner games: only the first double, and on all four sides.
• Usually only the first double is a spinner. Agree it first.
• A blocked game is not a draw. Somebody still scores.
• Most groups require you to play if you can. Agree whether passing with a playable tile is allowed.
• Blanks are zero, and match only other blanks.