Be the first team to reach the table's target score (50, 100 or 150) by scoring the pips left in your opponents' hands.
The tiles and the deal
Domino uses the full double-six set: 28 tiles, each with two numbers from 0 to 6.
Each player gets 7 tiles. With four players every tile is dealt, so there is no boneyard to draw from. Partners sit opposite each other.
Who opens
In the first deal, the player holding the double six opens and must play it first.
In later deals, the winner of the previous deal opens with any tile: the player who went out, or in a blocked deal the player on the winning team with the fewest pips in hand. If a blocked deal ends level, the previous opener opens again.
Play
On your turn you play one tile on either end of the line, matching one of its numbers to the open number at that end; its other number becomes the new end.
If a tile fits both ends, you choose which end.
A player who cannot play passes automatically.
End of a deal and scoring
- When a player plays their last tile (Domino!), their team wins the deal and scores the total pips on the tiles left in the other team's hands.
- When nobody can play (blocked), each team's pips in hand are added up; the team with fewer pips wins and scores the other team's total.
- If a blocked deal ends with equal pips, nobody scores.
Domino for two players
When a table is set to two players, each gets 7 tiles and the other 14 stay face down as the boneyard.
A player who cannot play draws one tile at a time until they can. You may not draw while you hold a playable tile. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass.
In the first deal the highest double dealt opens, or the highest tile if nobody has a double. Scoring and the end of the game work as with four players, but each player is on their own.
How the game ends
The table creator picks the target score when creating the table: 50, 100 or 150 points, with 100 as the default.
The first team (or player) to reach or pass the target wins.
Tips for beginners
- Get rid of heavy tiles early; they score for your opponents if you are left holding them.
- Note the numbers your opponents pass on: those are numbers they don't have.
- Try to leave ends your partner can play on.
- Count how many tiles of each number are out to see when the game might block.
Questions
Who goes first in Domino?
In the first deal, the holder of the double six (with two players, the highest double). After that, the winner of the previous deal opens with any tile.
How is Domino scored?
The team that wins a deal scores the total pips on the tiles left in the other team's hands.
What happens when the game is blocked?
The team with fewer pips in hand wins and scores the other team's total. If both are equal, nobody scores.
Is there a boneyard in Domino?
Not with four players, since all 28 tiles are dealt. With two players, 14 tiles stay in the boneyard to draw from.