There are many different kinds of domino games. Some go by the same name and have very similar, or even identical, rules.
Each player draws seven tiles. After the drawing, a player who holds the heaviest tile (determined by lot or by what game rules specify) makes the first play.
Rules
There are several different rules for domino, depending on the type of game being played. Typically, the winner of the last hand begins play for the next one. If no one has a double, the player with the heaviest single starts. During a turn, players place their dominoes in the line in the usual way, joining them to matching ends. If a double is played, it counts on both sides and may be joined to adjacent dominoes, although the number of points won from a double is usually lower.
Players score by counting open ends on dominoes in the line of play. If the count is a multiple of 5, round up to the nearest multiple of 5. When a player goes out, they score regularly for their last domino and get additional points based on the number of dots remaining in other players’ hands. The winning player is the one with the fewest total points at the end of a hand or game.
Materials
Dominos are small, flat, rectangular game pieces that can be used to play many different games. They can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic and wood. Each domino is marked with black or white dots, called pips, that are either molded or painted. A domino is twice as long as it is wide, and the pips are evenly spaced around its edge.
In the early 19th century, craftsmen experimented with animal bone and dark hardwoods like ebony. They used thinner pieces of bone and inlaid them with contrasting pips to create the first European-style domino sets. These were later replaced by a new material known as “vegetable ivory”—a dense, close-grained nut called the tagua nut.
Most modern domino sets are made from a combination of plastics, metals and wood. They are also available in a range of colors, from classic white and black to contemporary bright and vibrant designs. A good quality set will include a domino rack and score pad for keeping track of scores during a game. It should also come with a sturdy case that makes it easy to carry the set to and from games.
Variations
Many domino games differ from one another in the rules and scoring. Some are “blocking” games that stop other players from playing; others are “scoring” games that reward a player for achieving a set number of points. Different games also use different numbers of domino tiles, and the pips on those dominos may differ in shape or color.
Dominoes with the same number of pips on both halves of their face are known as doubles or doublets. A domino with three pips on one half and five pips on the other is known as the 3-5 domino.
Many domino games require a domino with a single open end to be played as the lead, or a “spinner” for that game. Some games, such as Chicken Foot and Matador, require that a double be played as the spinner, while others, such as Bergen and Bendomino, allow a player to play any double for the lead. In Muggins, the scoring method is to count the open ends of each lost tile and divide by 5. A double with both sides closed does not count as an open end for score purposes.
Scoring
The scoring system in domino is a key aspect of the game. A player’s score is determined by counting the exposed ends of the dominoes on the table. Blanks count as zero points, while doubles count as two.
A player scores when they attach a new domino to the end of an existing one, and the sum of the open ends of these tiles is a multiple of five. For example, connecting a 1-6 tile to the end of an 1-2 tile makes the BC 13 and scores 15pts. This is an excellent way to maintain the initiative and prevent your opponent from rescoring on their next play.
When the entire board is blocked (all players still have dominoes, but nobody can make a play), the winner collects the value of the opponents’ unplayed dominoes. The score is computed and rounded to the nearest multiple of five, and added to the winning player’s total. The losing team also counts their own remaining dominoes and subtracts their own score from the total.
