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How to Play Draw Dominoes
Players of draw dominoes usually play multiple games in one sitting. Cumulative scores are tallied over the course of those games.
Number of Players
Draw dominoes can be played with 2–5 players using a standard set of dominoes. Players may play individually or, if you have four players, in two partnerships.
How to Play Draw Dominoes with More Players
You can accommodate more players in a draw dominoes game by using a larger set, such as a double-nine or a double-twelve set. Besides using the larger set, the rules for playing with six or more players are exactly the same as the rules for playing with 2–5 players.
How to Set Up for Play
Before you can begin play, you have to set up. To do so:
- Place all 28 tiles facedown on the playing surface.
- Shuffle the tiles by circulating them around with your hands until they’re well mixed.
- Once the tiles are shuffled, players draw tiles, facedown, from the pool of tiles. The number of tiles each player draws depends on the number of players in the game:
Number of Players |
Tiles per Player |
|
2 |
7 |
|
3 |
7 |
|
4 |
6 |
|
5 |
5 |
After all the players have taken their tiles, there will be additional tiles remaining on the table. These excess tiles, which should be left facedown on the table, make up the stock, also known as the boneyard. Players then draw from the boneyard as necessary throughout the game.
Determining the Order of Play
The player who holds the double-six begins the game by playing it faceup on the table. If no one holds the double-six, then the player with the double-five begins. If no one has the double-five, then the double-four begins play, and so on. If no player has a double in her hand, players throw in their tiles and redraw, starting the hand over.
Play
Once the first double has been played, play proceeds clockwise around the table. On each turn, you have three possible plays:
- Play a nondouble tile from your hand
- Play a double tile from your hand
- Draw from the boneyard
Playing a Nondouble Tile
If the end of a tile in your hand contains the same number of pips as one of the open ends of the chain, you may play the tile by placing the end with the proper number of pips flush against the corresponding number, making or adding to an unbroken chain of tiles with two open ends.
For example, take the following game board. Play started with player C, and each player has played a tile, laying them end to end. (Note that in a real game, the players would not be showing their tiles to each other.) Now it’s player C’s turn again, and player C plays the one-two tile against the open end with one pip.
Ways You Can Lay Down Nondouble Tiles
If you’re laying down a nondouble tile next to another nondouble tile, you can lay down your tile in any direction, as long as the correct end lines up flush with the correct end of the chain on the table. For instance, in the previous move, player C legally could have done any of the following with the one-two (shown in red).
Whether you lay down your tiles horizontally or vertically has nothing to do with strategy and does not affect game play. It’s purely a matter of whim and simply results in a dominoes board with an interesting look. Just make sure when placing dominoes that you don’t cause the various twists of the chain to intersect.
Playing a Double Tile
If you hold a double with ends that correspond to the number of pips on an open end of the chain, you may play the double. Unlike nondoubles, though, do not lay one end of the double flush against the corresponding end of the chain. Instead, you must place the tile perpendicular to the open end. For instance, player B now plays the double-one.
How to Lay Single Tiles onto Double Tiles
Just as you have to play double tiles perpendicular to nondouble tiles, you must also play single tiles perpendicular to double tiles so that they line up with the line on the double. For instance, in the sample game, player A now plays the one-four.
Drawing from the Boneyard
If none of the tiles in your hand matches an open end of the chain, you must draw new tiles from the boneyard and add them to your hand until you can play. Once you do draw a tile that you can play, play it immediately.
For instance, in the sample game, it’s player D’s turn, but player D doesn’t have a tile that matches the 4 or 2 on the open ends of the played tiles. Player D must draw tiles from the boneyard until he gets one that he can play.
End of Play
A game of draw dominoes can end in one of two ways:
- A player uses all the tiles in her hand: This player is then declared the winner.
- The boneyard runs out of tiles, and no one can make a play: In this case, the player with the fewest pips on his remaining tiles is declared the winner.
Scoring
The winner of a game scores the sum of all pips remaining in her opponents’ hands. For example, in the following scenario, if player A goes out when the other players are still holding, player A would score the total pips from player B’s tiles (4) + player C’s tiles (5) + player D’s tiles (9): 18 points.
If the Game Ends Because No One Can Make a Play
In this case, the player with the lowest point total wins. In addition, the total number of pips on all the tiles left in his opponents’ hands is added to his score.
Tallying the Scores
Scores for each player are kept cumulatively over multiple games. The player with the most points after the last game is the winner.
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