How to Play Dominoes: Rules for Beginners
To play dominoes, shuffle the 28 tiles of a double-six set face down and take 7 each (with 2 players). The highest double starts, then players take turns adding a tile whose number matches an open end of the line. If you can't play, you draw from the boneyard (or pass, in the Block game). The first player to empty their hand scores the pips left in the other hands, and the first to 100 points wins.
What you need: the double-six set
The classic set is the double-six: 28 rectangular tiles, each split into two halves showing 0 to 6 dots, called pips. Every pair of numbers appears exactly once, from 0-0 (a double blank) to 6-6. Seven of the tiles are doubles, with the same number on both halves. Add up every tile and the set holds 168 pips.
A few words you'll hear a lot:
- Boneyard: the face-down pile of tiles nobody has taken yet.
- Line of play: the chain of tiles on the table.
- Open ends: the two numbers at the ends of the line. They're the only places you can play.
- Domino!: what you say when you play your last tile.
Setting up: how many tiles each player takes
Turn all 28 tiles face down and mix them around. Each player then takes their tiles and stands them on edge so only they can see the pips. Whatever is left becomes the boneyard.
| Players | Tiles each | Left in the boneyard |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | 5 (usually) | 13 |
| 4 | 5 (usually) | 8 |
Four players can also play as two teams of two, with partners sitting opposite each other. Everything below works the same way.
Who goes first
The player holding the highest double starts by putting it face up in the middle of the table: 6-6 if someone has it, otherwise 5-5, then 4-4 and so on. Play then moves around the table to the left.
With two players, 14 tiles stay in the boneyard, so sometimes nobody holds a double at all. House rules handle that in different ways: some reshuffle, some let the heaviest tile start, and some simply draw a tile each to decide who leads. On GameLake the heaviest tile starts.
How to play: matching the ends
On your turn, play one tile that has a number matching one of the two open ends. Put it end to end so the matching halves touch. The tile's other half becomes the new open end.
Doubles are played crosswise, across the line instead of along it. A double doesn't change the number at that end: play the 2-2 on a 2, and the end is still a 2.
When you can't play: Draw or Block
Sooner or later you won't have a tile that matches either end. What happens next depends on which game you're playing.
- Draw game: take tiles from the boneyard one at a time until you get one you can play, then play it. If the boneyard is empty, you pass. (Some rule books leave the last two tiles in the boneyard and never draw them.)
- Block game: there's no drawing at all. The boneyard stays face down for the whole round, and if you can't play, you simply pass.
The Draw game is friendlier for beginners because you're rarely stuck for long. The Block game is tighter: every pass hands your opponent a free turn, so cutting off their numbers matters much more.
Scoring and winning
A round ends in one of two ways:
- Someone goes out. The first player to play their last tile wins the round and scores the total pips left in the other players' hands.
- The game is blocked. Nobody can play (and in the Draw game, the boneyard can't help). Everyone counts the pips in their hand, and the lowest total wins. If the lowest totals are tied, nobody scores that round.
Keep playing rounds and add up the points. The usual target is 100 points for two players. Rule books vary on the details: some give the winner of a blocked round the difference between the two hands rather than the whole loser's hand, and three- or four-player games often play to 61.
How to play dominoes with 2 players on GameLake
GameLake's dominoes is a two-player game: you against Hop the frog. You each get 7 tiles from a double-six set and the other 14 form the boneyard. The highest double starts, or the heaviest tile if neither of you has one.
- Draw or Block. Draw rules are on by default. Tap the rules button to switch to Block, where you pass instead of drawing.
- Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy plays to 50 points; Medium and Hard play to 100. Hard Hop remembers which numbers you couldn't play on.
- Playing a tile. Tiles that fit lift up in your hand. Tap one or drag it to an end; if it fits both ends, tap the end you want.
- Scoring. Go out first and you score the pips in Hop's hand. In a blocked round the lighter hand wins and scores the other hand's pips, and a tie scores nothing.
- Teach me. Stuck? Press Teach me and Hop highlights a good tile and explains why, for example that it gets rid of a heavy tile or leaves him a number he can't match.
Beginner strategy tips
1. Dump heavy tiles early
If your opponent goes out first, every pip in your hand counts for them. Tiles like 6-6, 6-5 and 5-5 are expensive to be caught with, so play them while you can, all else being equal.
2. Don't sit on your doubles
A normal tile can match two different numbers, but a double only matches one. That makes doubles the tiles most likely to get stuck in your hand. Play them when the chance comes.
3. Keep a mix of numbers
The more different numbers you hold, the more likely you are to match whatever end your opponent leaves. If you have two tiles to choose from, think about what each one leaves in your hand, not just what it puts on the table.
4. Make the ends your numbers
If you hold three or four tiles with a 3 on them, try to leave a 3 as an open end. You'll be able to keep answering it, and your opponent is less likely to have one.
5. Watch when your opponent draws or passes
When your opponent draws or passes, they had no tile matching either end at that moment. Try to leave those numbers open again so they have to draw or pass once more.
Other domino games
The Draw and Block games above are the classic starting point, but the same tiles are used for many others. Mexican Train uses bigger sets and gives every player their own train of tiles, and All Fives (also called Muggins) scores points during play whenever the ends add up to a multiple of five. Once you're comfortable with matching ends and counting pips, they're easy to pick up.
Frequently asked questions
How many dominoes does each player get?
With two players, each takes 7 tiles from a double-six set and the other 14 form the boneyard. With three or four players most rules deal 5 each, though some deal 6 or 7, so agree before you start.
Who goes first in dominoes?
The player with the highest double, starting with the 6-6, sets it down first. If nobody has a double, house rules differ; on GameLake the heaviest tile starts.
What do you do if you can't play a domino?
In the Draw game you take tiles from the boneyard until one fits, and pass only when the boneyard is empty. In the Block game you just pass.
How do you score in dominoes?
The player who goes out first scores the pips (dots) left in the other players' hands. If the game is blocked, the lightest hand wins the round. The first player to reach the target, usually 100, wins.
How are doubles played in dominoes?
Doubles are placed crosswise across the line. They don't change the number at that end, so after a 4-4 the open end is still a 4.
Can you play dominoes with 2 players?
Yes. Two players is the classic game: 7 tiles each, 14 in the boneyard, first to 100. On GameLake you can play one-on-one against Hop the frog for free.