Dominoes rules: how to play with a double-six set
Dominoes is played with a set of 28 tiles. Each tile has two ends, and each end shows from zero to six pips. Players take turns adding a tile to a line on the table, so that matching numbers touch. The first player to get rid of all their tiles wins the hand.
This page covers the draw game, the version most families play at home. The block game, all fives and the partnership game are under Variants.
- Players
- 2-4
- Playing time
- 20-40 min
- Age
- 6+
- What you need
- A double-six set of 28 tiles, plus paper and a pen to keep score
Updated: 2 November 2026
The tiles
A double-six set has 28 tiles. Every pair of numbers from 0 to 6 appears on exactly one tile. An end with no pips is a blank. It counts as 0.
A tile with the same number on both ends is a double, such as the 4-4. There are seven doubles, from the 0-0 to the 6-6. The other 21 tiles have two different numbers.
A tile is worth the total of its pips. The 6-4 is worth 10 and the 0-0 is worth nothing. The 6-6 is the heaviest tile, worth 12.
Setting up
- Turn all the tiles face down and shuffle them on the table.
- Each player takes tiles at random: 7 each with two players, 5 each with three or four.
- Stand your tiles on edge so that only you can see their faces. The others can see how many tiles you have, but not which ones.
- Push the rest to one side, still face down. This is the boneyard. You draw from it during the game.
| Players | Tiles each | Left in the boneyard |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | 5 | 13 |
| 4 | 5 | 8 |
Who goes first
In the first hand, the player with the highest double starts. They lay it down as the first tile. Whoever holds the 6-6 starts with it. If nobody has the 6-6, whoever has the 5-5 starts, and so on down.
If nobody holds a double, the player with the heaviest tile starts with that tile. When two tiles have the same total, the one with the higher end counts as heavier. So the 6-3 beats the 5-4.
From the second hand on, the winner of the last hand starts. They may start with any tile. If the last hand had no winner, decide who starts as in the first hand.
After the first tile, play continues clockwise.
Your turn
The tiles on the table form one line with two open ends. On your turn, add one tile from your hand to either end. The end of your tile that touches it must show the same number. A 3 goes against a 3, a blank against a blank.
For example, the open ends show a 2 and a 5. You can add any tile with a 2 or a 5 on it. If you play the 5-1 with its 5 against the 5, the open ends are now a 2 and a 1.
If any of your tiles fits, you must play one. You choose which tile and which end. You never play more than one tile in a turn.
If none of your tiles fits, draw from the boneyard, one tile at a time. Stop as soon as you draw a tile that fits, and play it straight away. The tiles you drew that did not fit stay in your hand. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass.
Doubles
A double goes across the line, not along it. It still has to match: the 4-4 goes against an open 4.
For example, an open end shows a 3. You lay the 3-3 across it. The next tile on that end must also have a 3, and it goes against the far side of the double.
In the main game, you play only against a double's two long sides. Nothing ever goes on its short ends.
When the first tile of a hand is a double, both of its long sides are open. The next players can build on either side.
In all fives, the line can branch in four directions from the first double. See Variants.
End of a hand
A hand ends in one of two ways.
- A player lays down their last tile. That player has gone out and wins the hand.
- Nobody can play. The boneyard is empty, and no tile in anyone's hand fits either end. The game is blocked.
A block often happens when both ends show the same number and every tile with that number has been played.
In a blocked game, everyone counts the pips on the tiles left in their hand. The player with the lowest total wins the hand. If two or more players share the lowest total, the hand has no winner and nobody scores.
Scoring and the winner
Only the winner of a hand scores. They add up the pips left in all the other players' hands. In a blocked game, they also subtract the pips left in their own hand. The result is their score for the hand.
Tiles left in the boneyard never count. Only the tiles in the players' hands do.
For example, in a three-player game you go out. One opponent still holds the 6-2 and the 3-0, which makes 11. The other holds the 5-4, which makes 9. You score 20.
In a blocked two-player game, you have 4 pips left and your opponent has 15. You win the hand and score 11.
Write down the score after each hand. Then turn all the tiles face down, shuffle them and take new hands. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game.
For a quick game, play just one hand. The player who goes out wins. In a blocked game, the lowest total wins.
Variants
The block game
Nobody draws. The leftover tiles stay face down and out of play. If you cannot play, you pass. The hand ends when someone goes out or when nobody can play. Everything else is as in the main game.
All fives
Here you also score during the hand. After each tile you play, add up the pips on all the open ends. If the total is a multiple of 5, such as 5, 10 or 15, you score that many points at once.
A double across an open end counts both halves. With the 5-5 across one end and a blank at the other, the total is 10. A double laid as the first tile counts only once, so a 5-5 start scores 10.
The first double played is the spinner. At first, tiles go against its two long sides, as with any double. Once both long sides have a tile, its two short ends open too. The line can then grow in four directions. A short end counts only after a tile is played on it.
At the end of the hand, the winner scores as in the main game. The total is rounded to the nearest 5. So 12 counts as 10 and 13 as 15. Agree on a target before you start: 100 or 250 points is common. The game ends as soon as someone reaches it, even in the middle of a hand.
The partnership game
Four players form two teams. Partners sit opposite each other, so turns alternate between the teams. All 28 tiles are dealt, 7 to each player. There is no boneyard, so nobody draws. If you cannot play, you pass.
In the first hand, whoever holds the 6-6 starts with it. In each later hand, the player to the left of whoever started the last hand goes first, with any tile.
When one player goes out, their team wins the hand. In a blocked game, each team adds up the pips of both partners, and the lower total wins. The winning team scores the pips left in both opponents' hands. Its own tiles do not count. If the two team totals are equal, nobody scores. The first team to reach 100 points wins.
Frequent questions
How many tiles does each player get?
With a double-six set, 7 each for two players and 5 each for three or four. The rest stays in the boneyard. Some tables deal 7 each with three players and 6 each with four. Agree on this before you start.
Who goes first in dominoes?
In the first hand, the player with the highest double lays it down first. If nobody has a double, the player with the heaviest tile starts. After that, the winner of the last hand starts with any tile they like.
What do you do if you cannot play?
Draw from the boneyard, one tile at a time, until you get a tile that fits. Then play it straight away. If the boneyard is empty, you pass. In the block game nobody draws, so you just pass.
Do you have to play if you can?
Yes, in the main game. You choose the tile and the end, but you may not pass or draw instead. Some tables let you draw even when you hold a tile that fits. Agree on that before the game.
What happens when nobody can play?
The game is blocked and the hand ends. Everyone counts the pips left in their hand. The player with the lowest total wins and scores the other players' pips minus their own. If the lowest total is shared, nobody scores that hand.
How do you count points in dominoes?
Only the winner of a hand scores. They get the pips left in the other players' hands, minus their own in a blocked game. A blank counts as 0, and a double counts both of its ends. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game.
Can you play on both sides of a double?
Yes, on its two long sides, as long as a side is still free. A double added to the line already has one side taken. A double played as the first tile is open on both sides. The short ends stay closed, except on the spinner in all fives.
Is a blank a wild card?
No. A blank is a 0, so it fits only against another blank. The 0-0 is worth nothing when you count points.
What is the difference between the draw game and the block game?
In the draw game, a player who cannot play draws from the boneyard. In the block game, nobody draws: a player who cannot play passes. The block game is shorter and blocks more often.
Can you draw the last tiles of the boneyard?
Yes, in the main game you may draw until the boneyard is empty. Some rule sets leave the last two tiles undrawn. Then you pass when only two tiles remain. If nobody can play at that point, the game is blocked.
Can more than four people play?
A double-six set suits two to four players. For more, use a bigger set, such as a double-nine set with 55 tiles. Agree on how many tiles each player takes, and leave some in the boneyard.
How many tiles are in a set of dominoes?
A double-six set has 28 tiles with 168 pips in all. Each number from 0 to 6 appears on seven tiles. Bigger sets, such as double-nine, are used for larger groups.
Log your plays
Save the plays of every game you play. See who wins most often and what you play the most.