How to Play Dominoes

The complete beginner's guide — tiles, setup, rules, scoring, and the most popular variants.

Dominoes is one of the world's oldest and most popular tile games. The basics are simple to learn, and once you know them you can play dozens of variants. This guide covers everything a beginner needs, then points you to step-by-step rules for the most popular games.

The tiles

A domino tile (or "bone") is a rectangle divided into two square halves. Each half shows a number of dots, called pips, from 0 (blank) to the set's maximum. A standard double-six set has 28 tiles; larger sets go up to double-nine, double-twelve, and beyond. See how many dots are on a set of dominoes for the full breakdown.

Setup

1. Place all tiles face down and shuffle them (the "boneyard").
2. Each player draws a hand of tiles (commonly 7 for 2–4 players with a double-six set).
3. Leave the remaining tiles in the boneyard for drawing, if the game allows it.
4. The player with the highest double usually starts, placing it in the center.

Basic gameplay

Players take turns adding a tile to the layout by matching a number to an open end. For example, if an open end shows a 5, you can play any tile with a 5 on it. Doubles are usually placed crossways. If you can't play, you either draw from the boneyard (in "Draw" games) or pass (in "Block" games). A round ends when a player plays their last tile ("going out") or when nobody can move and the game is blocked.

Scoring

Most domino games are scored by counting the pips left in players' hands at the end of a round. Depending on the variant, the winner collects those pips as points, or each player adds their own leftover pips to a running total they're trying to keep low. Full details: domino scoring rules and how to count pips fast.

Popular domino games

Once you've got the basics, try these — each has its own quick rules guide:

• Mexican Train — build personal "trains" off a central hub; low score wins.
• Chicken Foot — branch three tiles off every double.
• Texas 42 — a trick-taking game played with dominoes.
• Muggins (All Fives) — score whenever the ends total a multiple of five.
• Cuban dominoes — fast 2-vs-2 partnership play.
• See all domino games →

FAQ

Is it "draw" or "block" dominoes?

Block means you pass when you can't play; Draw means you take tiles from the boneyard until you can. Both are common starting points.

Do you have to play a double?

In basic games no, but several variants (like Chicken Foot) have special rules requiring play on a double before the game continues.