A final score is decided on; playing to 50 or 100 points is standard, though some old hands at the game play to 61 points. The dominoes are turned facedown, then "shuffled." i.e., mixed around by one or all players.
Players draw their dominoes: Two playersdraw seven each; Three or four players draw five each.
As the dominoes (also called "bones") are drawn, players stand each on edge, facing themselves, so that the other players can't see them. The dominoes that are left, collectively called the "boneyard," are moved to one side to make room for play.
The player who has the highest double (6-6, 5-5, and so on) lays it faceup in the center of the playing surface. If no one has drawn a double, the "heaviest" tile can start: 6-5, then 6-4, 6-3, and so on. Play continues clockwise.
Let's say the first domino is a 5-5. The next player has to match it with another 5, and lay that tile down so that the 5-5 is crosswise, at right angles to it.
The next player can add to either end of the layout, by laying a 3-3 crosswise to the 5-3 or any domino with five pips on the other side of the 5-5, crosswise.
The play moves clockwise (or back and forth when there are two players) as players continue to add to either end of the layout.
Dominoes can be added at angles, too, especially when the line gets too close to the edge of the table. But only one of the two ends.
If a player can't match either of the open ends, she draws one at a time from the boneyard until she gets one that can be used. However, two dominoes must always remain in the boneyard. The unusable dominoes she picks up are added to her hand. If a player doesn't have a play and the boneyard is empty (except for the last two), that player passes until he can play in his turn.
Play continues until either one player uses her last domino-- at which point she calls "Out!" or "Domino!" and the game is blocked: The boneyard is empty and no more plays can be made.
The winner-- either the player with no dominoes left or the player with the "lightest" hand (the lowest number of pips on her remaining dominoes)-- is awarded the total number of pips in all the other players' hands.
The next hand is led by the player to the left of the previous first player, until a player or team reaches the agreed-upon number of points.
In a four-player game where players are divided into two teams, teams can decided on a draw: The two players who draw the heaviest dominoes are one team. The player who drew the heaviest domino goes first, setting any domino in his hand.
Partners play across from each other.
When one partner gets rid of her dominoes, the opposing team's pips are counted and added to the winning team's score. If a game is blocked, the team with the lightest hand wins.
If a blocked game turns out to be a draw, neither team scores.
If a player draws too many dominoes, one of them is chosen at random by another player and returned to the boneyard.
If a player realizes that he's drawn too few dominoes, he can draw one from the boneyard.
If a player accidentally exposes one of his dominoes to an opponent, he has to show it to all the other players.
If a player misplays (places the incorrect number next to another) before the next play, he has to take the domino back and play another. If his misplay is discovered after the next player has taken a turn, the misplay stands.
Block Dominoes differs from the draw game in that there's no drawing from the boneyard. If you can't play a domino during your turn, you have to pass.
In Cross Dominoes, four players draw seven dominoes. Play starts with the highest double; but instead of playing in a single line only, players add bones both at the ends and at the perpendicular, thus forming a cross. And there's a catch: The original cross of five dominoes has to be completed before any other bones can be played.
Double Cross takes Cross Dominoes one step further: The cross has to be completed as in the previous game, but now a double has to be played on one "arm" of the cross before any other bones are played.
Maltese Cross is a killer: Double Cross times four. Doubles have to be played on each arm of the cross before play can continue.
In Blind Hughie (aka Billiton, Blind Dominoes) two to five players draw five dominoes each and arrange them facedown in a row without looking at them, either horizontally or vertically with their long sides touching.
The first player turns over his "top" domino (the one at the far left or the one closest to the player) and sets it in the middle of the table. The next player turns over his top domino; if it can be played, the player sets it next to the first domino and turns over his next domino. And so on, until he turns over a domino that can't be played. That domino is placed facedown at the "bottom" of his row of dominoes and the player to his left goes next.
If at any time a player turns over an unplayable double, it goes to the bottom of the row, but is left faceup.
Variation: Instead of beginning the game with five dominoes apiece, divide the dominoes as equally as possible among all the players. If all the dominoes are dealt, the 6-6 begins the game. If there are leftover dominoes, one of them is turned over and used as the beginning domino.
Matador is more than a draw game-- players can draw from the boneyard even if they have a domino that can be played.
The layout is a straight line; doubles aren't laid crosswise. There are four "matadors in a set: the three tiles whose two ends add up to seven (6-1, 5-2, 4-3) and 0-0.
Dominoes are played so that the sum of the open end and the new end touching it add up to seven. If one of the open ends is a 3, for example, any bone with a 4 can be placed next to it-- including the 4-4. If a 4-2 is played, the 4 is placed against the 3 and the 2 becomes the new open end.
A blank blocks an end because there's no 7 domino. That's where the matadors come in. The only play that can be made at a blank end is with a matador.
As mentioned, even if you have a playable domino in your hand you can draw from the boneyard, as long as it's your turn and two dominoes remain in the boneyard. It's usually better to draw one or more fresh dominoes than to play your last matador-- it may save the game for you later on.
Bergen is a scoring game. Players draw six dominoes each. The player with the lowest double goes first. The next player has to lay down a matching domino perpendicular to the first. Play moves clockwise, players adding to the line on each end and so on. If a player can't match an end, she can draw from the boneyard until only two dominoes remain.
Points are scored while players are setting dominoes: a triple-header (3 points) for playing a double that matches the pip count at the other eend of the line; a double header (2 points) for playing a domino with a pip count that matches the domino at the other end of the line; 1 point for playing all your dominoes.
The game has to end in Domino (one player has none left) if the points are going to be awarded. In the case of a blocked game, the player with the fewest number of pips in her hand is the winner and scores exactly one point.
The first player to reach 15 wins.
Tip:Keeping score is easier if every player gets fifteen chips before the first round. Then, as they score points, players can discard the corresponding number of chips. The first player to discard all fifteen chips is the winner.
Muggins (aka All Fives) is also a scoring game for two or four players. Players draw five dominoes (four players) or seven dominoes (two players). The object is to lay down dominoes so that the two ends add up to a multiple of five (5, 10, 15, or 20).
The first player can lead with any domino in his hand; if he plays a domino whose count is divisible by five, he scores that total. The next player has to match one of the ends. If the end of his domino and the other end add up to a multiple of five, the player scores that number of points. Or, if the ends in play are 2 and 4, a player can set the 4-4 crosswise and score 10 (4 plus 4, plus 2). All the pips on crosswise doubles are included in the count, too, scoring the total of their pips, e.g., 6-6 counts as 12, 5-5 as 10, and so on.
Players have to play if holding a matching domino. But if a player doesn't have a play, he can draw from the boneyard until he finds a bone that will play or until the boneyard is empty except for the two dominoes that have to remain.
When he finds a bone that will play he has to lay it down, at which point his turn ends. If he empties the boneyard (except for those last two) without finding a match, he has to pass.
The player who goes out wins additional points based on the pips still in other players' hands, rounded to the nearest multiple of five. If play is blocked, the lightest hand wins and earns points as above.
All Threes is played just like Muggins, except that points are earned for multiples of three.
Fives and Threes is similar to Muggins and All Threes, but points are scored for multiples of five and multiples of three at the open ends, which are worth one point each. Muggins games can be played to 100 points-- or 31, 61, or 121 points using a cribbage board to score.