Dominoes

01Discover the game

The Dominos consist of extending a chain of tiles by having two halves of the same value touch each other. The rules learn quickly, but choose which value to leave to his neighbour demand attention. The overall difficulty is Easy: one observes, one retains some information and one does with the received tiles.

There are many domino games. This tutorial fixes a Family variant with pick, two, three or four players, each for itself, with a double-six. The rules of picket, start and score are announced here to avoid mixing several habits. This is neither the Mexican Train, nor the game in teams, nor a variant where one marks the multiples of five at the ends.

02Equipment

Predict exactly 28 double-six dominoes: each tile has a pair of values of 0 to 6. Each pair exists once, without distinguishing its meaning: 2–5 and 5–2 designate the same tile. The seven doubles range from 0–0 to 6–6. The other 21 tiles carry two different values. An empty half is zero; it is not a joker.

Add a flat surface, a sheet and a pencil for scores. A easel is optional: it is only used to hide its tiles. If your box is a double-nine, remove all tiles containing 7, 8 or 9 to find the 28 of the double-six.

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03The goal

In each round, try to put all your dominoes before the others. If the chain blocks, it is better to have few points in his hand. The dots of a tile are the sum of his two halves: 0–5 is 5, and 6–6 is 12.

In our convention, the winner of a round scores the points still held by his opponents. The first player whose total reaches or exceeds 100 points wins the game. The threshold of 100 is a choice of this table; you can play a single round to discover the game.

04Prepare the handle

Turn the 28 tiles face down and mix them carefully. To two players, each takes 7: there are 14 tiles left in reserve. To three players, each takes 5: there are 13 tiles left. To four players, each takes 5: there are 8 left. These quantities are our chosen distribution; other variants use other ones.

The rest forms the Stock, also called the Heel. Everyone looks at his hand while hiding it. For the first inning, the one who has the highest double starts and sets it. If no one has double, the one who has the highest sum tile the pose; in case of tie, compare the greater half, then draw the lot if necessary. Hands are not redistributed.

Starting in the second round, the winner of the previous round starts with the tile of his choice. If the previous round has finished on a tie, start again at the highest double. The game continues in the direction of the hands of a watch. These choices of first player are part of our family convention.

05Place, pick or pass

Only one tile in your turn

Observe the two free ends Set up a tile that has one of these values, putting the equal halves in contact. The outer half of your tile becomes the new end. You can turn a tile to choose common sense. If both ends allow a pose, you choose one of the two.

You can't insert a tile in the middle of the chain, put it against the side of an old tile, or place a second tile because the first was a double. When the table lacks space, folds the chain: its shape does not change the values to be connected.

Doubles

A 4–4 connects to a 4 and leaves another 4 on the outside. It does not create an additional branch and does not play again. In this variant, the chain always keeps exactly two playable ends, even if a double is placed across.

When you can't play

If no tile of your hand is suitable, pick one tile at a time until you can play or until the Stock is empty. As soon as a picked tile is suitable, put it down: your turn ends. Keep the other picked tiles. If the Stock runs out without giving you a hit, announce "I pass".

Here, you have to play if you can: we don't deliberately pick with a playable tile in hand. The whole reserve can be picked up. We do not keep two tiles aside as in some versions. A player who has passed can play again in his next turn if the ends have changed.

Immediate end or blocked chain

If you put your last tile, the handle stops immediately: the others don't play a last turn. Otherwise, it stops when the Stock is empty and all players pass successively without any pose. It's not enough that only one player is blocked. Then count the points of the hands.

06See a pose and calculate a handle

A Changing Chain

The free ends are 2 and 5. Alice has 2–6 and the laying on the side of the 2nd: the new ends are 6 and 5. Bob has 5–5; he puts it on the side of the 5, across. The ends remain 6 and 5, and Bob doesn't play again. Chloe has no 6 or 5: she has to pee.

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Let's assume that Chloe picks 0–3, then 1–5. She keeps 0–3 and sets 1–5 against the 5. The ends become 6 and 1. Her turn is finished. She does not choose to keep the 1–5 to pick again.

A score after an output

Alice sets her last tile. Bob keeps 1–4 and 0–6, or 5 + 6 = 11 points. Chloé keeps 2–3, or 5 points. Alice adds 16 points to her total; the other two do not score anything for this round. The points of the tiles already on the table are not added.

A score after blocking

Alice has 4 points, Bob 9 and Chloe 12. Alice has the smallest hand: she wins and scores 9 + 12 = 21 points in our convention. If Alice and Bob had both 4 points, the inning would be zero and no one would score. We do not carry the points of a tie to the next inning.

07Win and mark points

After each round, note the score won and then the total of each player. A player out has no more points in hand: he marks the sum of the opposing hands. During a block, compares the sums, not the number of tiles; the player to the smallest sum marks the hands of his opponents. Do not subtract his own hand in our variant. A tie for the smallest sum does not earn anything.

The first one to reach 100 points wins on the count of the round. This scale is fixed for this tutorial: some families instead have penalties, remove the hand of the winner or postpone the equalitys. Decide on the variant before the distribution and do not change it during the game.

08Frequent errors

• Treat an empty half as a joker: it only touches another zero.
• Place anywhere on the chain: only the two ends are open.
• Create four branches around a double, or replay after laying.
• Pass when a tile is suitable, or forget to pick when it is mandatory.
• Stop the round after a single pass: the others can still change the ends.
• Declare the winner who has the least tiles in the block: add their points.

09Tips for playing better

Try to keep several different values: it multiplies your chances of being able to answer. A hand containing only 6 may seem strong, but it is fragile if no one leaves 6 at the ends.

Observe the passes. If a neighbor can't play on 2 or on 5, this information can help, but then he can pick up these values. So don't turn an old pass into permanent certainty.

When the end approaches, reducing the big values can limit the lost points if another spell. Also think about your next pose: before exposing a 3, see if you can still play on this 3. Explain an interesting decision after the round, without revealing your hands during this one.