How to Play Dominoes: Rules, Scoring & Strategy

Dominoes is one of those games that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to get good at. You can teach a five-year-old the basics in the time it takes the kettle to boil, yet seasoned players will still argue over the right tile to lay forty years on.

This is the plain-English guide to playing it well. We will cover what you need, the standard Block game step by step, exactly how scoring works (including the bit everyone gets wrong when the game is "blocked"), the two most popular variations, and the small tactics that quietly win rounds.

No jargon you do not need. Just the rules, properly explained, so you can sit down tonight and play.

What you need and the aim of the game

You need one set of dominoes and a flat surface. That is it. A set is made up of small rectangular tiles, each one traditionally called a "bone" — a nod to the bone and ebony from which old sets were carved.

Every tile is divided into two ends, and each end shows a number of dots, called "pips", from zero up to the size of the set. The most common set is the double-six, which has 28 tiles running from the double-blank (0–0) up to the double-six (6–6). Bigger sets exist for more players or longer games: a double-nine has 55 tiles, and a double-twelve stretches to 91.

The aim of dominoes is simple. You take turns laying tiles end to end, always matching a number against the same number already on the table. The first player to lay every tile in their hand wins the round — or, if nobody can move, the player holding the fewest pips wins. Win enough rounds and you reach the target score for the game, usually 100. Whether you start with a classic double-six or move up to a cased double-nine set for a four-player table, the principle never changes.

How to play Block dominoes, step by step

Block is the core game and the one to learn first. Everything else is a tweak on these rules. Here is a single round from start to finish, for two to four players with a double-six set.

1. Shuffle and draw. Turn all the tiles face-down and mix them up. This pool is the "boneyard". With two players, each draws seven tiles; with four players, each draws five. Stand your tiles on edge so only you can see them.

2. Decide who starts. The player holding the highest double (the 6–6, then the 5–5, and so on) lays it first. If nobody drew a double, the player with the heaviest tile opens instead.

3. Match the open ends. Play passes round the table. On your turn you must add a tile to one open end of the line, matching number to number — a 4 can only join another 4. Doubles are normally laid crossways, which can open the line in new directions.

4. Pass if you cannot play. In Block, if you have no matching tile you simply say "pass" and your turn ends — you do not pick up. 5. End the round. The round stops the moment someone lays their last tile and calls "dominoes!", or when the game is blocked because nobody can move. You can keep the running total on paper or use the markers on a quality cased set.

How to score (and what "blocked" really means)

Scoring is where dominoes gets satisfying, and it hinges on the pips left in everyone else's hands at the end of a round.

When a player empties their hand and calls "dominoes!", they win the round. They then score the total number of pips still held by all their opponents. So if the three losing players are left holding 8, 5 and 12 pips, the winner banks 25 points for that round. Empty hands and heavy opponents are the goal.

A "blocked" game is the other way a round can end. If no one can lay a tile — every open number is exhausted and all hands are stuck — the game is blocked and play stops. Now everyone counts the pips left in their own hand. The player with the lowest total wins the round and scores the combined pips of all the other players. This is why a blocked game still has a winner: it rewards the player who unloaded their heavy tiles early.

Rounds are played until someone reaches the agreed game target, traditionally 100 points. Keep a running tally and the first to the line takes the match.

Popular variations: Draw and Fives ("Muggins")

Once Block feels natural, two variations open up the game. They use the same tiles and the same matching rule, so you can switch between them in seconds.

Draw dominoes is the most popular version of all, and it is barely a change. Everything works exactly like Block, with one difference: if you cannot play a matching tile, you draw from the boneyard until you find one you can lay — or until the boneyard is empty, at which point you pass. This keeps players in the game longer and makes blocked rounds rarer, which is why many families treat Draw as the "real" rules.

Fives, also called All Fives or Muggins, adds a running scoring twist that makes every turn count. On top of the end-of-round pip count, you score points during play whenever the two open ends of the line add up to a multiple of five. If the ends show a 2 and a 3, that is 5 points; a 5 and a 5 is 10; a 6 and a 4 is also 10. It rewards arithmetic and forward planning, and it is brilliant for sharpening children's mental maths without them noticing.

Tactics: how to actually win — and playing with children

Good dominoes play is less about luck than people assume. A handful of habits separate a casual player from someone who quietly wins most rounds.

First, shed your heavy tiles early. Doubles and high-pip bones are dangerous to be caught holding if the game blocks, so play them when you can. Second, count what has been laid. If every 6 is already on the table, holding the last 6 means you control whether that end can ever be matched again. Third, in a partnership game, play to your partner's strengths — keep ends open that they can feed.

For children, dominoes is a genuinely useful game dressed up as fun. Matching pips builds number recognition, and the pip-counting in Fives is real mental arithmetic. Start little ones on Block with a clearly marked set, then graduate to Draw. Our Double Six Dominoes is a classic, affordable 28-tile starter set — the same matching game, sized right for children, beginners and first games. You will find more table classics in our traditional games and board games ranges, and lawn-sized versions across our garden games.

A well-made set lasts decades, which is rather the point of buying one properly. Every wooden set we make uses FSC-certified timber and is independently tested to UKCA and CE standards, so it is built to be handed down rather than replaced.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dominoes

How do you play dominoes for beginners?

Start with the Block game and a standard double-six set of 28 tiles. Shuffle all the tiles face-down to make the boneyard, then each player draws a hand — seven tiles for two players, five each for four players. The highest double goes down first. On your turn, add one tile to an open end, matching number to number (a 4 only joins a 4). If you cannot play, you pass. The first player to lay all their tiles wins the round and scores the pips left in everyone else's hands.

How many dominoes do you start with?

With a standard double-six set, two players each draw seven tiles to start. When three or four people play, each draws five tiles instead, leaving the rest in the boneyard to draw from in variations like Draw dominoes. Larger sets change the hand size too: with a double-nine or double-twelve set you can deal more tiles or seat more players. The tiles you are not dealt stay face-down in the boneyard until the round needs them.

What is the aim of dominoes?

The aim is to be the first to play all the tiles from your hand, then to score the pips your opponents are left holding. You do this by laying tiles end to end, always matching a number to the same number already on the table. A round ends when one player empties their hand and calls "dominoes!", or when the game is blocked and nobody can move. Across several rounds, the first player to reach the agreed target — usually 100 points — wins the match.

How do you score in dominoes?

At the end of each round, the player who emptied their hand scores the total pips left in all their opponents' hands. For example, if your opponents hold 8, 5 and 12 pips, you score 25 for that round. If the game is blocked and no one can play, every player counts the pips in their own hand; the player with the lowest total wins and scores everyone else's pips. In the Fives variation you also score during play whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five.

How many tiles are in a double-nine set?

A double-nine domino set contains 55 tiles. It runs from the double-blank (0–0) all the way up to the double-nine (9–9), giving every possible pairing of numbers from zero to nine. That is nearly twice the 28 tiles in a standard double-six set, which makes a double-nine ideal for larger groups, longer games and scoring variations. The next size up, the double-twelve, has 91 tiles. Our cased double-nine set is presented in a mahogany box and suits two to four players.

Can you play dominoes with 2 players?

Yes — dominoes works very well with two players, and many people consider it the purest version of the game. With a double-six set, each of the two players draws seven tiles to start, leaving the remaining fourteen in the boneyard. From there the rules are identical: match the open ends, pass (or draw, in the Draw variation) when you are stuck, and empty your hand to win the round. Two-player games tend to be more tactical, because you can track far more of what your single opponent is holding.

What does "blocked" mean in dominoes?

A game is "blocked" when no player can lay a tile because every open end is impossible to match and nobody can draw a playable one. Play stops immediately even though no one has emptied their hand. Each player then counts the pips remaining in their own hand, and the player with the lowest total wins the round, scoring the combined pips of all the other players. A blocked game is why it pays to shed your heavy tiles early — being caught with high doubles can lose you the round.

Where did dominoes originate?

Dominoes originated in China, with the earliest references dating to the Song dynasty. The game travelled to Europe in the 18th century, first appearing in Italy before spreading through France and on to Britain, where it became a pub and parlour staple. The Western double-six set we know today took shape during that European period. From those origins it has become one of the most widely played tile games in the world, with countless regional variations layered on top of the same simple matching rule.

What is the difference between Block and Draw dominoes?

The only difference is what happens when you cannot play. In Block dominoes, if you have no matching tile you must pass and your turn ends. In Draw dominoes, you instead take tiles from the boneyard one at a time until you find a tile you can play — only passing if the boneyard runs empty. Everything else, from drawing the opening hand to scoring opponents' pips at the end of the round, is identical. Draw keeps players active for longer and makes fully blocked games much less common.

What is a good first domino set to buy?

For most families a double-six set is the natural starting point, since almost every common game is written for it. If you regularly play with four or more, or you enjoy scoring variations like Fives, a double-nine set with its 55 tiles gives you more room. Look for clearly marked pips, a solid feel and a proper storage case — a well-made wooden set will outlast a cheap plastic one by decades. Our mahogany-cased double-nine set is made from FSC-certified timber and tested to UKCA and CE standards.

If you enjoyed the rules, the back-story is worth a read too: see the history of dominoes, and for another quick family classic try how to play Shut the Box.