Dominoes Rules

Overview

Dominoes is one of the most popular games in the Arab world, played daily in cafes from Cairo to Kuwait City. The Block variant is the classic form: two players, no drawing from the boneyard, and strategic passing. Simple to learn, deeply strategic to master.

The Tiles

A standard double-six domino set contains 28 tiles. Each tile is a rectangular piece divided into two halves, with each half showing 0 to 6 pips (dots). The set includes every unique combination: 0-0, 0-1, 0-2... up to 6-6. Tiles where both halves are the same number (0-0, 1-1, etc.) are called doubles.

Setup

All 28 tiles are placed face-down and shuffled. Each player draws 7 tiles for their hand. The remaining 14 tiles form the boneyard and are not used in the Block variant.

Starting the Game

The player with the highest double in their hand plays first. If one player has the 6-6, they start. If no one has the 6-6, the player with the 5-5 starts, and so on. If no player has a double, the player with the highest-pip tile starts.

Playing Tiles

On your turn, you must place one tile from your hand that matches one of the two open ends of the chain:

• Each tile must connect to the chain by matching pips — if the left end shows 3, you can play any tile with a 3 on one half.
• The matching half of your tile connects to the chain; the other half becomes the new open end.
• Doubles are placed perpendicular (sideways) to the chain. This is a visual tradition and doesn't change gameplay.
• If your tile can match either end, you choose which end to play on.

Passing

In the Block variant, if you have no tile that matches either open end, you must pass your turn. There is no drawing from the boneyard. Strategic passing (being forced to pass) is a key element of the game.

Ending a Round

A round ends in one of two ways:

• A player places their last tile — they "domino" and win the round.
• Both players pass consecutively — the game is "blocked." The player with the lowest total pip count on their remaining tiles wins. In case of a tie, the round is a draw.

Scoring

Points are awarded to the round winner:

• If you go out (place last tile): you score the total pip count of ALL your opponent's remaining tiles.
• If the game is blocked: the winner scores the loser's remaining pip total.
• Scores accumulate across rounds.

Winning the Game

The first player to reach 100 points (across multiple rounds) wins the game. A single round rarely reaches 100 points, so most games involve several rounds of strategic play.