DOMINOES

• Introduction
• The game
• Game sample
• Variations
• End Game

Introduction

Dominoes is a game for two to four players consisting of 28 dominoes.
All the dominoes have two ends, numbered from 0-6, with a number on each end. There is always one, and only one, of each combination.

Links
Dominoes Guide
Chinese dominoes
History and rules of various domino games
The Online Guide to Traditional Games

The game

Each player starts with seven dominoes. All the remaining pieces not dealt out before the hand form what is called the pile.
The player who picks the domino with the highest double starts the game by playing that piece. If no one has a double, then the player who picks the domino with the highest number value starts the game playing it.
Play continues as the other player adds one of his/her dominoes to either end of the starting domino by matching the number of dots on his/her domino to the number of dots on the starting domino.
If the player does not have a matching domino, he/she must pick up one from the pile until he/she can match it.
If he/she can't play and the pile is empty, he/she must pass the turn.
When a player puts his/her last domino on board wins the round, adding to his score the remaining dominoes of his opponent.
When both players have no dominoes left to be played, and there are no left dominoes in the pile, the round is over. The player whose unplayed dominoes are minor than his opponent wins the round, adding to his score the remaining dominoes of his opponent.
The game is over when one player reaches 100 points (or 50, depending of game options).

Game sample

Player 1 plays a domino 1/6, player 2 is allowed to play one domino that contains a 6 or 3.
In this case the player 2 played a 6/4 domino.

Variations

Five-All

Known also as all-five or muggins. When this rule is applied players score when the total of the ends of the chain is divisible by five.
The sum of the ends is called board count and is shown on the right side of the board.
If you place a domino that sets the board count to a multiple of five, you score that many points.

Spinner

Some tiles are double. They have the same number in both ends. When a double tile is played, it shall be placed transversally on the board and its both ends shall be summed up at the end of the board count.
The first double tile that is placed in a round shall receive the name of spinner

Once the spinner tile has been placed, any of the players is allowed to place tiles on each one of its four sides.

End Game

Dominoes consists of several rounds or hands. Once a player's total reaches 100 points (or 50, depending of game options) the game is over and the player that reached or exceeded the total is the winner.