Dominoes rules: how to play Draw, Block and All Fives
Rules in short: match a tile to an open end of the line; if you cannot play, draw (Draw, All Fives) or pass (Block). Going out scores the pips left in the other hands; in All Fives you also score whenever the open ends total a multiple of five.
This page explains the three most popular dominoes games played with a double-six set, with a scoring example, the words players use, beginner strategy and common questions.
All Fives example Which game? Glossary Strategy FAQ Score sheet
Quick answers
- Tiles to start?
- Seven each with two players, five each with three or four.
- Who starts?
- The highest double in the first hand; afterwards the previous winner.
- Cannot play?
- Draw from the boneyard (Draw, All Fives) or pass (Block).
- Play to?
- 100 for Draw and Block, 150 for All Fives.
Tiles and deal
A double-six set has 28 tiles. Two players draw seven each, three or four players draw five; the rest is the boneyard. In the first hand the player holding the highest double starts with it; afterwards the winner of the previous hand starts.
Playing
On your turn place a tile whose number matches an open end of the line. In Draw and All Fives a player who cannot play draws from the boneyard until a tile fits; when the boneyard is empty they pass. In Block there is no drawing: you pass at once.
All Fives (Muggins)
After every play, if the open ends add up to a multiple of five you score that total; a double at an end counts both halves. The first double played is the spinner: once the left and right arms exist, tiles may also be added above and below it, so the line has four ends.
Hand end and match
The player who goes out scores the pips left in the opponents' hands. If nobody can play the hand is blocked: the lowest hand wins the difference. In All Fives hand scores are rounded to the nearest five. Draw and Block are played to 100 points, All Fives to 150.
Fair shuffle
Before the hand the SHA-256 hash of a secret seed is shown; the order of the 28 tiles is a Fisher-Yates shuffle driven by HMAC-SHA256(seed, "r:" + i). When the hand ends the seed is revealed and the "Fair shuffle" badge recomputes the order in your browser.
All Fives scoring example
The line on the table is 6-3, 3-4, so the open ends show 6 and 4. They add up to 10, a multiple of five, so the player who just played scores 10. The next player adds 4-1 to the 4 end: the ends are now 6 and 1, which add up to 7, so nothing is scored. If the following player adds 1-4, the ends are 6 and 4 again and that player scores 10.
Draw, Block or All Fives?
- Block is the simplest: no drawing, so hands are short and planning which numbers to keep matters most.
- Draw is the classic family game: you draw until you can play, so you are never stuck for long.
- All Fives (also called Muggins) adds arithmetic: you score during the hand, so every play is a small puzzle. It is the favorite of serious players.
Dominoes glossary
- Tile (bone)
- One domino. A double-six set has 28 tiles.
- Pips
- The dots on a tile. The whole double-six set has 168 pips.
- Double
- A tile with the same number on both halves, such as 4-4.
- Suit
- All tiles that carry a given number. Each suit has seven tiles.
- Boneyard
- The face-down tiles left after the deal, used for drawing.
- Spinner
- In All Fives, the first double played, which can be built on from four sides.
- Domino!
- What you say when you play your last tile and go out.
- Blocked game
- A hand where nobody can play; the lightest hand wins.
Dominoes strategy for beginners
- Play heavy tiles early. If the hand is blocked or someone else goes out, high tiles left in your hand cost you points.
- Keep a variety of numbers. A hand with many different suits can almost always play; one with five tiles of the same suit gets stuck.
- Count the suits. Each number appears on seven tiles. If six of the 3s are on the table, an end showing 3 is almost certainly blocked.
- Watch what your opponent passes on. If they drew or passed on a 5, they have no 5s; leave 5s open to keep them stuck.
- In All Fives, look for the count. Before each play add up the ends you would leave. Leaving a total your opponent can easily turn into a multiple of five gives them points.
A short history
Dominoes developed from Chinese dice-based tiles, which were in use centuries ago. The European game appeared in Italy in the 18th century, spread to France and Britain, and later to the Americas, where dominoes is a social game in many Latin American and Caribbean communities and in the southern United States.
Dominoes FAQ
How many dominoes do you get at the start?
With a double-six set, two players take seven tiles each. With three or four players, each takes five.
Who plays first in dominoes?
In the first hand, the player with the highest double starts by playing it. In later hands the winner of the previous hand starts.
What happens if you cannot play?
In Draw and All Fives you draw from the boneyard until you can play, and pass only when the boneyard is empty. In Block you pass immediately.
How do you score in dominoes?
The player who goes out scores the pips left in the other hands. In All Fives you also score during the hand whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five.
What if nobody can play?
The game is blocked. Everyone counts the pips in their hand, and the player with the lowest count wins the difference.
How many points is a game of dominoes?
Draw and Block are played to 100 points here, All Fives to 150.