What you need
A standard double-six set of 28 tiles. Each tile has two ends with 0 to 6 spots, called pips; tiles with the same number at both ends are doubles. Larger sets (double-nine with 55 tiles, double-twelve with 91) work for bigger groups. Keep paper and pencil for the score.
Setup
Turn all the tiles face down and mix them. This face-down pool is the boneyard. Each player draws a hand and stands the tiles on edge so only they can see them:
- Block game: 7 tiles each for 2 players, 5 each for 3 or 4.
- Draw game: 7 tiles each for 2 or 3 players, 6 each for 4.
The rest stays in the boneyard. To choose the first player, draw for the highest tile, or agree that whoever holds the highest double starts.
How to play
The block game
The first player lays any tile face up. Players then take turns adding one tile to either end of the line so that the touching ends match: a 3 against a 3, a blank against a blank. Doubles are placed across the line (sideways) but, in the basic game, they are not “spinners”: play still continues only at the two ends.
A player who cannot match either end passes. The round ends when someone plays their last tile (“dominoes”), or when nobody can play and the game is blocked. In the block game the boneyard is never touched.
The draw game
The same, with one difference: a player who cannot play (or does not want to) draws tiles from the boneyard until they find one that fits. The last two tiles of the boneyard are never drawn; once only two remain, a stuck player simply passes. The round ends when someone goes out, or when the boneyard is down to two tiles and nobody can play.
Four players may play as partners sitting opposite each other. A partnership wins together and adds its scores together.
Scoring and winning
At the end of a round every player counts the pips on the tiles left in their hand. The player with the lowest total wins the round and scores the sum of the other players’ pips minus their own. If a round is blocked and two players tie for lowest, nobody scores.
Play to 100 points with 2 players or partnerships, or to 61 with 3 or 4 players individually; the odd target lets you keep score on a cribbage board. The next round is led by the player to the left of the previous leader.
Common variants
- Winner takes all: the player who goes out scores every pip left in all other hands, and nobody else scores.
- Draw before playing: some groups allow drawing from the boneyard even when you could play, hoping to find a tile that blocks the game.
- Highest double leads, often the double-six; if nobody holds it, players draw until someone finds it.
- Spinners: in many games (Five-Up, Mexican Train, Chickenfoot) the first double can be played on four sides, which opens the line into a cross.
- Hand size varies by region: in South America the common formula is 8 minus the number of players.
- Muggins / All Fives: a scoring game where you earn points whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five.
Tips for first games
- Lead with a double, ideally from your strongest number: it leaves you with more matching tiles later.
- Count what has been played. With only seven tiles of each number, you can often tell when an end is dead and block your opponent.
- Get rid of heavy tiles (6-6, 6-5) early so they cannot be scored against you.
- In the draw game, do not draw more than you must: every tile you take is a pip you may be left holding.
- In partnerships, play to the numbers your partner led.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play a tile at either end? Yes, as long as the touching ends match. In the basic line game only the two ends are open.
What is a blocked game? A round where the two ends show numbers that have all been played, so nobody can move. The lowest hand wins it.
Do blanks match anything? No. A blank (0) only matches another blank unless you agree to play blanks as wild.
Who goes first in the next round? Rotate to the left of the previous leader, or let the previous winner lead; agree before you start.
How many players can play with a double-six set? Two to four comfortably. For five or more, use a double-nine or double-twelve set.
