How to Play Block Dominoes

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Block Dominoes is the most widely played form of dominoes in the UK, using a standard double-six set of 28 tiles. Two to four players take turns extending a shared line of tiles by matching numbers, and the first to clear their hand scores points from the tiles left in their opponents' hands.

It travels well, plays quickly and rewards both forward planning and close attention to what your opponents hold. A set lives in most family games cupboards for good reason: the rules take minutes to learn and the game repays years of play.

A little history

Dominoes itself is traditionally believed to have arrived in Europe from China, though the precise route and timing are unclear and debated by historians. Tile sets recognisable as dominoes appear in 18th-century Europe, and the game is documented in England by the late 18th century. Block Dominoes, in which drawing from a boneyard is not permitted, is widely regarded as the foundational form of the game from which most other variants descend, though a definitive earliest record of the Block variant specifically is hard to pin down.

Setting up

1. Turn all 28 tiles face down on the table and shuffle them thoroughly.
2. Each player draws their starting hand: 7 tiles each for 2 players, 6 tiles each for 3 players, 5 tiles each for 4 players.
3. Players stand their tiles on edge so only they can see the faces.
4. Any tiles not drawn remain face down and are set aside. They are not used in Block Dominoes; there is no boneyard.
5. Decide who goes first. The player holding the highest double ([6:6], then [5:5], and so on) leads. If no one holds a double, the player with the highest-value single tile leads. For subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round leads.

How to play

1. The first player places any tile from their hand face up in the centre of the table. This tile forms the start of the layout.
2. Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn you must place one tile from your hand so that one of its two numbers matches the number at either open end of the layout.
3. Place the tile end-to-end with the matching end, keeping the numbers aligned. The layout grows in a line (doubles are placed crosswise but still extend from both their ends in the same manner as straight tiles).
4. If you hold a double (both numbers the same), place it sideways across the line. The open end of a double shows the same number on both sides; it counts as a single end for matching purposes.
5. If you cannot place any tile from your hand, you are blocked. You simply say 'pass' and your turn ends. You do not draw; there is no boneyard in Block Dominoes.
6. Play continues until one player places their last tile, or until all remaining players are blocked and no one can go.

Winning and scoring

A player wins the round the moment they place their last tile, calling 'domino'. They score the total pip value of all tiles remaining in their opponents' hands. If the game becomes blocked (no player can move), the player with the lowest pip total in their hand wins the round and scores the sum of all other players' pip counts minus their own. Play continues over an agreed number of rounds, or to a target score, commonly 100 points. The first player to reach or pass that target wins the game.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns whether a player is genuinely unable to play. Before calling 'pass', a player should check both open ends of the layout carefully. If the table agrees they are blocked, play moves on. If a player passes when they could in fact have played, the standard ruling is that opponents may correct the error before the next player takes their turn; once the next tile is placed, the error stands and that turn is simply lost.

A second common question is what happens when the layout branches. In standard Block Dominoes it does not: the line is single, with exactly two open ends at all times. If a house rule allows doubles to open additional branches, this must be agreed before the game starts and applied consistently. The rules here describe the single-line standard.

How to win more often

• Track the ends. Note which numbers are already fully played out (all four tiles of that number are on the table) and avoid giving your opponents an end they can easily match.
• Hold your doubles as long as practical. A double can only be played on one specific number, so the longer you keep it, the more likely you are to be forced to pass if that number closes up. Play doubles earlier rather than later.
• Count what is missing. With 28 tiles you can deduce which tiles opponents may hold by watching what has and has not appeared. This tells you which ends to try to keep open or close.
• Control the ends deliberately. If you know an opponent is short in a particular number, try to keep that number off the open ends, blocking their options.
• Balance your hand. A hand spread across many different numbers gives you more chances to match. If your hand clusters around two or three numbers, play tiles that introduce variety early.

Variations

Draw Dominoes

The most common departure from the Block game: any tiles not dealt are left face down as a boneyard. If you cannot play, you must draw from the boneyard one tile at a time until you either find a playable tile or the boneyard is exhausted (leaving one tile, which in many versions must remain undrawn). Only if no playable tile can be drawn may you pass. This variant is sometimes simply called 'Dominoes' and is the form many players learn first.

Muggins (All Fives)

Players score points during the game, not only at the end of a round. Whenever the total pip count of all open ends is a multiple of five, the player who just placed that tile scores that total immediately. Quick arithmetic and end-management become central to the strategy. Final-tile bonuses still apply as in the standard game.

Cyprus (Double-Nine Block)

Played with a double-nine set of 55 tiles rather than the double-six set, which suits larger groups and produces longer, more complex games. The rules are otherwise identical to Block Dominoes. The wider range of numbers means blocked positions are less frequent and rounds run longer.

Partnership Block Dominoes

With four players, partners sit opposite each other and their scores are combined. Neither partner may show or signal their tiles. When one partner goes out, the partnership scores the combined pip count of both opposing hands. This team format changes the strategic calculus considerably: you play not only to empty your own hand but to open ends your partner can use.

Block Dominoes: frequently asked questions