How to Play Double Nine Cross

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

Double Nine Cross is a domino game played with a double-nine set, meaning tiles run from 0-0 up to 9-9, giving 55 tiles in total. Up to four players can join in, and the cross layout, where the layout branches in four directions from the opening double, makes for a more tactical, open game than straight-line dominoes.

Families return to it because the larger tile set keeps rounds unpredictable even when everyone knows the rules well. It works at a kitchen table with two players or as a lively four-player game, and the scoring structure means a single bad round rarely decides the match.

A little history

Dominoes itself arrived in Europe in the eighteenth century, most likely through trade with China, though the precise route remains unclear. The double-nine set and cross-layout variants developed as players sought longer, more complex games than the standard double-six set allows; these formats are traditionally associated with Latin American and Mediterranean domino communities, though no single inventor or date of origin is reliably documented.

Setting up

1. Turn all 55 tiles face-down on the table and shuffle them thoroughly.
2. Each player draws their starting hand: 9 tiles each for 2 players, 8 tiles each for 3 players, 7 tiles each for 4 players. Do not show your tiles to opponents.
3. The remaining tiles form the boneyard (draw pile), kept face-down to one side.
4. Determine who plays first: the player holding the highest double goes first in the opening round. In subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round goes first.

How to play

1. The first player must place a double tile at the centre of the table. This is the spinner and the foundation of the cross. If no player holds a double, redraw all tiles and start again.
2. Play passes clockwise. On your turn you must place one tile that matches an open end of the layout.
3. The cross structure: the first four tiles played after the opening double must extend from each of its four sides, one tile per side, before any further branching is allowed. Until all four arms of the cross are established, you may only play to an empty arm of the opening double.
4. Once all four arms are started, play continues outward along any of the four arms in a straight line. Tiles must be placed so that the touching ends share the same pip value.
5. Doubles are placed crosswise (at a right angle) to the arm. A double that is not the spinner does not itself branch; play continues past it along the same arm.
6. If you cannot play a tile that matches any open end, you must draw from the boneyard one tile at a time until you draw a tile you can play, or until the boneyard is exhausted.
7. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass your turn. Say 'pass' clearly so all players know.
8. You may not pass while tiles remain in the boneyard; you must draw first.
9. The round ends when one player plays their last tile, or when all players are blocked and the boneyard is empty (a blocked game).

Winning and scoring

If a player empties their hand, they win the round and score points equal to the total pips remaining in all opponents' hands, rounded down to the nearest multiple of five if your group prefers the simplified scoring variant (see Variations). In a blocked game, all players count the pips in their own hand; the player with the lowest total wins the round and scores the difference between their pip count and each opponent's pip count, added together. Play a match to a target score, commonly 100 or 200 points, and the first player to reach or exceed that target wins the match. If two players cross the target in the same round, the higher score wins; if still tied, play one further round.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the four-arm rule: a player who plays to a fifth or sixth line before all four arms are open must take the tile back and play legally, with no penalty beyond the corrected move. If no legal move existed anyway, they then draw from the boneyard as normal. Agree before play whether a misplaced tile that was seen by all players results in a forced pass on that turn; house rules differ and neither ruling is universally standard.

A second dispute arises with doubles during the arm-building phase. A double played as one of the four initial arm tiles is placed crosswise but does not open a branch; the next player to that arm continues outward from the double's far end. Some groups mistakenly treat it as a new spinner; it is not. Only the very first tile of the game is the spinner.

How to win more often

• Count the tiles already played and track which pip values are running short at the open ends; playing to an end your opponents cannot match gives you control of the pace.
• Hold back heavy doubles (8-8, 9-9) early if you can; they score heavily against you if you are caught with them when the round ends.
• During the arm-building phase, prioritise establishing arms that contain your own high-pip tiles so you can shed them before the layout opens up and opponents can block those ends.
• Force a blocked game deliberately when you are holding the lightest hand at the table; a timely pass costs you nothing and can win you the round at the opponents' expense.
• In a two-player game, pay close attention to what your opponent draws from the boneyard; each draw narrows down what they are missing, and you can use that information to close off ends they need.

Variations

Simplified Scoring

Rather than scoring the exact pip total of opponents' remaining tiles, the winner of each round scores only the number of tiles remaining in opponents' hands (not the pip count). This speeds up mental arithmetic and suits younger players. Play to a target of 50 tiles instead of 100 or 200 points.

Branching Doubles

In this variant, every double played after the spinner acts as a secondary spinner and opens two extra branch points, one on each exposed side, in addition to the arm continuing outward. The layout grows much faster and the game rewards players who can read a complex, branching board. Agree at the start whether branches from a secondary spinner must also be fully established before further play, or whether branching is optional.

Partnership Double Nine Cross

With four players, partners sit opposite each other. A player who empties their hand wins the round for their partnership, and the partnership scores the combined pip count of both opponents' remaining hands. Partners may not show tiles or communicate their holdings, but they can play strategically to open ends that suit their partner's likely tiles. First partnership to 200 points wins the match.

Draw Limit

To prevent one player monopolising the boneyard, each player may draw no more than three tiles per turn before being forced to pass. This keeps the boneyard available longer and makes blocking a more viable strategic choice throughout the game. If a player is blocked after drawing three tiles and still cannot play, they simply pass.

Double Nine Cross: frequently asked questions