How to Play Draw Dominoes

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

Draw Dominoes is the standard, widely played form of dominoes using a double-six set. Players take turns matching tiles end-to-end by pip count, extending a shared layout across the table. The rules are simple enough to explain in two minutes, yet the game rewards careful tile tracking and forward planning.

It is a staple of kitchens, pubs and family games nights across the UK and much of the world. Because it plays quickly, handles two to four players equally well, and needs no reading ability to enjoy, it works for almost every age and occasion.

A little history

Dominoes itself is widely documented in Europe from the eighteenth century, with strong evidence of play in Italy and France by the 1700s before spreading to Britain. Its earlier origins are unclear: a Chinese ancestry is frequently claimed but the precise connection to European dominoes is not conclusively established by historians. Draw Dominoes, in which players draw from a reserve when they cannot match, became the most commonly played variant and is traditionally regarded as the standard form of the game in British households.

Setting up

1. Turn all 28 tiles face-down on the table and shuffle them thoroughly. This reserve is called the boneyard.
2. Each player draws their starting hand: 7 tiles each for 2 players, or 5 tiles each for 3 or 4 players. Players keep their tiles hidden from opponents.
3. The remaining tiles stay face-down in the boneyard. Leave at least two tiles in the boneyard throughout the game (see Fine Points).
4. Determine who plays first. The player holding the highest double goes first; if no one holds a double, the player with the heaviest single tile starts. On subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round goes first.

How to play

1. The first player places any tile from their hand face-up in the centre of the table to begin the layout. This tile has two open ends.
2. Play passes clockwise. On your turn you must place one tile from your hand so that one of its ends matches, pip-for-pip, an open end of the layout.
3. The tile you play must be placed touching the matching end. Doubles are placed crossways to the line of play but still extend only two open ends (the two free sides of the double are not played on in standard Draw Dominoes).
4. If you cannot place any tile from your hand, you must draw tiles from the boneyard one at a time until you draw a tile you can play, then place it immediately.
5. If the boneyard is reduced to its last two tiles, you may not draw further (those two tiles remain in reserve for the rest of the round). If you still cannot play, you pass your turn.
6. Play continues until one player empties their hand (they call 'domino') or until the game is blocked: no player can play and the boneyard is exhausted to its two-tile reserve.
7. When a player goes out, or when the game blocks, the round ends and scores are calculated.

Winning and scoring

When a player plays their last tile, they win the round and score the total pip value of all tiles remaining in every opponent's hand. In a blocked game, all players count the pips remaining in their own hands; the player with the lowest count wins the round and scores the combined pip total of all other players' hands, minus their own pip count.

The winner of the match is the first player to reach an agreed target score, typically 100 or 200 points. Alternatively, play a fixed number of rounds and the player with the highest cumulative score wins.

The fine points

The two-tile boneyard reserve is the rule most often disputed. The standard ruling is firm: the final two tiles may never be drawn. This prevents a player in a strong position from being forced to draw the very tile their opponent needs. If no player can play and only these two tiles remain, the round is blocked immediately. A second common dispute concerns doubles: in Draw Dominoes, a double is not a spinner. It sits crossways but contributes only one open end to each side of the line of play, which remains a single chain. Do not add branches to the layout.

A player who accidentally draws too many tiles from the boneyard must keep all tiles drawn; they do not return surplus tiles. If a tile is placed incorrectly (mismatched pips) and a subsequent player has already taken their turn, the tile stands. If caught immediately, before the next player acts, the tile is returned to the offending player's hand and they must draw one tile as a penalty.

How to win more often

• Track what tiles have been played. With 28 tiles total, you can work out which tiles your opponents are likely to hold as the layout grows.
• Play doubles early when you can. Doubles are the hardest tiles to place because they match only one pip value; leaving them in your hand late is a common way to lose.
• Control the open ends of the layout. Try to set both ends to pip values you hold multiple tiles for, starving opponents of playable moves.
• Manage your pip count. Keep an eye on which tiles carry the most pips. If the round looks like it will block, the player left holding the heaviest hand loses, so shed high-pip tiles at every opportunity.
• Force opponents to draw. If you notice an opponent struggling with one end of the layout, keep that end closed to them rather than playing to the other end unnecessarily.

Variations

Block Dominoes

In Block Dominoes there is no boneyard draw phase at all. Players draw their starting hand from the shuffled tiles, and any tiles not dealt are simply set aside unseen. If you cannot play, you pass your turn. The round ends when a player goes out or every player is blocked. Scoring is identical to Draw Dominoes. This variant is faster and places a greater premium on your opening hand.

All Fives (Muggins)

All Fives adds a scoring opportunity during play rather than only at the end of a round. Whenever a player places a tile that makes the sum of all open-end pips a multiple of five, they score that total immediately. For example, open ends totalling 15 score 15 points on the spot. End-of-round scoring remains as in Draw Dominoes. This variant rewards counting pips in your head under pressure.

Double-Nine Draw Dominoes

The same rules apply but with a double-nine set of 55 tiles. This is particularly recommended for four players, as the larger boneyard makes blocking less likely and hands play out with more options. Starting hands are typically 7 tiles for two players and 7 tiles for three or four, leaving a substantially larger boneyard.

Partnership Draw Dominoes

With exactly four players, two fixed partnerships of two can be formed, with partners sitting opposite each other. Partners may not communicate about their tiles. At the end of each round, a winning partnership scores the combined pip total of both opposing hands. Play to an agreed target such as 200 points. This team format adds a layer of inference as partners try to read each other's play without speaking.

Draw Dominoes: frequently asked questions