How to Play Fives and Threes

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

Fives and Threes is a two-to-four player dominoes game played with a standard double-six set. Unlike basic blocking dominoes, every move is a scoring opportunity: players earn points whenever the ends of the layout add up to a multiple of three or five, making every tile placement a calculation worth getting right.

It is the dominant pub dominoes game across much of northern England and is played seriously in leagues throughout the country. The scoring system keeps every player engaged on every turn, and a single well-judged tile can swing a game decisively. That combination of arithmetic, tactics, and just enough luck makes it genuinely compelling for adults and children alike.

A little history

Dominoes arrived in Europe from China during the eighteenth century, and the double-six set became standard in Britain by the early nineteenth century. Fives and Threes is traditionally associated with the north of England, particularly pub and club league play, though the precise date and location of its codification are unclear. By the late nineteenth century it was well established as a competitive game in working-men's clubs, and organised leagues using the 61-point target remain active across Yorkshire, Lancashire, and beyond today.

Setting up

1. Turn all 28 tiles face down and shuffle them thoroughly.
2. Each player draws their hand: 7 tiles each for two players, 5 tiles each for three or four players.
3. Remaining tiles form the boneyard (draw pile) and stay face down in the centre.
4. Players look at their own tiles only.
5. Decide who plays first by drawing a tile and returning it; highest double, or highest pip count, goes first. Return drawn tiles and reshuffle.

How to play

1. The first player places any tile they choose face up to start the layout. Score immediately if both ends together total a multiple of 3 or 5 (a double on the opening move always scores).
2. Play passes clockwise. On your turn you must play one tile that matches the pip value at either open end of the layout.
3. After placing your tile, total the two open ends of the chain and score points if that total is a multiple of 3, a multiple of 5, or both (see Winning for exact scoring).
4. Doubles are placed crosswise and count only their own pip value as one open end (e.g. double-4 counts as 4, not 8).
5. When a double is played as a spinner (the first double in some house rules), branches may extend in four directions. In standard league play only the two main ends are used for scoring; the spinner rule should be agreed before play begins.
6. If you cannot match either open end, you must draw from the boneyard one tile at a time until you either find a playable tile or the boneyard is exhausted.
7. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass your turn.
8. A round ends when one player plays their last tile ('dominoes'), or when the game is blocked (no player can play and the boneyard is empty).
9. If blocked, the player with the lowest pip total in hand wins the round. Add together all other players' pip totals, round that sum to the nearest multiple of 3 or 5 (rounding up), divide by 3 or 5 accordingly, and award those points to the winner.
10. A running score is kept throughout. The first player to reach or pass 61 points wins the game.

Winning and scoring

Points are scored whenever the total of the two open ends of the layout is a multiple of 3, a multiple of 5, or both. Divide the total by 3 to find points scored for threes, and divide by 5 to find points scored for fives; award both if applicable. For example: open ends totalling 15 score 3 points (15 divided by 5) plus 5 points (15 divided by 3) for 8 points in one move. Open ends of 6 score 2 points; open ends of 10 score 2 points; open ends of 20 score 4 points. The target is exactly 61 points. The first player whose cumulative score reaches or passes 61 wins the game outright. In league play a game is sometimes recorded as won by the number of points remaining to 61 for handicapping purposes.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns doubles. A double contributes only its face value (not double) to the open-end total for scoring purposes. The double-blank counts as zero, not as nothing: it is a live end and can affect scores if the other end happens to be a multiple of 3 or 5 on its own. If a player forgets to score on their turn and the next player has already played, the score is forfeited for that turn in most league rules; it is good practice to announce your score aloud as you play.

On a blocked game, the calculation of the winner's bonus points uses the combined pip total of all losing hands. Round that combined total to the nearest multiple of 3 or 5 separately, award the resulting points independently, and credit both if applicable. Some leagues instead award a flat 2 points for a blocked-game win; agree this before play. Drawing from the boneyard when you hold a playable tile is an illegal move: in friendly play the tile is simply returned; in league play the penalty varies by competition rules and should be checked locally.

How to win more often

• Count the open ends constantly. Know exactly which totals score and work backwards to identify which tiles in your hand create them.
• High-scoring moves are not always the best moves. Leaving an end your opponents cannot match is often worth more than grabbing immediate points.
• Hold on to tiles that score in multiple ways, particularly those involving 5s and multiples of 3, so you have flexibility late in the game.
• Track which tiles have been played. With 28 tiles in a double-six set, deduction tells you what your opponents are likely to be holding and what ends they can or cannot cover.
• Approaching 61, be precise: if you are on 58 you need exactly 3 points, so engineer an open-end total of 9 or 15. Overshooting still wins, but undershooting wastes a scoring turn.

Variations

Fives Only

Played identically to Fives and Threes but scoring is awarded only when the open ends total a multiple of five. Points are calculated by dividing that total by five. The game is simpler arithmetically and is a good introduction for younger players or those new to scoring dominoes.

Threes Only

The mirror image of Fives Only: points are scored only for open-end totals that are multiples of three, calculated by dividing by three. This variant produces higher scores per move on average and tends to create faster games.

Four-Player Partnership

With four players, partners sit opposite each other and scores are pooled. Partners may not show each other their tiles or explicitly communicate what they hold, but experienced pairs develop a shared reading of the board through tile choice alone. The target remains 61 combined points. Partnership play rewards consistency and hand management over individual brilliance.

Extended Target (121 Points)

Some leagues and clubs play to 121 rather than 61, producing a longer, more strategic game where early mistakes can be recovered. The scoring method is identical; only the winning threshold changes. This variant is common where a single 61-point game would feel too brief for an evening's play.

Fives and Threes: frequently asked questions