How to Play Sniff

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

Sniff is a scoring domino game for two to four players, played with a standard double-six set. It sits in the same family as Muggins and All Fives, but adds one critical twist: the first double played becomes the "sniff" and may be played to in all four directions, giving the layout an extra branch and far more scoring opportunities than a straight line game.

Players love it for the balance of luck and calculation it demands. Every draw changes your options, but spotting a five-scoring play before your opponent does is a genuine skill. It works equally well at a kitchen table or a pub, plays quickly once everyone knows the ropes, and scales neatly from two players up to four.

A little history

Sniff belongs to the All Fives family of domino games, which is well documented in American domino literature from at least the late nineteenth century. The precise origin of the Sniff variant and the source of its name are unclear; some references treat "Sniff" and "All Fives" as interchangeable regional names, while others describe Sniff specifically as the version in which the first double is open on all four sides. No single authoritative origin document has been identified.

Setting up

1. Turn all 28 tiles face down and shuffle them thoroughly.
2. Each player draws their starting hand: 7 tiles each for 2 players, 5 tiles each for 3 or 4 players.
3. Remaining tiles form the boneyard (draw pile) and stay face down in a central pile.
4. The player holding the highest double leads first. If no one holds a double, the player with the heaviest tile leads. On subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round leads.

How to play

1. The lead player places any tile face up to start the layout. This first tile establishes two open ends.
2. The first double played during the game (which may be the very first tile or any subsequent tile) becomes the sniff. The sniff is open on all four sides: two along its length and two across its width, giving the layout up to four growing arms.
3. On each turn a player must extend one open end of the layout by placing a tile whose pip value matches that end.
4. A tile must be placed so matching ends touch. Doubles are always placed crossways to the arm they extend.
5. After placing a tile, count the total pips showing at every open end of the layout. If that total is exactly divisible by five (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and so on), the player scores that number of points immediately.
6. The sniff counts both of its exposed pip values when it has fewer than two arms extending from it. Once arms grow from all four sides of the sniff, only the outermost open end of each arm is counted.
7. If you cannot play, you must draw one tile at a time from the boneyard until you can play or the boneyard is exhausted. A player who draws a playable tile must play it immediately.
8. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass your turn.
9. Play continues clockwise until one player plays their last tile (goes out) or the game is blocked with no legal plays possible for any player.

Winning and scoring

The first player to reach 61 points wins the game, with points scored throughout play each time an end total divisible by five is achieved. When a player goes out, they also score the total pip value of all tiles remaining in opponents' hands, rounded to the nearest five. If the game blocks, the player with the lowest total pips in hand scores the combined pip count of all other hands, again rounded to the nearest five. Scores are traditionally tracked on a cribbage board, which conveniently runs to 61, though pen and paper works perfectly well.

The fine points

The most common dispute involves the sniff itself: only the very first double placed counts as the sniff, regardless of whether it is the lead tile or appears later. All subsequent doubles are played crossways to their arm in the normal way and are not open on four sides. A second frequent source of argument is end-counting when the sniff has only one or two arms growing from it: count the exposed pip faces of the sniff tile itself for any side that has no arm yet. So a double-five with no arms scores ten at those two blank sides; once an arm extends from one side, that side is replaced in the count by the outermost end of that arm.

When a player draws from the boneyard and picks up a playable tile, they must play it that turn and may not continue drawing. Players who accidentally play on a mismatched end must take the tile back if the error is caught before the next player places a tile; after that point the tile stands and no correction is made. Scores already recorded stand in either case.

How to win more often

• Count the open ends before every play, not just your own turn. Knowing which totals are live helps you block opponents from scoring as much as it helps you find your own scoring plays.
• Hold tiles that give you flexibility at multiple end values. A 5-3 tile, for example, covers two of the most frequently appearing ends and keeps your options open longer.
• Control the sniff early. Playing to the sniff when it has free sides can keep the end total where you want it, because the sniff contributes directly to the count until all four of its arms are occupied.
• Draw strategically when you have a choice of plays: if one play scores zero and another scores five but leaves your opponent an obvious ten-point reply, the zero play may be the better option.
• In a two-player game, track what your opponent has drawn from the boneyard. If they have drawn several tiles without playing, they are likely holding a lopsided hand, and steering ends toward the pip values they seem to lack can force repeated passes.

Variations

All Fives (No Sniff)

Played identically to Sniff but without the special four-way rule: the first double is treated exactly like any other double, extending only along its arm. The layout remains a simple chain with two ends (and crossways doubles in the middle). Scoring is the same five-divisible system. This version is faster and slightly less tactical, and is often the default domino scoring game in regions where the Sniff rule is not widely known.

Muggins

In Muggins, if a player makes a five-scoring play but fails to claim the score before the next player takes their turn, any opponent may call "Muggins" and claim those points instead. This keeps every player attentive throughout the game and adds a sharp penalty for inattention. The Muggins rule can be applied on top of either the Sniff or the standard All Fives layout rules.

Double-Nine Sniff

Played with a double-nine set of 55 tiles rather than a double-six set. Each player draws nine tiles for two players, or seven tiles for three to four players. The larger set increases hand size, extends playing time considerably, and makes the scoring arithmetic more demanding. Experienced players who find the double-six game over too quickly generally prefer this version.

Partnership Sniff

For exactly four players sitting in two fixed partnerships, partners face each other across the table. Partners combine their scores, and a player going out earns the combined pip count of both opposing hands for their partnership. Communication between partners beyond legal play is not permitted, but partners can and should plan tile choices to set up scoring plays for one another. Games are often played to 121 points in the partnership format.

Sniff: frequently asked questions