Casino Games

5 Domino Game Rules, Winning Types, and Strategies to Win

Learning domino game rules will take place over the course of several rounds. Every round starts with the tiles being dealt to each player so the first turn can take place. In addition, both players will take turns matching and drawing tiles until one of them clears their hand or until no more tiles can be drawn. 

Moreover, the winner of every round is rewarded points based on the value of their opponent’s hand, and the first player to 100 points is declared the winner. If no player hits the necessary point to win the game, the next round will be started. 

The Origin of Domino

Pepole Play Domino Game

Before we explain the domino game rules, it is a good idea to know where it comes from. Well, domino games call for calculation and strategy and many of them are very complex. They are direct descendants of the ordinary six sided dice, and even though a similar game was played in ancient Egypt, this game appears to have been founded independently in China and Europe. 

Where the Chinese have played domino for some centuries, the European have originated in Italy as recently as the beginning of the 18th century. It vastly spread throughout Europe and towards the end of the 11th century, it was introduced to England, probably by the French prisoners during the war. Since that time, dominoes have become popular throughout the world. 

Basic Domino Game Rules

Generally, dominoes can be played with 2 players and uses 28 tiles. Every tile has two pip values ranging from 0 – 6. At the beginning of the game, all 28 tiles will be mixed together and 7 tiles will be dealt up to each player. The remaining 14 tiles will become the boneyard. Here are some of the domino game rules that you should know to become a master.

1. Player Turns

One round of each new game in domino game rules, the player with the highest value double tile will get to go first (when neither of the players have any doubles, the players with the highest value tile will first). 

In addition, they need to play that double to start the game. After the first round, the beginning player for every round changes between both players. Beginning with the second round, players will no longer have to play a double as their first tile. They are free to start the round with any tile they select.

2. All Fives and Draw Mode

In domino game rules, the game has two playable modes: All Fives and Draw. In Draw, the players can only get the points at the end of every round. Meanwhile, in All Fives players can also get the points during the round. Draw is generally played to 100 points, while All Fives is played to 150 points (both these values can be changed based on the settings). 

3. Matching Tiles

When the first tile is being placed, the other player needs to lay down a tile that has pip values matching at least one end of the previously played tile. When a tile has a blank side, that tile will only be played off the blank side of another tile. 

In All Fives mode, when the values on the open ends of the dominoes add up to a multiple of five, the player who placed the last domino will get points reflective of those pip values. 

4. Spinners

In All Fives mode, the first double placed is called the spinner. The spinner in domino game rules is a special tile that can be played off of in all 4 directions as opposed to the standard two. 

In addition, the top and bottom of the spinner will only be played off once the left and right sides have been used. There will only be one spinner per round, any other placed doubles can only be played off of from their left and right sides. 

5. The Boneyard

When a player doesn’t have any playable dominoes in their hand, they need to draw from the boneyard until they have one. In domino game rules, the boneyard has 14 tiles that are all revealed face-down. When the boneyard is empty and a player can’t play any tile, they certainly must pass. 

The Winning Types in Dominoes

It is not enough just figuring out the domino game rules. You also need to know there are 3 winning types across the different modes available in Dominoes. Here are some winning types you should know:

Domino Winning

Domino Winning is the most common type. It is when a player successfully clears all the dominoes from their hand before their opponent. When this occurs, the value of all dominoes left in the other player’s hand is added up and rewarded to the round winner. 

Block Winning

Another winning type in dominoes, Block Winning happens when both players can’t lay down any more tiles and the boneyard is also empty. In addition, the value of both players’ hands is added up and the player with the weakest hand value is declared the round winer. Then, the winner has their hand value taken away from the loser’s value, and they will be rewarded the difference. 

Midround Winning

Midround Winning in domino game rules is the final victory type that can only be achieved while playing All Fives. This happens if a player hits the point total required to end the game in the middle of a round. This is finished by getting points on the board by creating multiples of five. 

Dominoes Tips and Strategies to Increase Chances of Winning

The last thing when you want to practice domino game rules, use some tips and strategies from us that will help you increase chances of winning:

  • Play out bigger numbered dominoes fastly. Since the points are rewarded based on the number of remaining dots, playing out the tiles with more dots will almost common the great tactic
  • You need to think out moves, since you can count revealed tiles and those in your hand, you can get a rough idea of what tiles remain. This will let you plan the things out
  • Remember that the domino strategies are about mathematics and probability, not luck as Playtech slot Malaysia. At later rounds of the game, with a smaller boneyard, you will be easily make informed decisions
  • For new players, it is a good idea to make a list of all tiles and cross them out as they are played or come into your hand. This will help you tile counting, and you will eventually be able to do it automatically

Final Words

By playing and practicing the domino game rules will help you to be a master of this game. Domino is a popular card tile game that is commonly played in Asia and Europe. Keep in mind that it is not based on your luck, but your skills. Therefore, learning some strategies above will increase your chances of winning. 

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