Number of players:

2 to 4

Type of dominoes required:

Standard double-six set with 28 pieces

Introduction

Block dominoes is similar to Draw Dominoes except that players do not draw tiles from the boneyard.

Starting the game

Place the dominoes face-down on the table and mix them up.

If 2 people are playing, each player selects 7 dominoes. If 3 or 4 people are playing, each player selects 5 dominoes. Keep your dominoes in front of you but hidden from your opponent(s).

The remaining dominoes are not used in this round.

The player with the highest double places that double on the table to start the game. If no one has a double, the player with the domino of the highest value starts.

Playing the game

The next player to the left must then place a matching domino next to the first domino. For example, if the first player started the game with double six, the next player must play a domino that has a six on it.

If the player doesn’t have a domino of matching value, they must pass their turn.

Winning and scoring

The first person to run out of dominoes is the winner of the round. If no one runs out of dominoes but everybody passes because they don’t have a playable domino, the person with the lowest score is the winner.

The winner scores the total number of points on all of the opponents unplayed dominoes. If the winner had any unplayed dominoes, subtract them from the score.

A game of block dominoes is typically played to 100 points and the scoring is kept with pencil and paper. Some players like to use a cribbage board to keep score. In this case, the game is usually played to 121 points, which represents the final peg hole on the cribbage board.

Playing as partners

When playing with 4 people, you can play as partners or teams. Partners sit across from each other at the table. Partners add their scores together to yield a team score.