Dominoes 101: A Beginner's Guide to the Classic Tile Game

Dominoes is a versatile game that can be played in many variations, but here are the basic rules for a standard game, often called "Block Dominoes":

Objective:

• Be the first player to score a predetermined number of points or to play all your dominoes.

Setup:

1. Domino Set: Use a standard double-six domino set (28 tiles) unless playing with a different set.

2. Players: Typically 2-4 players.

3. Draw Dominoes:

   • For 2 players, draw 7 tiles each.

   • For 3-4 players, draw 5 tiles each.

   • The remaining tiles form the "boneyard" (face-down pile).

Gameplay:

1. Starting Play:

   • The player with the highest double (e.g., [6|6]) starts.

   • If no player has a double, redraw or let the player with the highest pip total begin.

2. Taking Turns:

   • Players take turns adding one domino to the open ends of the layout.

   • A tile can only be played if one of its ends matches a number on an open end of the layout.

3. Boneyard:

   • If a player cannot play a tile, they must draw from the boneyard.

   • If the boneyard is empty and the player still cannot play, they pass their turn.

4. Doubles:

   • Doubles are placed crosswise to signal their status as doubles.

   • Both ends of a double can be played on in subsequent turns.

5. Blocked Game:

   • If no player can make a move and the boneyard is empty, the game is blocked.

   • The winner is the player with the lowest total pip count on their remaining dominoes.

Scoring:

1. Winning:

   • The round ends when a player plays all their tiles or the game is blocked.

   • The winning player scores the total pip value of all opponents' remaining tiles.

2. Game Goal:

   • Players agree on a target score (e.g., 100 points) before starting.

Variations:

There are many variations of dominoes, like "Draw Dominoes" or "Mexican Train," that have additional or altered rules. Adjust as preferred!