How to Play Chicken Foot Dominoes

Chicken foot dominoes is an interesting variation on the basic game. Most of the rules are similar to draw dominoes, but this game also uses a chicken foot pattern of three dominoes placed at angles to a single straight domino. To play chicken foot, you’ll need a standard domino set, such as a double six dominoes, although you can also play with larger domino sets, such as double nines or double twelves. Larger sets can be especially useful if you want to play with a group of four to ten players. The chicken foot game has one round for each double domino in the set.

Things You'll Need

• Domino set
• Table or large flat surface
• Pencil and paper

Instructions

1. Prepare a score sheet by drawing a grid with the numbers 0 through 6, 9 or 12 down the left side, and a column for each player.

2. Place the dominoes face down on the table and shuffle them. You may want to push the dominoes to one side of the table to leave room for the game in the middle.

3. Have each player pick 5 dominoes at random (or 7 dominoes, if you are using a larger set). Place your dominoes on their sides in front of you, so that only you can see them. The leftover dominoes are the boneyard, or draw pile.

4. Ask if anyone has the highest double domino. If so, have them place it in the center of the table. If not, ask for the next highest, and so on, until someone has placed the highest available double on the table. Play continues clockwise (to the left).

5. Have the next player play a domino that matches the double domino in the center, if possible. If that player does not have a domino that matches, he or she must pick one domino from the pile and pass to the next player.

6. Continue playing only dominoes that match the center domino until all four sides of the center domino have a matching domino.

7. Play one domino that matches any of the open ends of the dominoes on the table. When someone plays a double domino, he or she calls “Chickie” and the number of dots on the double domino, and places it perpendicular to the other dominoes. The other players must then match the numbers on the Chickie domino only, placing one domino with the end touching the center of the Chickie domino, and the other two at 45 degree angles on the ends of the Chickie domino, forming the chicken foot shape.

8. Continue playing only dominoes that match the Chickie domino until all three parts of the chicken foot are complete. Players may then play dominoes on other available parts of the domino game.

9. End the round when one player uses up all of his or her dominoes, or when no one can play any dominoes.

10. Score the round by having each player add up all the dots on any dominoes remaining in their hands. Write down each player’s score on the score sheet.

11. Repeat Steps 2 through 10 to play as many rounds as there are double dominoes (7 for double 6 dominoes, 10 for double 9 and 13 for double 12). The player with the lowest total score wins.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to start each round with a different double domino in the center. For example, if double 6 was the center domino for the first round, start with a double 5 for the next round.

• If you play Chicken Foot with a double 9 or double 12 domino set, you may want to start the game with 6 dominoes, placed at angles on each side of the center double domino, rather than 4.

Resources

• Domino-games.com gives the rules for Chicken Foot and a free score sheet.