Instructions for Playing Dominos

With dominoes, the possibilities are endless.

The use of dominoes is ancient, said to have roots in China and Egypt as far back as the 12th century. Its origins are in dice, which explains the various dot configurations on the pieces. There is an almost unlimited number of games and activities that can be invented using a set of dominoes; its versatility has ensured wide popularity among families and diverse social groups for centuries. Dominoes can be compared to cards, in that there is no one right way to play, but there are a few general rules which apply to every game.

Things You'll Need

• Domino set (any size)

Instructions

1. 

   Shuffle the game pieces until they are randomly arranged.

   Shuffle the dominoes before any game is begun. Just as with playing cards, the players must make sure the piece locations are unknown to one another. Lay the dominoes face-down on a flat surface, and then use random movements to rearrange them. You can refer to this gathering of tiles as a "boneyard" once they're shuffled and ready for play.

2. 

   Draw dominoes and set them upright in front of you to hide your hand.

   Decide who will have the first turn by having all players randomly pick from the shuffled pile. The player with the "heaviest," or highest-value, domino gets to take the first turn. Once you have determined the first move, all players can return their picks to the boneyard. Depending on which game is decided on, all players must then draw the required number of tiles and lay them upright, or "on-edge," on the table in front of them. Each individual must make sure to hide his hand from the other players.

3. 

   Pass on your turn if you are unable to draw additional dominoes.

   Take turns making moves, adding to the arrangement of laid-out dominoes in the middle. Depending on the specific game being played, you may either choose to pass on your turn, due to an inability to make a move, or you may draw an additional tile from the boneyard to help you move forward.

4. 

   The first player to get rid of all his pieces should say, "Domino!"

   End the game once a player has used all of her game pieces. At this point, she should say "Domino!" aloud in order to alert the other players that she has finished. Sometimes, however, no player has gotten rid of all of their tiles. Instead, everyone has exhausted their options for adding to the game. This is referred to as a "blocked" game, and no further moves can be made.

Tips & Warnings

• Refer to the Resource section to select from a large number of single- and multi-player domino games.

• You can always make up your own game, as long as basic rules are decided upon.

References

• Domino Games: The History of Dominoes
• Domino Games: Getting Started with Dominoes
• World Domino: History of Dominoes

Resources

• Domino Games: Double-Six Games