How to Play Dominoes

Dominoes is a simple game, probably created in China a long time ago.  The word domino is likely derived from the Latin word dominus, which means “master of the house.”

• Materials Required: A set of dominos; a flat playing surface.
• Time Required: About 30 minutes.
• Number of Players: 2-5.

How Do You Play Dominoes?

Setup

Make sure there are 28 dominoes, from double blank to double six.  Place the dominoes facedown,  and shuffle them.

Playing the Game

Have each player take seven dominoes.  The player with the highest double goes first.

1. Place a domino with like value next to the first domino (it doesn’t matter which end).  Be sure like values are always touching.
2. If you don’t have a domino that can match the ones on the layout, you can draw from the facedown pile.  Do not show this to your opponent.  If no more dominos are left, the player can pass.
3. A player wins the round if he or she is the first person to run out of dominoes.
4. If everybody passes, the winner is the person with the lowest score.

Scoring:  Add the number of dots on the tiles remaining in your hand.

If someone reaches 50 points in a game (for a Two player game) or 100 points (for 3+ players). The player with the lowest score wins.