Draw Dominoes

Draw dominoes is perhaps the easiest to learn and the most commonly played version of the game. The name, 'draw dominoes' refers simply to the fact that players are permitted to draw new tiles from a face-down pool generally referred to as 'the boneyard'. Any block game can be made into a draw game by allowing players access to the spare tiles in the boneyard. There is not one way of playing draw dominoes, but a variety of ways. The following is perhaps the most common version of draw dominoes, but there are others.

Most games of draw dominoes will involve a double-six set, however if more players are present it might be desirable to use a double-nine or double-twelve.

The Players' opening hands are drawn randomly from the boneyard. In a game of two to three players each will start with seven tiles, but in a game of four players each will start with six. The remaining tiles stay in the boneyard until drawn during play.

Determining who plays first is sometimes accomplished by each player drawing a tile and having the person with the highest tile initiate the round. Other versions have the player with the highest double lead the round. Once the lead domino is placed play can proceed either clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on preference. In a standard game of draw dominos the tiles are played in the form of a line; with players placing tiles at either end. The pips of the tile played must match the exposed end so that if one end of the line has five pips exposed only five pips can be played against it. In the case of doubles, lay the tile across the line (long-end of the double against the short-end of the line). In basic draw dominoes doubles do not serve as spinners, i.e. as hubs for new lines and 'chickenfeet' formations.

If a player cannot place a domino they must draw from the boneyard until they can play or until the boneyard runs dry. If a player cannot play and cannot draw from the boneyard they must pass. The round continues until a player runs out of dominoes or nobody can make a play. All players then count the number of pips on the tiles still in their hand. Whoever has the lowest number of pips in-hand wins the round and is then awarded a number of points equal to the total number of pips in the hands of all the players. The first to reach 100 wins the game.

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