Play:
The dominoes are shuffled, facedown, then each player draws a number of tiles which varies according to the number of players taking part.
- With four players, each player draws 6 tiles each, leaving four to form a boneyard, or alternatively, each player draws 7 tiles, leaving none to form a boneyard.
- With five players, each player draws 5 tiles, leaving three to form a boneyard.
If four players are playing with 7 tiles each and there are no tiles left in a boneyard, then the player holding the double-blank sets it down as the first tile of the game. Otherwise a tile is chosen at random from the boneyard and it is set down as the first tile of the game and the player who plays next is chosen at random by agreement.
Players then in turn lay tiles onto the open ends of the domino layout with same-number adjacent to same-number (doubles placed inline, not allowing play to branch four ways). Should a player be unable to play a tile with an adjacent same-number onto the layout, then they must discard one tile from their hand down in front of himself. These discarded tiles will be used at the end of a round to help form the discarding player's score.
Once a player has dominoed by discarding or setting their last tile, or the game is blocked with no player able to play a tile, the round is over. Players then score the total number of pips left in their hand as well as on any discarded tiles made during play. The winner is the player with the lowest point total. If players tie with the lowest point total then the player with the single individual tile with the lowest point total, wins the round. If players still tie with their single individual tile then the player with lowest pip total on either end, wins the round.
A set number of rounds are played and the player who scores the lowest total, wins the game.
Variations:
Alternatively, players who cannot play a tile don't discard one but simply pass. Play continues until a player runs out of tiles or no more tiles may be played.
Sometimes played so that double-blank scores 25 points unless the player also holds another tile bearing a blank on either end, in which case it counts as zero.