Objective
Score points during play by making the layout ends total a multiple of five, racing to an agreed target.
Setup
- 1For two players, deal 9 tiles each (hand sizes vary by house rule); the rest form the boneyard.
- 2First hand: choose the opener by lot. Afterward, whoever went out ('dominoed') leads next.
How to play
- The opener plays any tile; each player then plays a tile matching a free end of the layout.
- If you cannot play, draw from the boneyard until you can (or it is empty, then pass). If you can play, you must.
- Doubles are placed crosswise and count their full pip total while at the end of an arm.
- The first double played is the 'spinner': the layout can branch into a cross from it, so up to four ends can be open.
Scoring
Scored in points · play to 250
During play
- After you place a tile, add up all the open ends of the layout.
- If that total is a multiple of 5 (5, 10, 15, ... up to 35), you immediately score it.
- A double at an end contributes both halves (e.g. 5-5 counts 10).
End of the hand
- Whoever goes out first (or, if blocked, holds the fewest pips) wins the hand.
- They score the opponents' remaining pip total, rounded to the nearest 5.
Good to know
- Very common option: divide all scores by 5 and play to 61 on a cribbage board.
- Two-player target is usually 250 (200 for 3-4 players).
Winning
The first player or team to reach the agreed target (e.g. 250, or 61 on a cribbage board) wins.