Domino rules
Draw dominoes vs. block dominoes
In block dominoes, if you can't play, you pass and the next player goes. In draw dominoes, you draw from the boneyard until you can play. That's the only difference: everything else, from matching ends to the scoring, is the same.
The one difference
| Block game | Draw game | |
|---|---|---|
| Can't play? | Pass | Draw from the boneyard until you can |
| Boneyard tiles | Stay out of play | Get drawn during the hand |
| Hands tend to | End sooner, and block more often | Last longer |
Everything else is the same: seven tiles each from a double-six set, match an open end, first to go out scores the pips in the other hands.
Which one should you play?
With four players, all 28 tiles are dealt, so there's no boneyard and every game is a block game. With two or three players, the draw game keeps more tiles in play and makes for longer hands. Pick whichever your table likes.
Keep score with Pipside
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Start a gameCommon questions
- Can you pass in the draw game?
- Only when the boneyard is empty and you still can't play.
- What is the boneyard in dominoes?
- The tiles left face down after the deal. In the draw game you draw from it; in the block game they stay out of play.
- Is partner dominoes a block game?
- Yes. All 28 tiles are dealt to four players, so there's nothing to draw.
Where these rules come from
Tables play differently. These are the most widely documented rules we checked against.