Domino rules
Puerto Rican dominoes: 500 con premios
Puerto Rican dominoes is partner dominoes: four players in two teams, seven tiles each from a double-six set, and the first team to 500 wins. On top of the pips, the winners of the first four hands earn premios (+100, +75, +50, +25), and a capicú or chuchazo pays extra. Tables differ, so agree on the rules before the first hand. This page follows the Puerto Rican rules that Pagat and José Carrillo's Puerto Rico page describe.
The basics
Four players in two teams, partners across from each other, seven tiles each from a double-six set. Whoever holds the double-six leads the first hand. After that, whoever won the last hand leads, with any tile. When a player goes out, their team scores every pip left in all four hands, their partner's tiles too, and the first team to 500 wins.
If the game blocks (a tranque), each team adds up both partners' pips. The team with fewer pips scores every pip left in all four hands. If the teams tie, nobody scores and whoever holds the double-six leads the next hand.
Keeping score on paper? Our printable score sheets include a partner sheet. Need a set? Any double-six works; see the best domino sets.
Watch: score a Puerto Rican game in under 5 minutes
Premios
The team that wins each of the first four hands of a game gets a bonus on top of the pips.
| Hand | Premio |
|---|---|
| First | +100 |
| Second | +75 |
| Third | +50 |
| Fourth | +25 |
Bonuses and names
| Name | What it means | Common bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Capicú | Going out with a tile that could play on either end, when the ends show different numbers. A double doesn't count | +25 to +100 |
| Chuchazo | Going out with the double-blank | +100 |
| Pase redondo | You play and all three others pass | +25 |
| Pollona | Winning while the other team is still at zero (also zapatero) | Bragging rights; some tables count a double win |
Your hand
Keep score with Pipside
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Start a gameCommon questions
- What are the basic rules of Puerto Rican dominoes?
- Two teams of two, partners sitting across from each other. Each player takes seven tiles from a double-six set, so all 28 are dealt and nobody draws. The team that goes out scores every pip left in all four hands (at some tables, only the other team's), plus any premio or bonus, and the first team to 500 wins.
- What is a premio in dominoes?
- A bonus for winning one of the first four hands of a game to 500: usually +100, +75, +50 and +25.
- What is a chuchazo?
- Going out with the double-blank, the chucha. Many tables pay +100 for it.
- What is a pollona?
- Winning the game while the other team still has zero points. Dominican, Cuban and Venezuelan players also say zapatero.