How to Win at Dominoes: Counting Tiles, Play Order and Blocking

Learn to count tiles

A double-six set has 28 tiles, and each number from 0 to 6 appears on exactly 7 of them. Remembering this lets you work out a lot of hidden information.

• Count how many tiles with a given number you have seen: those on the chain plus those in your hand. If you have seen 6 of the 7, the last one is either in your opponent’s hand or in the boneyard.
• On this site the 14 boneyard tiles are never drawn, so of the 21 tiles you cannot see, only 7 are in your opponent’s hand. The further the game goes, the more you can deduce.
• Doubles are special: a 4-4 can only be played next to a 4. If all the other 4s are already on the table, your 4-4 may never get played.

Read your opponent’s passes

A pass is the most valuable information you get. It means your opponent holds no tile that matches either open end at that moment.

• If your opponent passes when the ends show 3 and 5, they hold no 3s and no 5s. Try to keep those numbers on the ends and they will keep having to pass.
• The reverse is also true: when you pass, your opponent learns which numbers you lack. If you have a choice, do not leave your weakest numbers on the ends.

Which tile to play first

• Get rid of heavy tiles early. A blocked game is decided by the pips left in each hand, so holding 6-6 or 6-5 until the end can cost you badly.
• Play doubles early. A double only matches one number, so it gets stuck in your hand more easily than an ordinary tile. This site’s AI also plays doubles first.
• Keep a variety of numbers. Holding tiles with different numbers means you are more likely to match whatever the ends become.
• Use the number you hold most. If you have many 2s, try to make both ends show 2: you can keep playing while your opponent probably cannot.

Judging a blocked game

Since nobody can draw from the boneyard here, games often get blocked: when both players pass twice in a row, the game ends at once, the player with fewer pips left in hand wins, and equal totals are a draw.

• Before playing a tile that could block the game, estimate both players’ remaining pips. If your total is clearly lower, closing the game yourself is a good move.
• If you hold more pips, keep the ends open and aim to play out your whole hand instead of heading for a block.

How to practise on this site

Play a few games against the AI and practise counting how many tiles of each number have appeared every round. The board only lets you play onto legal ends, and you never have to judge whether you really cannot play: when you press pass, the server checks your actual hand and rejects the pass if you hold a playable tile. The first tile is played automatically by whoever holds the highest double. To play with a friend, send them an invite link.