Dominoes Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• A standard set of double-six dominoes (28 tiles) for two to four players
• A flat table and comfortable chairs for everyone
• A pencil and pad, or a simple app, to keep score
• One to three friends or family members to play with

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Learn the classic block game. Deal out the tiles, keep the rest in the boneyard, and practice matching ends until one player runs out. Just play for fun and get comfortable handling and shuffling the tiles.
• Week 2: Start keeping score and learn to count the pips left in everyone's hand at the end of a round. Play a few rounds to a target, such as one hundred points, so you get used to how winning and scoring work.
• Week 3: Try the scoring game of All Fives, where you score whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five. This adds a fun new layer of thinking to every tile you play.
• Week 4: Learn Mexican Train, the most popular group game, and invite family or friends over for a lively evening. By now you can teach the basics to anyone new at the table.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Playing without a plan; look at the open ends and think one or two moves ahead before you set a tile down.
• Forgetting to count; keep track of how many pips are still in your hand and which numbers have already been played.
• Holding your heavy tiles too long; if a round may end soon, play your high double-six and other big tiles early so you are not caught with them.
• Not blocking your opponents; when you can, leave the open ends on numbers you know they cannot match.
• Playing your doubles too late; doubles can be hard to get rid of, so look for chances to place them while the board is still open.
• Ignoring the boneyard; remember which tiles are still undrawn, because it hints at what your opponents may be missing.