Common mistakes in dominó (dominoes) and how to avoid them

Common mistakes in dominó (dominoes) include holding on to doubles until the end, ignoring other players’ passes, blocking your partner’s numbers and playing high-scoring tiles without thinking. To improve, pay attention to those passes and weigh up each move rather than deciding purely on a tile’s points.

1. Holding on to doubles

A double only fits its own number. If that number runs out, you’re stuck with it. Play your doubles early.

2. Not reading passes

When someone passes, they’re telling you which numbers they don’t have. Ignoring that means throwing away useful information. We explain this in basic dominoes strategies.

3. Playing against your partner

If your partner opened with a 4, blocking that number means helping your opponents. In partnership dominoes, just as in Guiñote (a Spanish partnership card game), you win as a team.

4. Always getting rid of high-scoring tiles

It’s a good idea to get rid of tiles worth lots of points in case the game becomes blocked, but not at the cost of losing control of the board.

5. Not counting

Each number appears seven times. Counting how many have been played tells you what each player might be holding. Brush up on the rules of dominoes if you’re missing any of the basics.