DOMINO ROUNCE

OBJECTIVE OF DOMINO ROUNCE: The objective of Domino Rounce is to be the first player to 0 points.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 4 Players

MATERIALS: A double 6 domino set, a way to keep score, and a flat play area.

TYPE OF GAME: Domino Game

AUDIENCE: Adults

OVERVIEW OF DOMINO ROUNCE

Domino Rounce is a domino game for 2 to 4 players. The goal of the game is to get your score to 0 or lower before your opponents.

SETUP

Before the game begins each player starts with a starting point total of 15.

The first dealer is chosen at random and passes to the left for each new deal. The dealer will shuffle the dominos and make the boneyard. Players will draw or be dealt 5 tiles each. After all players have their tiles, the player to the dealer’s right will draw an additional tile called the turn-up. This will determine the trump suit. The trump suit will be the higher number on the tile and will remain revealed.

A player may choose to either fold (in 3 or 4 player games) or exchange if they do not like their hand. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer a player may call a dummy, fold, or pass.

If calling a dummy in a 2 or 3 player game, the player discards all their tiles from the game and draws 6 new tiles from the boneyard, one of these tiles will be discarded facedown with their previous hand. All these tiles are out of the game for the round. Up to two people may call a dummy.

If calling a dummy in a 4-player game, the player discards their hand and draws the remaining 7 tiles and discards 2 of those. Only one player may do this. 

Once a player chooses to dummy, they may not then choose to fold.

To fold a player will discard their hand and not draw any more tiles. This means they are not playing in the round and cannot earn or lose points, but it also prevents them from being rounced (discussed later).

When it comes time for the dealer to call and if they choose to not dummy, they can take the revealed trump tile and discard any tile from their hand. If all other players have folded the dealer subtracts 5 points from their score.

Specifically, in 4 player games if all but one other player has dropped, and this player has taken the dummy the dealer may call to play for the score. This means if they win they will not lose any points, but they cannot be rounced either, they just play to keep the other player from winning all the tricks automatically.

Tile Ranking

The tiles can have two different numbers on them blank through 6 and may also be doubles. One number will be chosen as the suit and the other will be the rank. Blank, which is the lowest rank and 6 is the highest. When a player plays a tile, it may be of either suit the player chooses and the other number defines its rank in the suit. The only tiles that cannot be chosen for are tiles with the trump suit on them. These tiles always belong to the trump suit.

GAMEPLAY

The game begins with the player to the left of the dealer. The first trick can be led by any tile, and if it is not a trump tile the player must announce the suit.

To play to a trick you must follow the below restrictions. A player must play a trump if they have more than 2 in their hand. A player who just won a trick must lead the next with a trump if able. All players must follow suit if able. If not able to follow suit you may play any tile.

Tricks are won by the highest-ranked trump played or if no trumps are present then by the highest tile of the suit originally led.

Once all tricks are won, the round is over.

SCORING

Scoring is done after the round is concluded.

If any player did not win any tricks during the round, they have been Rounced.

Players lose 1 point for each trick they have won. If a player is rounced they add 5 points to their score.

END OF GAME

The game ends when a player reaches 0 or fewer points. This player is the winner.

Amber Crook
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