Draw Dominoes Rules – How to Play the Classic Draw Game

How to Play the Classic Draw Game

Draw Dominoes is one of the most widely played and beginner-friendly domino games. Unlike Block Dominoes, players are allowed to draw from the boneyard when they can’t make a move, which keeps the game moving and reduces early blocks.

This guide explains Draw Dominoes rules step by step, including setup, drawing rules, and scoring.

If you’re new to dominoes overall, start with Dominoes Rules (General) to learn the basics first.

What Is Draw Dominoes?

Draw Dominoes is a classic domino game where:

Players draw tiles when they cannot play
The game continues until someone goes out or the boneyard is empty
Blocking is less common than in Block Dominoes

The objective is to:

Play all your dominoes, or
End the round with the lowest number of pips

What You Need to Play

To play Draw Dominoes, you need:

A Double-6 domino set
A flat playing surface

Larger sets can be used, but Double-6 is the traditional choice.

👉 See Domino Sets Explained if you’re unsure which set to use.

How Many Players Can Play?

Draw Dominoes is usually played with:

2 to 4 players

With more players, hands become smaller and rounds move faster.

Setup Instructions

Shuffle the dominoes face down
Each player draws 7 dominoes
Remaining tiles form the boneyard
The player with the highest double starts

The starting domino is placed in the center of the table.

Basic Gameplay Rules

Players take turns clockwise.

On your turn, you must:

Play one domino that matches an open end, or
Draw from the boneyard if you cannot play

Matching numbers must touch — just like in other domino games.

Drawing Rules (Key Difference)

If you cannot play:

Draw one domino from the boneyard
If it’s playable, you may play it immediately
If not, your turn ends

Some house rules allow drawing until a playable tile is found, but the one-draw rule is the most common.

Passing and the Boneyard

As long as the boneyard has tiles:

Players do not pass — they draw

Once the boneyard is empty:

Players who cannot play must pass
A blocked game becomes possible

This is where Draw Dominoes begins to resemble Block Dominoes.

Ending a Round

A round ends when:

One player plays their last domino, or
The boneyard is empty and all players pass

Both outcomes are valid.

Draw Dominoes Scoring

Scoring is based on remaining pips.

When a player goes out:

That player wins the round
Opponents count the pips left in their hands
Those pips are awarded to the winner

When the game is blocked:

All players count remaining pips
The player with the lowest pip total wins

👉 See Dominoes Scoring Explained for detailed examples.

Strategy Basics for Draw Dominoes

Even though drawing adds flexibility, a few basics help:

Don’t rely on the boneyard too much
Watch which numbers are running low
Holding too many high-pip tiles is risky
Passing late in the game gives information

Draw Dominoes is forgiving, but smart play still matters.

Draw Dominoes vs Block Dominoes

Draw Dominoes

Drawing allowed
Fewer blocked games
More beginner-friendly

Block Dominoes

No drawing
More passing
More strategic blocking

👉 See Block Dominoes Rules to compare.

Draw Dominoes vs Mexican Train