Use and Care Manual

before the players draw their hands. When a partnership game is played, the partners sit opposite each
other.
Order of Play
There are several different ways to determine which player will make the first play: 1) Draw lots. 2)
Begin the game by setting the heaviest domino. 3) Have the winner of the previous game make the first
play of the next game. After it is determined who will make the first play of the game, the order of play
will be decided by the seating arrangement. Play will continue to the left, clockwise, after the first play is
made. Or, you may choose to play in a counter-clockwise rotation, as is done in some Latin American
countries, as long as all players agree to it before the game.
Drawing Lots to Determine Who Will Make the First Play
After the tiles are shuffled, each player draws a domino from the stock. The player who draws the
heaviest tile will make the first play. If there is a tie, it is broken by drawing new dominoes from the
stock.
Beginning the Game by Setting the Heaviest Domino
In some domino games, the rules state that the first play must be made by the player with the highest
double in his hand. Rules for other games state that the first play must be made by the player with the
heaviest domino, double or single, as the case may be.
Highest Double: After the tiles are shuffled, each player draws his hand from the stock. The player who
draws the highest double of the set (i.e., double-9 if playing with a double-9 set), plays it as the lead. If
the highest double was not drawn, the second highest double is played. If the second highest double
was not drawn, the third highest double is played, and so on, until a double is played. If none of the
players holds a double in his hand, all hands are discarded, reshuffled, and new hands are drawn. After
the first player sets his double, the second play is made by the player to his left and play continues
clockwise.
Heaviest Tile: Follow the instructions above for "Highest Double" with this exception: Instead of drawing
new hands if no player holds a double tile, the player holding the heaviest single begins play.
Winner of the Last Game: The winner of the last game played may open the next game. Or, if a game
ends in a tie, the player who placed the last tile plays the first tile in the next game.
Drawing the Hand