Online domino is an exciting and engaging way to enjoy this popular game. Players can choose from a variety of games including All-Fives, All-Threes, Draw and Block. They can also decide the number of players and their goal points, which is how many points they must score before they win. The first player to reach their goal wins the game.
The game starts with the players shuffling the tiles and distributing them evenly between themselves when there are two players, or one player receives 7 tiles if they are playing with 4. Each player then draws a hand according to the rules of the specific Domino game they are playing. The player who draws the highest double is then able to make the first play, which is sometimes known as “the set,” “the down” or “the lead.”
Each subsequent player plays a tile on whichever open ends of the line of dominoes are available. This allows for more complex plays and makes the game more interesting. Players may also play a double on their opponent’s train (Mexican Train, for example), which can be helpful or harmful depending on the strategy and luck of the draw.
If the player cannot make a play, they can pass or “bye” (see below). A player’s train is marked as “open” by playing a tile on it and other players can then add to this train as they play their hands. Some players will try to play all of their tiles before their opponent does, which is called “closing” the train.
After a player has played their tiles, they are returned to the boneyard (also known as the “stock”). If there are any extra tiles left in the stock after the end of the game, these can be bought by the winning player and will be added to the score.
Some games allow players to buy extra tiles from the stock, whereas others do not. A player can also use a tile from their own train to cover a double, which is an important strategic decision.
Another online domino option is the Playdrift website, which lets users log in with their Facebook or Google account or create a free account to play against other players. There are three ways to play the game: as a guest, as a Singleplayer player facing off against a bot, or as an accountholder who can select from five different games, ranging from All-Fives and All-Threes to Draw and Block. In addition to allowing players to select their preferred game, Playdrift also provides the choice of whether or not they want to pay for a subscription, which will give them VIP status, forced ads blocking and access to VIP icons on their account. The site also features a chat room for players. It is a great alternative for those looking to avoid the hassles of downloading and installing a program on their computer.