How to Win at Domino Fives: Counting, Doubles and the Spinner
Domino Fives is won by scoring while you play, not only by going out first. Every time the open ends add up to 5, 10, 15, 20 or more, you score that total at once, and the player who goes out collects the pips left in the other hands. Games run to 150 or 250 points, so steady counts round after round beat one lucky round. This guide covers counting the ends, doubles and the spinner, defence, drawing and the end of a round.
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Count the ends before every play
Add up the open ends of the layout: a double at the end of an arm counts both halves, and so does the spinner while one of its long sides is still empty. The Ends counter shows the total and turns gold when it is a multiple of 5, and when you pick a tile a gold +points badge marks every spot that scores.
Before you play, work out what each move does to the count. You take away the number you cover and add the new open number. With ends of 3 and 4 (a total of 7), the 4-2 played on the 4 leaves 3 and 2: that is 5 points. The opening tile scores too, so a 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2 scores 5 and a 6-4 or 5-5 scores 10.
Make doubles and the spinner work for you
Because a double at an end counts twice, it can turn a small count into a big score: a 5-5 at an end adds 10, a 6-6 adds 12. The first double is the spinner: once both of its sides are covered, tiles can also be played on its top and bottom, giving four open ends and counts of 20 or more.
Keep tiles that can complete a multiple of 5 for the right moment. Scoring 20 or more with one tile earns the Big count achievement, and any scoring play earns High five.
Don’t set up your rivals
After your play, look at the count you leave behind. If the next player can reach a multiple of 5 with a common number, you have handed them points. Fives and zeros are the dangerous numbers to leave open, because they change the count without changing its last digit.
Keep track of the tiles already played. Each number appears on seven tiles, so once most of them are down, an end showing that number is hard to play on, which you can use to block players who are short of tiles.
Draw and go out wisely
If you cannot play, you must draw from the boneyard until you can, and every tile you draw can end up in the winner’s pocket. When you have no scoring play, get rid of heavy tiles such as the 6-6 or 6-5 first, so that you give away fewer points if someone else goes out.
Going out first scores all the pips left in the other hands, rounded to the nearest 5. If the game is blocked, the lightest hand wins the round and scores the difference. Round 1 opens with the highest double; after that the last winner leads with any tile, so choose an opening tile that scores.
Play the long game to 150 or 250
A game is a race over several rounds, so take every safe five or ten rather than gambling on one big count. With 2 players each takes 7 tiles; with 3 or 4 players, only 5, so rounds are shorter and going out quickly matters more. Win a game to 250 against 3 computer players to earn Fives champion. Online, 2 to 4 friends can play, and a computer player takes over any empty or abandoned seat.
Questions
- Does the first tile score?
- Yes. If the two ends of the opening tile add up to a multiple of 5, such as the 5-0, 3-2 or 6-4, the player who opens scores it.
- How does a double count at the end of an arm?
- Both halves count. A 6-6 at an end adds 12 to the count and a 5-5 adds 10.
- Can I play Domino Fives online?
- Yes. 2 to 4 players can play online; empty or abandoned seats are taken over by computer players. Offline, you can play against 1, 2 or 3 computer opponents.
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