RULES

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FULL RULES

Setup

Chinese Dominoes uses a set of 32 tiles. In a 4-player game, each player receives 8 tiles. The tiles are shuffled face-down and dealt evenly to all players.

Tile Types

The 32 tiles are divided into two categories: 11 Civil pairs (22 tiles total) and 10 Military singles (10 tiles total). Civil tiles come in identical pairs, while Military tiles are unique singles.

Ranking

Civil pairs rank higher than Military tiles. Within each type, tiles are ranked by their pip totals and traditional hierarchy. The highest Civil tiles are the 6-6 (Heaven) and 1-1 (Earth) pairs.

Dealing

All 32 tiles are shuffled face-down. Each player draws 8 tiles and keeps them hidden from opponents. Players arrange their tiles by type and rank for easier play.

Leading

The winner of the previous trick leads the next one. In the first round, the player with the highest tile (or a designated starting player) leads. You may lead with a single tile or a valid combination.

Following

When a player leads, others must play tiles of the same type (Civil or Military) that can beat the lead. If you cannot beat the lead or have no tiles of that type, you must forfeit the trick.

Tricks

The player who plays the highest-ranking tile (or combination) wins the trick and collects all played tiles. That player then leads the next trick.

Supreme Pair

The Supreme pair consists of the 1-2 and 2-4 tiles played together. This combination beats all other plays in the game, including the highest Civil pairs.

Scoring

At the end of the round, players count their won tricks. The player with the most tricks wins. In some variants, points are awarded based on the number of tricks won.

VARIANTS

Tien Gow

Traditional Chinese Game

The classic trick-taking game using all 32 tiles. Players compete to win the most tricks using careful tile management and strategic play. This is the foundation for all Chinese domino games.

Pai Gow

Casino Banking Game

A gambling variant where players arrange their tiles into two hands to beat the banker. Popular in Western casinos, Pai Gow uses the same 32-tile set but with completely different gameplay mechanics.

Ganjifa

Indian Card Variant

While not directly using dominoes, Ganjifa represents the spread of Chinese gaming concepts to India. This circular card game shares thematic elements with Chinese Dominoes, particularly the Civil/Military distinction.