Jamaican Domino Rules Explained

The rules that make Jamaican dominoes distinct aren't in the tiles — they're in the scoring and the etiquette.

Posing: the first tile of the first round is played by the holder of the double six. In later rounds the winner of the previous game poses whatever they like.

Passing: no boneyard, no drawing. If you can't match an open end you knock the table and play moves on.

Blocking: when nobody can play, the game is blocked. Each side adds up the pips left in hand and the lower total wins the game. Tied totals usually go to the side that played last.

Six-love: matches are played to six games. Sweeping all six is a six-love, and tradition says the losing side has to crawl under the table. In Domino Gwaan Bad you get a badge instead.

Etiquette counts too. Tiles stay face down until posed, you play with one hand, and you never take a play back once the bone touches the board.