Domino Strategy: Counting Tiles, Scoring and the Riba

In Georgian domino, luck is only the deal. The rest comes down to counting: how many tiles of each number are left, what your move hands your opponent, and what you will be stuck holding if the hand ends suddenly. The tips below are based on the rules the game on this site plays by — if you don’t know them yet, read the rules article first.

1. Count the tiles: every number appears seven times

Each number from zero to six appears on exactly seven tiles. It is the single most useful fact to know in domino. You can see your own seven tiles and the board; everything else is either in your opponent’s hand or in the bazari (the boneyard). If, say, five of the seven tiles with a four are already on the board and you hold one, your opponent can have one four at most — or none at all.

• Watch which numbers sent your opponent to the bazari: if they drew while the ends asked for a 2 and a 5, at that moment they had neither a two nor a five.
• The last two tiles of the bazari are protected and nobody will ever get them. So a “missing” tile may be sitting there rather than in your opponent’s hand — you cannot know for sure.
• The screen shows how many tiles your opponent holds and how many are left in the bazari. If their hand has grown from drawing, it has also got heavier.

2. The total of the open ends: check every move twice

Points are scored when the open ends add up to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35. Before each move you count two things: what total you will make, and what chance you leave your opponent. If a tile fits more than one end, the game highlights every spot and the choice is yours — sometimes the same tile scores 10 at one end and nothing at the other. An example: the hand was opened with a non-double, there is no stavka yet, and the ends are 3 and 4 (total 7). You hold 4-1, 3-6 and 3-3. Play 4-1 on the four and the ends become 3 and 1 — total 4, no score. Play 3-6 on the three: 6 + 4 = 10 — you score 10. The 3-3 also gives you 10: it is the first double of the hand, so it becomes the stavka, and while its other side is free it counts both halves — 6 + 4 = 10. In a spot like this, think about which tile you would rather keep in your hand.

3. The stavka and doubles

• The stavka counts both halves for as long as at least one of its main sides is free. Once a tile is played on its other side, it drops out of the total completely. That is a big swing: closing a 6-6 stavka removes its 12 points from the total in one go. This is how you can take a ready-made score away from your opponent, or bring your own total onto a multiple of five.
• When the stavka is closed, its third and fourth sides open, both on the stavka’s number. If you hold tiles with that number, the new ends will work in your favour.
• If the stavka is 5-5 and the first tile played on it is 5-0, the total is 10 + 0 = 10 — 10 points. Any other 5-x scores nothing at that moment.
• An ordinary double at an end counts both halves: a 5-5 adds 10, a 6-6 adds 12. That is often exactly what the total is missing to reach a multiple of five.
• A double can only be played on one number, so it easily gets stuck in your hand. If you get the chance, get rid of your doubles early — especially the heavy ones.

4. The bazari: draw less, hold a better hand

You only go to the bazari when you have nothing to play, and a drawn tile that fits must be played at once. Every draw makes your hand heavier and tells your opponent something. So try to keep a variety of numbers in your hand: tiles with six different numbers will leave you facing the boneyard far less often than four tiles with the same number. If you are choosing between two tiles that score the same, play the one whose number you hold more of — that way the rare number stays with you for the next move.

5. Blocking the board: the riba

• A riba happens when every open end asks for a number that nobody can play any more. Because each number is on seven tiles, you can see a riba coming: if both ends ask for a three and six of the seven threes are on the board, there is one tile left before the board is blocked.
• Blocking works in your favour when the total in your hand is smaller than your opponent’s. The player with less left wins and scores the loser’s total, rounded up to a multiple of five.
• An example: you hold 1-1 and 5-6 (13), your opponent holds 4-2 and 4-6 (16). By blocking, you score 20 — not 13, and not 15.
• Equal totals are a draw and nobody scores — if the difference is small, blocking is a risk.
• Blocking also gives you the first move of the next hand: the next hand is opened by whoever played the last ordinary tile. A double played because it was forced does not earn that right.
• If the board is blocked on a number v and someone holds v-v, it must be played first. The double leaves the same v open, so it cannot stop the block.

6. The end of a hand: count what you are holding

• If your opponent plays their last tile, they score your remaining total, rounded up to a multiple of five. So get the heavy tiles — 6-6, 6-5, 5-5 — out early, as long as it doesn’t cost you points. A 6-5 held too long gives your opponent 15 (11 becomes 15).
• Rounding works in bands: any total from 11 to 15 is written as 15, but 16 is already 20. If you are holding 16, playing a single tile can save you 5 points.
• 0-0 is not “free”: if it is your last tile and your opponent finishes the hand, they score 10.
• An example: you hold 6-5 and 1-0 (12, which is 15 for your opponent). If you manage to play the 6-5, you are left with 1 — only 5 for your opponent.

7. At the end of the match

A match only ends at the end of a hand. If you are on 170 in a game to 175 and go 10 points over, the hand is still played to the end, and your opponent can still catch up. If both players are past the target at the end of a hand, the one with more points wins — so scoring in the last hand matters just as much as finishing it.

Frequently asked questions

What matters most for a beginner?

Counting the total of the open ends on every move. Points are scored on multiples of five, and choosing the right end often makes a 10–15 point difference.

Is it worth closing the second side of the stavka?

Often, yes — when the stavka is counting both halves and leaving your opponent a ready-made score. Closing it removes the stavka from the total and opens two new sides.

When should I try to block the board?

When you are sure the total in your hand is smaller than your opponent’s. Equal totals are a draw and nobody scores.

Can I draw from the boneyard if I have a tile I can play?

No. If you have a move, you must play it — you only go to the bazari when you have nothing to play.

• Play domino online now
• Georgian domino rules for two players
• Domino online: how to play free with a friend
• Interactive tutorial

Domino on tamashebi.cc is free to play. Coin tables use only Domino Coin, a virtual in-game coin: it is never money, cannot be bought or cashed out, and means nothing outside the site. There is no real-money play, no top-up and no payment of any kind. The site is available in Georgian, English, Russian and Turkish.