How many dominoes are in a set?

Twenty-eight is the magic number, and it isn't arbitrary: it's every possible pairing of the values zero through six, each appearing exactly once.

Quick answer: The standard double-six set has 28 tiles - every combination from double blank to double six - carrying 168 pips in total. Larger sets exist for bigger tables: double-nine has 55 tiles and double-twelve has 91. All the games here use the classic double-six set for two players.

The double-six set

A double-six set contains one tile for every combination of two values from blank (zero) to six, which works out to 28 tiles and 168 pips. Each number appears on exactly seven tiles, a fact worth memorising because it powers all tile counting. In a two-player game each side draws seven tiles and the remaining 14 form the boneyard. If you'd like a physical set, you can even print your own dominoes.

Bigger sets for bigger games

Extended sets follow the same pattern with higher maximums: double-nine has 55 tiles, double-twelve has 91, and party games with six or more players lean on them for enough tiles to go around. The trade-off is longer, more chaotic lines. Classic two-player dominoes - the format for every game on this site - is at its sharpest with the compact double-six set.

Why the count matters in play

With only 28 tiles, seven per suit, and seven in each starting hand, a double-six game is small enough to count completely. If you've seen five sixes between the table and your hand, only two remain unseen. That arithmetic is the backbone of good play in every variant from Block to Fives and Threes, and the glossary covers the terms that come with it.

See the rules for every game

Related questions

What is a double in dominoes?

A double is a tile with the same value on both halves - there are seven in a double-six set, from 0-0 to 6-6. Doubles are laid crosswise, the first one played can become the spinner, and because each double fits only its own suit, they're assets early and liabilities late.

Why do you count pips in dominoes?

Pips - the dots on each tile - decide everything the last tile doesn't. Blocked hands go to the player holding fewer pips, hand winners score the loser's leftover pips, and tracking which pips have been played tells you exactly what remains unseen. Counting them is the core skill of the game.

How do you play dominoes?

In a two-player game, each player draws 7 tiles from a shuffled double-six set of 28, and the rest form the face-down boneyard. Players take turns adding a tile whose end matches an open end of the line. Empty your hand to win the hand, or hold the fewest pips if play blocks.