Latin Partnership Dominoes (Dominó por parejas)
The domino game of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Mexico: four players, two pairs, and every tile dealt out. You sit opposite your partner and talk only through the tiles you choose. Play it online with a live partner, not a bot.
At a glance
- 4 playerstwo fixed pairs, partners sit opposite
- 28 tilesdouble-six set, 7 tiles each, no boneyard
- One linetwo open ends, doubles go across
- Pairsa hand is won by a pair, the game by the first pair to the target
- To 200the default target; clubs also play to 100, 300 or 500
- Counter-clockwiseplay passes to the right
How it is played, in short
- Deal. All 28 tiles are dealt, seven to each player. You see only your own.
- First tile. The first player (the salidor) lays any tile. In many countries the first hand opens with the double-six 66.
- Your turn. Add a tile to either end of the line so that the numbers match. If you can play, you must.
- Pass. If no tile of yours fits, you say paso and the turn moves on.
- End of the hand. Someone plays their last tile (dominó), or nobody can move any more (tranque).
- Points. The winning pair scores the pips left on the tiles still in hand. A tranque is won by the pair with fewer pips.
- Game. Hand after hand until a pair reaches the target.
The full rules, with examples, are on the rules page.
Why it is a game for two
Nobody may say what they hold, and you cannot see your partner's tiles. Everything passes through the tiles you play. When you open with a number, keep a long suit going or pass on purpose, your partner reads it, and you read theirs. Good pairs learn each other's habits and win by understanding, not by loud talk at the table.
The game is easy to learn in one evening: one line, two ends, match the number. The depth comes from counting what has been played and from playing as one pair.
Fair play
- Verifiable deal. Every hand is shuffled fairly, and the deal can be checked afterwards.
- The server enforces the rules. It will not accept a tile that does not fit, a move out of turn or a pass with a playable tile.
- Automatic scoring. Pips are counted for you and the score is shown after every hand.
How we play on PlayElephant
By default a table follows the international (FID) rules. A table can also open with the rules of one country, see the variants table on the rules page. Default settings:
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Players | 4, in two pairs (2×2) |
| Tiles | double-six, 28 tiles, 7 each, no boneyard |
| First tile of the game | drawn by lot, any tile may be played |
| Who leads the next hand | the next player to the right, every hand |
| Pips counted | all tiles left in hand, partner's included |
| Tranque | the pair with fewer pips wins; on a tie nobody scores |
| Target | 200 points |
| Bonuses (capicúa, pase) | off |
- A live partner, not a bot. Rating of pairs, tournaments of pairs and clubs are built around real partners.
- Bots are marked. A bot only takes the seat of a player who has left.
- Fair play. Every deal is a fair shuffle that can be verified afterwards. The server checks every move, so an illegal tile or a false pass is impossible. Points are counted automatically.
- No money. It is a game of skill and memory between friends.