Looking for a different way to play dominoes? These four Caribbean variations offer distinct rules, scoring systems, and ways to compete with friends and family. Partner Dominoes and Cut Throat Dominoes are associated with Jamaica, while Chiva and Gallinazo are Puerto Rican variations. The games differ in the number of players, how hands are won, and how scores are kept, making each one a different way to enjoy a domino game with a Caribbean twist. (Don’t forget the cocktails!)

Partner Dominoes (Jamaica)

Partner Dominoes is played by four people seated around a square table, with partners sitting directly opposite each other. The goal is to play all the dominoes in your hand while helping your partner and preventing the opposing team from doing the same. Each player has seven tiles, and the game is played with a standard double-six domino set:

Requires a double six domino set.
Each player receives 7 tiles.

How to play

The first hand begins with the individual who has the double six in his/her hand.
In subsequent hands the team that won the previous hand plays first. After seeing their own tiles the team is allowed to discuss who will play first, but cannot reveal to their partner their exact tiles.
The play continues counter-clockwise. The touching ends of adjacent dominoes must match. Double tiles are traditionally played at a right angle across the line. If a player cannot play anywhere, they must skip a turn.
The hand ends when an individual finishes playing all tiles from his hand first. Or if the game becomes blocked and no one is able to play anymore.
- If a player manages to play all his tiles, that player’s team wins the hand.
- If the game is blocked, the hand is won by the team of the player whose remaining tiles have the least amount of dots. (It does not matter the amount of dots the winners partner has remaining.)
- If the game is blocked and there is tie for the amount of dots, then the hand is a tie, no matter what the other two players have.

Scoring

At the end of the hand, the winning team scores one point.
The aim is to win six times in succession – so the score is 6-0. So long as one side wins they add points to their total, if the opposite team wins a hand, the score returns to 0-0 and the next hand is begun by the holder of the double six.

Cut Throat Dominoes (Jamaica)

When playing cut throat, the size of the hand varies with the number of players:

2 players get 14 tiles each
3 players get 9 tiles each
4 players get 7 tiles each

How to play

The playing sequence follows the same Jamaican rules as Partner Dominoes: players match the touching ends of adjacent dominoes, play proceeds counter-clockwise, and a player who cannot make a legal play skips the turn. The key difference is that each player competes individually rather than playing as part of a fixed team.

Scoring

Each player keeps a score of games won and the first player to achieve 6 wins is the overall winner, if another player has zero.
If everyone wins a hand before anyone reaches 6 wins, the score returns to 0 for everyone.

Chiva Dominoes (Puerto Rico)

Chiva Dominoes, also known as Shutout, is a four-player Puerto Rican variation played with partners. The main feature of the game is the four-game shutout: a team must win four games in a row to win the match. A blocked game is normally won by the team with the lower score.

Scoring

The winner of a “Chiva” Match must win 4 games in a row.
If the player/team being shutout wins a game, they break the “Chiva” and the match goes back to 0 games for both player/teams, and they must restart the match again.

Gallinazo (Puerto Rico)

This game is said to be played most often in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, but has migrated to as far as Guadalajara, Mexico.

How to play

This is a four player game, each one playing for himself/herself.
A double six set of 28 tiles is used, and each player draws 7 tiles.
The holder of the double 6 tile begins the game and the hand continues counter-clockwise.
Seven hands are played, after which it’s traditional in Puerto Rico that the player with the most points (the loser) must buy everyone a beer. (but this is optional)
The scorer normally keeps the cumulative scores secret until just before the seventh hand, when they are announced to all the players.

Scoring

When a player gets rid of all their tiles, they win the hand and the remaining players score the number of dots total on their tiles.
If the game becomes blocked, then provided the player of the last tile has the lowest score, everyone scores the number of dots on their remaining tiles.
If another player has less or equal to the points of the person with the last tile, then the player of the last tile played scores 4x the number of dots in his/her remaining tiles. And the other players only score the number of dots on their tiles.

Enjoyed learning about the Caribbean dominoes rules? Want to read more? Join the Crew and Start the Journey! Connect with Us for News, Events, Lifestyle, and all things Caribbean by joining our Newsletter – Click Here to Join or find us on Facebook or Instagram.