Spinner dominoes are simple and funny.
They are quite similar to a classy domino game with a couple of witty tricks added to the gameplay. Let’s learn more about what the spinner domino game is and how to play it.
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Spinners Dominoes: Objective
The main goal of the game is to discharge all dominoes from your hand before other players manage to do this. While taking place in 9 rounds, each round brings players their score. The final calculations of the scores for all 9 rounds clarify who is the winner.
“Spinner is a domino with a twist. Sometimes one spinning piece can spin the whole table.”
Spinner Dominoes Game Setup
To play the spinner domino game you need the following setup:
- A set of dominoes consisting of 66 tiles;
- A spacious table to play on it;
- A scoresheet to fix the results of each round;
- 2+ players (the more players the funnier the game.)
Classic spinner domino setup is designed for a maximum of 8 players.
The Rules for Spinner Dominoes
Domino rules for spinners vary a bit from classic rules. First, the game starts with the whole set of dominoes shuffled well. Then each player takes 7 dominoes to their hands randomly and secretly.
The first round of spinner dominoes always starts with a double nine. Then each round starts with double eight, double seven, etc. An alternative to a starting double in each round is a double spinner.
When players take their tiles to their hands, the player who has double nine (or relevant double in each next round) starts the game with it. If there are no either double nine or double spinner in anyone’s hand, each player takes 1 domino from the draw pile until someone picks up a necessary tile and becomes a starter.
Then the game goes clockwise with the obligatory rule that the first three dominoes after a double should be attached only to this double domino. Then it’s to a player’s choice where to place the next domino. When a double is played further in the round, players need to make a chicken foot with it before other moves can be done.
Special Rules for Spinner Dominoes
Spinners are a kind of wild card, and you can play them anywhere and instead of any domino.
If you play a domino which ends with a spinner, the next players have to discard their spinner domino to follow the route. For double spinners, a chicken foot should also be made with other dominoes with spinners or with dominoes of the number which spinner substitutes.
Winning Strategies
To gain success in spinner dominoes, there are some strategies you can follow:
- Try to discard spinners at the early stages of the round as their value is high;
- Play dominoes with the highest value prior to others to reduce the score;
- Play chicken foot if you have some dominoes of a similar suit in your hand to block your opponents.
Scoring Rules: How to Calculate Points
When each round of the game ends, the winner of the round gets zero points. Other players have to calculate their points according to the rules for spinner dominoes.
- Each standard domino has its value according to the number of pips on both ends. For example, 9:9 has the highest value of 18 points as 9+9-18 and 0:0 has the lowest value. Add the number of points from each domino remaining in your hand and calculate their sum.
- Each spinner values 10 points, so you have to calculate spinners in your hand and add them too.
Who Wins at Last in Spinner Dominoes?
Once you played all 9 rounds in Spinner Dominoes and fixed the score in your scoresheet, it’s time to calculate the results. The winner of the game is the player with the lowest number of points in total.
Conclusion
Spinners dominoes are great for big companies and family leisure as their simple rules along with challenging twists bring incredible fun. Just try this game and add it to your fav table games list. Check more interesting articles in our blog to make your fun time even more diverse.
