Learn French Dominoes
Learn to build the four-arm cross, use matching doubles and count scores in French dominoes.
Learn French
Follow Reeva’s prompts. Use Next and Back for the explanations, then make the requested moves. At the end, try a game with visible hands or easy Duppies inside this reel.
Objective and pose Low cumulative pips win the set.
French is a four-player game where every player competes for themselves. Each player draws seven dominoes, and unlike most variants, the lowest pip count wins.
The set plays to 100 pips. As soon as one player reaches 100, the set ends and the player with the fewest cumulative pips wins.
On the first game of a set, the holder of double blank must pose it. After that, the previous game’s winner poses any double from their hand.
Build the four-arm cross Populate every arm before extending one.
French uses a four-arm cross radiating from the pose. All four arms must be started before any one arm can grow further.
In the interactive lesson, three blank arms have already been played around . You play to populate the fourth arm.
Matching doubles unlock play A non-double must wait for its suit’s double.
To play a non-double on an arm whose end shows a number, that number’s matching double must already be on the board. A matching double can always be played on its own end.
Holding a double keeps that suit unavailable to everyone—including you on other arms. Timing the double is therefore critical.
After all four lesson arms are populated, none of their matching doubles is on the board. At that point, only matching doubles can extend those arms.
Hand scoring Count the pips remaining in every hand.
Normal count At the end of each game, every player adds the pips remaining in their hand. Cumulative hand scores count toward 100.
Last tile is a double If you empty your hand by playing a double last, every other player’s pip count for that hand is doubled.
Still holding a double A player who still holds a double when the game ends has their own pip count doubled.
Penalty priority The held-double penalty overrides the bonus created when the winner goes out with a double.
Pass penalties Repeated or table-wide passes add pips.
French has no boneyard, so a pass means the player has no legal move. Three consecutive passes add 10 pips, then the streak resets. Six consecutive passes add 20.
If one player makes a move and all three opponents pass before play returns, each of those three passing players receives 10 pips.
Winning the set Reaching 100 ends the set; the lowest score wins.
The set ends as soon as any player’s cumulative score reaches 100 pips. The player with the lowest cumulative score wins.
If the lowest cumulative score is tied, the set continues until there is a clear winner.
More tutorials
Review the basics or learn another way to play.