Moon Domino Rules

How To Play Moon Dominoes

Number Of Players: 3 or 4
Domino Set Required: Double-Six

Moon is a variation on Texas 42, and like 42, is a domino game that is played like a card game. Moon drops the "honor" tiles, and is not played as a partnership game.

Moon uses a "cut deck", consisting of a standard double-six set with all blanks, except the double-blank, removed.

Moon can be played by either 3 or four players. The 3-player game is described first, and the 4-player version is handled as variation.

Setup

After shuffling the dominoes, each player draws seven tiles to make up their hand. The remaining tile is left in the boneyard, and is called the "widow".

Bidding

Players bid in turn, either bidding or passing. Each bid must be a number from 4 to 7, representing the number of tricks the player thinks they can take, and must raise the previous bid. If the bid is maxed out (7), the next player may "shoot the moon", which also obligates the bidder to take 7 tricks, but scores 21.

If no one bids, the tiles are reshuffled and dealt again.

The highest bidder names the trump suit (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6). The highest bidder may also take the widow tile from the boneyard. If he does so, then he must discard one tile from his hand to get back to seven.

Gameplay

The highest bidder leads, and must play a trump, and call out which of the numbers on his domino is the trump suit. Each player must follow suit is he can. If he cannot follow suit (that is, if a player does not hold a tile containing the trump suit), then he may play any tile. The trick is won by the heaviest trump, and the winner of the trick leads the next. A double is always the heaviest tile in its suit.

In subsequent tricks, the lead may either be a trump (containing the trump suit), or a non-trump (not containing the trump suit). If the lead is a trump, then the other players must play trump cards if they can. If the lead is a non-trump, then the suit is the higher of the two ends, and the other players must either play from that suit, or play a trump. A trick is won by the heaviest tile of the suit led, or the heaviest trump.

Scoring

Each trick scores one point. If the highest-bidding player meets his bid, all players score their totals. If the highest-bidding player fails to make his bid, he is "set, scores nothing, and his opponents score their own totals plus the bid.

If a player shot the moon, and won all 7 tricks, then that player scores 21 points and wins the game. If a player shot the moon, and was set, then that player loses 21 points.