There is a domino version of the playing-card game Poker, and obviously, the game is called Poker Domino or Domino Poker. It is played with a partial Double-Six domino set with two to four players. The game is played with the double-one, then all the blank-suited tiles are removed from the domino set, leaving only twenty tiles. Although the hand ranking differs from the poker card game, it still has the bluffing aspect.
The Play:
Players must give their ante (or their bet) inside the pot, it a predetermined fixed amount of money that should be done before each hand. Ideally, there is an agreed-upon minimum and maximum raising limits of the ante that they will put in the pot during the game.
First, the dominos are shuffled and facedown, allowing the merchant dealer to give 5 tiles to each player that only they can look at, opponents must never look at them. Each player is then allowed to do the following:
- Check: This means that the player wants to remain in the game but not put any ante into the pot; this is only allowed ion the initial first round of betting.
- Fold: This means that the player will drop out of the game, they will not take part in the play; but, these players must never reveal their hand.
- Bet: This means that the player will put an ante in the pot; this is only allowed on the initial first round of the better.
- Call: This means that the player will put the same amount of ante in the pot as the other players; all the players will reveal their hands.
- Raise: This means that a player will put into the pot a great amount of ante, and those who are still willing to play must put in the same amount or higher.
When a call has been made, the players will then expose their hands of tiles. The player with the highest-ranked hand is declared the winner who then takes the pot. Listed below are the ranks from highest to lowest
- Royal Hand or Invincible.
Five doubles. 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6
- Straight Sixes.
A sequence of consecutive suits on one end with all tiles also bearing the suit of six on the other end. Either (2-6, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6, 5-6) or (1-6, 2-6, 3-6, 4-6, 5-6).
- Four-of-a-Kind.
Four doubles and any other tile. - Straight Fives.
A sequence of consecutive suits on one end with all tiles also bearing the suit of five on the other end. Either (2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 4-5, 5-5, 5-6) or (1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5).
- Full House.
Three doubles and two tiles bearing the same suit. For example: (2-2, 4-4, 5-5, 2-4, 5-4).
- Straight Fours.
A sequence of consecutive suits one one end with all tiles also bearing the suit of four on the other end. Either (2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6) or (1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5).
- Three-of-a-Kind or a Triple.
Three doubles and any other two tiles. Note that it is only possible for one player to have this hand because there are only 5 doubles in the whole reduced Double-Six domino set.
Five tiles bearing the same pipped suit value on either end.
- Single Pair.
Two doubles and any other three tiles. Doubles rank with 6-6 highest and 2-2 lowest with the highest double of the two taking precedence over the lower double.
- Heaviest Tile.
If no other hands have been made, then the highest double in a player’s hand determines the winner, with doubles ranking from 6-6 down to 2-2. If no doubles are held, then the tile bearing the greatest number of pips is used to determine the winner.
It sounds like a good game, right? Try it out! If you love poker and love dominos as well, then go ahead and give it a try!
