Garrafina Dominoes Game Rules

• Garrafina can be played by 2 to 4 players using a double-6 domino set. Each player gets 7 tiles at the beginning of each round.
• Remaining tiles are set aside and not used in the game.
• The first round is started by the player who has the highest double. If no player received a double, then the hand is re-dealt.
• In subsequent rounds, lead is passed clockwise to the next player who can start with any double. If that player has no double, then turn is passed to the next player who can play a double.
• The lead double is played at the center by the lead player and then rest of the players take turn clockwise to play a matching tile.
• In a 4-player game the first round is always started by the player receiving [6-6] since all dominoes are distributed equally among the 4 players. In 2 or 3 players game, if no player received a double then the hand is re-dealt.
• Each player forms his/her own chain/train of tiles starting from one corner of the lead double. In each turn a player can play one tile.
• When a player passes because he cannot continue placing tiles on his own train, then it is freed, so that any of the other players can play a tile on that train. The aforementioned train is once again reserved exclusively for its owner when the same owner places a tile on his/her train.
• The first double can be played on as many sides as the number of players to start individual trains. Subsequent doubles can only be played on one side.
• First player playing all his/her tiles wins the round. If the game is blocked then player with the lowest pips count in his/her hand wins.
• If two playes end up with the same score at the end of a round, no player gets any point.
• Each hand can end in one of the two ways
  
  1. One of the players places all his/her tiles. In this case he/she adds up all the points of his/her opponents, and each of the opponents subtracts his/her own points.
  2. By closing: None of the players can continue on the open trains. The player with the lowest score adds the difference between his/her score and that of each of the opponents. The opponents subtract the difference between points in their hands and the winner.
• There are some additional rules in 2/3 players game as described below
  
  1. Exchange: If the lead player does not have a double then he/she has the option to exchange his/her 7 tiles with the 7 tiles in the boneyard. If after the exchange, the player gets a double, he/she can start the round by playing the double immediately or, in case he/she still does not have a double, then the turn is passed to the next player.
  2. Replace: There is an additional move and this move can only be made by the first player who starts a round and who has a double; the player plays the initial double and immediately afterwards (at his/her own risk) exchanges the 6 remaining tiles with 7 tiles from the boneyard. (it would be at a disadvantage because the player would now be playing 8 tiles and not 7, but if the player has no further tiles to play after the initial double, then this could turn out to be the better option.)
• Rules specific to 2/3 players game:
  
  1. Each player gets a chance to exchange/replace his/her tiles in the first turn as long as there are tiles left in the boneyard. The tiles from the players which were exchanged are set aside and can not be used for exchange by other players.
  2. In a 3-players game, only one player can exchange the pieces. In a 2-players game, both players can exchange their pieces with the tiles left in the boneyard.
  3. If a player exchanges/replaces his/her tiles, and loses the game, then he/she substracts twice the difference which is added to the winner's score.
• The game is played for 10 rounds and the player with the most points after end of the last round wins the game.