Dominoes: Standard double-six
Number of players: 2-4
Matador is named for the Spanish word for killer or bullfighter, and it’s fitting because the game can turn on you as fast as a bull’s horns. While most domino games ask you to match numbers, Matador throws that rule out entirely and replaces it with something trickier: your tiles have to add up to seven.
What are the rules of Matador Dominoes?
Matador is a game for two to four players using a standard double-six set of 28 tiles. The object is to be the first player to play all your tiles. What makes it different from every other domino game is the matching rule: instead of pairing equal numbers, you connect tiles so that the touching ends add up to seven.
What you need to play Matador Dominoes
A standard double-six domino set, two to four players, and a flat surface. No special tiles required. The twist is entirely in how you play the ones you already have.
How to deal in Matador
Shuffle all tiles facedown. Each player draws seven tiles. Any remaining tiles form the boneyard and are kept in reserve.
Starting the Matador dominoes game
Players draw for the right to go first. Some versions require the first player to set the highest double in their hand. Either way, one tile goes down to start the train, and play continues clockwise from there.
How to play Matador dominoes
This is where Matador earns its name. To place a tile, the end of your newly played domino and the open end of the layout must add up to seven. If the open end is a three, you must play a four to connect to it. A six requires a one. A two requires a five. Think in pairs that add to seven, not in matching numbers.
Doubles are played in line, not across the train, and have no special rules.
If you cannot play, you draw from the boneyard. Rules vary on how many you can draw: some versions allow drawing until you find a playable tile, others limit you to one draw per turn after which you pass. Agree on this before the game starts.
How do the dominoes work in Matador?
There are four special tiles called matadors: the 0-0, the 1-6, the 2-5, and the 3-4. A matador can be played on any open end of the layout at any time, regardless of what number is showing. You are never required to play a matador and can choose to draw instead.
When you play a matador, you choose which end faces outward, and that becomes the new open end. The next player after you must then play so that their tile adds up to seven with that end, or play another matador.
One important rule: if a blank appears at either end of the layout, the only tile that can be played there is a matador. No standard tile can add up to seven with zero, so blanks close off that end of the board until a matador opens it back up.
How to score in Matador dominoes
The hand ends when one player plays all their tiles, the game blocks completely, or all players pass in the same round. At the end of the hand, every player counts the total pips remaining in their hand. The player with the lowest count wins, and is credited with the sum of all the other players' pip totals minus their own. First player to reach 100 points wins the game.
Matador dominoes tips for beginners
Think in sevens from the start. Sort your hand into pairs that add to seven: ones and sixes, twos and fives, threes and fours. That's how you'll see opportunities faster than everyone else at the table.
Hold your matadors carefully. They can be played anywhere at any time, which makes them feel like a relief valve when you're stuck. But playing one too early can hand your opponent exactly the opening they needed. Save them for when they do real damage.
Blanks are weapons. Playing a tile that leaves a blank at the open end locks out everyone who doesn't have a matador. If your opponents are running low, a well-timed blank can end the round in your favor.
The 0-0 is the most valuable tile in the game. It gives you a guaranteed play at any time and can be used to block one end of the train entirely. Don't waste it.
Frequently asked questions about Matador dominoes
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In regular dominoes you match equal numbers. In Matador, connecting ends must add up to seven. It is a fundamentally different way of thinking about the same set of tiles.
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The four matadors are the 0-0, 1-6, 2-5, and 3-4. They can be played on any open end at any time and are the only tiles that can connect to a blank.
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Two to four players. Each player draws seven tiles regardless of player count.
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Draw from the boneyard. House rules vary on whether you draw one tile or keep drawing until you find a playable tile. Settle this before the game starts.
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Only a matador can be played on a blank end, since no standard tile can add up to seven with zero.
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Yes. With a double-nine set, connecting ends must add up to ten. With a double-twelve set, they must add up to thirteen. The matadors change accordingly.
