Equipment

• Centerpiece (optional): A starting piece placed in the middle of the table.

• 55 Double-9 Dominoes: A set featuring all possible pairs of numbers (pips) from 0 to 9.

• Scorepad: For tracking scores across rounds.
  

Game Setup and Starting Rounds

1. Drawing Dominoes:Players begin by drawing tiles from a shuffled, face-down pile to form their hands, keeping the values hidden. The number of tiles drawn depends on the number of players:

   • 2 players: 21 dominoes each

   • 3 players: 14 dominoes each

   • 4 players: 11 dominoes each

   • 5 players: 8 dominoes each

   • 6 players: 7 dominoes each

   • 7 players: 6 dominoes each

   • 8 players: 5 dominoes each

   The remaining tiles form the chicken yard (draw pile).

2. Starting the Round:Each round begins with a starting double (a tile with the same number on both ends). For the first round, use the double-9 tile.

   • Place the starting double in the centerpiece. If no player has the required double, everyone draws one tile from the chicken yard until it is found.

   • Subsequent rounds begin with the next highest double (e.g., double-8, double-7), continuing down to double-0.

3. First Turns:

   • Starting with the player to the left of the one who placed the starting double, players must play a domino with a matching end.

   • If unable to play, draw from the chicken yard. If the drawn domino can be played, do so immediately; otherwise, declare “Pass.”

   • Play continues clockwise until all sides of the starting double are filled.

4. Optional Setup Variations:

   • You can choose to play with six or four sides filled on the starting double or even without a centerpiece, depending on preference.
     

Subsequent Turns

Once all sides of the starting double are filled, players can continue playing tiles off any exposed ends as long as the numbers match.

• If a player cannot play, they must draw from the chicken yard and play the drawn domino if possible. If not, they pass.

• If the chicken yard is empty, players pass if they cannot make a move.
  

The Chickenfoot Rule

When a player plays a double tile, it must be placed perpendicular to the domino it is played on. The player then announces “Chickie” followed by the double’s number (e.g., “Chickie Fives” for a double-5).

• The next three plays must be made on this double to create a Chickenfoot—an arrangement resembling a chicken’s foot.

• If a player cannot play on the Chickenfoot, they must draw from the chicken yard and play the drawn tile if possible. Otherwise, they pass.

• Once the Chickenfoot is complete, normal play resumes on any exposed ends.
  

Ending a Round

A round ends when:

1. A player plays their last domino.

2. No players can make a legal move.

Each player then totals the pips on their remaining dominoes to calculate their score for the round. (Optional Rule: Count double-0 tiles as 50 points.)

Ending the Game

The game concludes after 10 rounds, with the starting double decreasing each round (double-9 to double-0). The player with the lowest total score across all rounds wins the game!