All Fives Dominoes (Muggins / Five-Up): Rules and Scoring
All Fives is the dominoes game where you score points during play, not only at the end of a round. Whenever the open ends of the layout add up to a multiple of five, you score that total. It is also known as Muggins and Five-Up, and it is one of the three modes on Dominos.cc, free in your browser with no download or sign-up.
Muggins, Five-Up and Fives: the same family of games
Muggins and Five-Up are other names you will meet for All Fives, and some players simply say Fives. Rule sets differ a little from table to table; some add extras such as claiming points that another player missed. On Dominos.cc points are counted for you automatically, so nobody can miss a score.
Setup: tiles, hands and who starts
A double-six set has 28 tiles. With 2 players each takes 7 tiles, with 3 players 6 and with 4 players 5. The rest stay face down in the boneyard. The player holding the highest double opens the round with it; if nobody has a double, the heaviest tile starts. The opening tile can score too: a 5|5 opens for 10 points.
A turn: match, draw or pass
On your turn, play a tile with one half matching an open end. A double is placed across the line. If you cannot play, draw from the boneyard until a tile fits; you may pass only when the boneyard is empty.
How scoring works: multiples of five
After every tile you play, add up the numbers on all the open ends. If the total is 5, 10, 15, 20 or any other multiple of five, you score that total immediately. A double sitting at an end counts both of its halves, so a 4|4 at the end counts 8. If the total is not a multiple of five, that play scores nothing.
Scoring examples
Each line gives the two open ends before your play and what you score.
- Ends 5 and 3: play 3|0 on the 3. The new ends are 5 and 0, total 5, so you score 5.
- Ends 6 and 1: play 1|4 on the 1. The new ends are 6 and 4, total 10, so you score 10.
- Ends 4 and 3: play the double 3|3 on the 3. The double counts both halves (6) plus the 4, total 10, so you score 10.
- Ends 6 and 2: play 2|5 on the 2. The new ends are 6 and 5, total 11, not a multiple of five, so you score nothing.
The spinner: up to four open ends
The first double played in a round is the spinner. Once it is on the table, tiles can be played above and below it as well as at the two ends of the line, so up to four ends can be open at once. The outer end of every branch counts toward your total, which is why a spinner often sets up big scores.
Ending a round and rounding to five
A round ends when a player plays their last tile (a domino) or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty (a block). The winner is the player who went out or, in a block, the player with the fewest pips left; a tie goes to the player with fewer tiles. The winner collects the pips left in each opponent's hand, and each opponent's total is first rounded to the nearest multiple of five: a remainder of 3 or 4 rounds up, a remainder of 1 or 2 rounds down. So 13 pips count as 15, and 12 pips count as 10.
Winning the match
Rounds are played until someone reaches 150 points; Draw and Block matches go to 100. Points scored during play and points collected at the end of a round all add up to the same total.
Quick All Fives tips
Look for plays that leave the ends on 5, 10 or 15, and try not to leave ends that let your opponent make a multiple of five. Playing heavy tiles early also lowers what you give away when someone goes out. Online turns last 15 seconds, so plan your next move while the others play.
How to score in All Fives dominoes
- Read the open ends Check the numbers at the open ends of the layout, counting a double at an end as both halves.
- Play a matching tile Place a tile that matches one end and work out the new total of all open ends.
- Aim for a multiple of five If the total is 5, 10, 15 or any higher multiple of five, you score it immediately; otherwise you score nothing.
- Go out and collect Empty your hand first to win the round and collect your opponents' leftover pips, each rounded to the nearest five.
- Reach 150 Keep playing rounds until you reach 150 points to win the match.
All Fives questions
What is the difference between All Fives, Muggins and Five-Up?
They are different names for the same family of games: dominoes where you score whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five. Some rule sets add extras, such as claiming a score another player missed; on Dominos.cc points are counted for you automatically.
Do the open ends include a double?
Yes. A double at the end of a line counts both of its halves, so a 5|5 at the end is worth 10.
How many points do you play to in All Fives?
An All Fives match runs to 150 points. Draw and Block matches run to 100.
How are leftover pips rounded in All Fives?
Each opponent's remaining pips are rounded to the nearest five before the winner collects them: 13 becomes 15 and 12 becomes 10.