In either case the first player plays again, and so on alternately until one or other has played out, when he scores the pips on the domino or dominoes remaining in his opponent’s hand.
If one player cannot play at either end, he says “go,” when his opponent plays on until some number is posed to which he can play. If neither can play, both hands are shown, and the one that has the fewest pips wins the score, which should consist of the whole of the opponent’s pips as well as his own added together. After a score the dominoes are turned and mixed, the pose or lead being taken alternately.
Persons who know but little of the game think that the best play is at once to get rid of the heaviest dominoes, but this is not necessarily the case; but with a heavy hand, every care should be taken not to let the opponent close the game leaving you with a heavy score. In this most simple English game the aim of the player should be to make his long suit, and prevent his opponent playing.
Following are a few examples of hands played in the ordinary English game with 7 pieces. In this game the player sees his whole hand of seven at once, and he knows that his opponent has also seven, or one-third of the remainder; the other 14 dominoes are untouched, and he can make his calculations and play his game accordingly. In this game, each player plays alternately, until one or other has played all his dominoes, when he scores the number of pips left in his opponent’s hand. Should either be unable to play, the other continues until he brings a card to which his opponent can play. Should both players be unable to play, then the one who has the least number of pips scores, not only those in his opponent’s hand, but his own also. To give an example. Suppose 2 players, A. and B., playing the English game, and having drawn for pose, A. plays first from the following hand:—6-6, 5-2, 5-0, 4-3, 4-0, 2-2, 2-1.
An inexperienced player would probably play his 6-6, that being a heavy card, and in all probability he would lose the score if his opponent had 2 or 3 sixes in his hand.
The proper play would be the 2-2, as it gives B. only one number to play to, and if, as not unfrequently happens, B. has no twos, A. has the chance of a splendid game.
Let us take B.’s hand as follows:—6-4, 6-3, 6-1, 5-4, 5-1, 3-0, 1-1.
A. plays 2-2. As B. cannot play, A. plays again, selecting the card of which he has most (so as to lessen B.’s chance as much as possible), this would be the 2-5, as he has 2 fives in his hand and only a single one. If B. plays 5-1, which offers his best chance of success, A. will play 1-2, and the game will be shut up. On counting the pips, A. will be found to have 22 and B. 46. A. consequently scores 68 towards the game of 100.
If, on the contrary, A. plays the 6-6, he may lose, and he cannot possibly win as many as he could have done with the previous play.
If B. replies to 6-6 with 6-1, A. would then play 1-2, B. 6-4, A. 2-2, B. 4-5, A. would close the game by making 2-all, viz. 2 at both ends, by placing 5-2 to the 5 end, and his score would be 36, made up of B.’s 20 pips and A.’s own 16.