Official Rules | DCS Domino Tournament Rules & Regulations

1. Game Rules

1.1 Game Setup

Standard Double-Six (Big Six) domino set with 28 tiles
4 players compete in Cut-Throat format (no teams, no one-on-one)
Each player receives 7 tiles at the start of each hand
Player with Double-Six (6-6) must lead the first hand
Subsequent hands led by the winner of the previous hand (any domino)
After a locked hand, player with Double-Six leads again

1.2 Gameplay

Play proceeds clockwise from the lead player
Match tiles by connecting matching pip values to open ends
Press "K" (Knock) when unable to play — false knock loses your turn
20-second play clock per turn in competitive play
30-minute round timer for tournament matches (hard stop)
Spinners create four open ends for matching
Hand ends when a player dominoes (plays all tiles) or all players are blocked

1.3 Scoring — The "On Board" System

Grey House (Not On Board)

•Cannot score any points
•Must score EXACTLY 10 to become "On Board"
•If you make a scoring play that isn't 10, you receive 0 points and stay Grey

Yellow House (On Board)

•CAN score points
•Points awarded in multiples of 5 (5, 10, 15, 20...)
•First to 150 points wins the round

Scoring situations:

Grey + scores exactly 10 → Becomes Yellow (On Board)
Grey + scores 5, 15, 20, etc. → Stays Grey, receives 0 points
Yellow + scores any multiple of 5 → Points added to total
Grey player goes out (domino) → 0 points, but picks first next hand
Yellow player goes out → Scores sum of all opponents' remaining pips (rounded to 5)
Locked hand: Lowest pip count wins — Yellow winner scores, Grey winner gets 0 but picks first

Example: Getting On Board

You're Grey House. The open ends sum to 15. Even though 15 is a valid scoring play, you receive 0 points and stay Grey. Next play, open ends sum to 10 — now you become Yellow House and can start scoring!

2. Tournament Structure

2.1 Weekly Challenges

Single-elimination tournament format
Challenges held every Saturday at 12:00 PM local time
Minimum 16 players required to start
Maximum 512 players per city challenge
Points earned toward Elite Six qualification
Prize pool based on tier level: $500 (T1), $1,000 (T2), $2,000 (T3)

2.2 Elite Six Qualification

Top 6 players from each city qualify for Elite Six
Qualification based on cumulative ranking points over the season
Season runs 12 weeks with automatic qualification threshold
Elite Six compete in Regional Tournament representing their city
Ranking ties broken by head-to-head record, then total wins

In-Game Tie-Breaker (2nd Place Advancement)

When two players tie for 2nd place (last advancement slot at a table):

All tiles reshuffled
Tied players have 5 seconds to select 7 tiles
Player holding 6-4 or 5-5 advances
If both hold a deciding tile (split) → Repeat
If neither holds a deciding tile → Repeat until resolved

Rank	Points Required	Benefit
1st	2,000+	Regional seed #1 + travel bonus
2nd-3rd	1,500+	Regional seed #2-3
4th-6th	1,000+	Regional qualification

2.3 NDT & WDC

The National Domination Tournament (NDT) and World Dominologist Championship (WDC) represent the pinnacle of competitive domino play.

NDT: Annual national championship with $100,000+ prize pool
Regional winners (4 regions) advance to NDT Finals
WDC: Biennial world championship event
NDT champion automatically qualifies for WDC
WDC features international competitors and $250,000 prize pool

3. Scoring System

3.1 In-Game Point Values

Action	Points (Yellow House Only)
Getting On Board	Exactly 10 (required)
Scoring play (multiples of 5)	5, 10, 15, 20...
Domino (play all tiles)	Sum of opponent pips (rounded to 5)
Win locked hand (lowest pip count)	Sum from all opponents (rounded to 5)
Win condition	First to 150 points

Remember: Grey House players cannot score any points. Making a scoring play while Grey (other than exactly 10) results in 0 points.

3.2 Ranking Points

Ranking points are earned based on tournament placement and are used for Elite Six qualification.

Placement	Ranking Points
1st Place	500
2nd Place	350
3rd-4th Place	200
5th-8th Place	100
9th-16th Place	50
Participation	25

3.3 Tiebreakers

When players have equal ranking points, the following tiebreakers apply in order:

Head-to-head record between tied players
Total tournament wins
Average game score differential
Total games played (minimum threshold applies)
Most recent tournament performance

4. Anti-Cheat Policies

4.1 Detection Systems

AI-powered play pattern analysis
Real-time statistical anomaly detection
Device fingerprinting and account linking
Community reporting system with review panel
Video review for high-stakes matches

4.2 Penalties

Offense	Penalty
First offense: Minor violation	Warning + 1 week suspension
Second offense: Minor violation	1 month suspension + rank reset
First offense: Major violation	Season ban + prize forfeiture
Confirmed cheating	Permanent ban

4.3 Appeals Process

Appeals must be submitted within 7 days of penalty
Appeals reviewed by independent Anti-Cheat Review Board
Video evidence may be requested for review
Final decision rendered within 14 business days
One appeal permitted per incident

5. Code of Conduct

5.1 Sportsmanship

Treat all players, staff, and officials with respect
Accept wins and losses gracefully
No harassment, discrimination, or hate speech
No intentional stalling or time-wasting
Congratulate opponents after matches

5.2 Communication

In-game chat must remain family-friendly
No profanity, slurs, or inappropriate content
No sharing of external contact information during matches
Voice chat subject to same standards as text chat
Team communication allowed within designated channels

5.3 Violations

Conduct violations are handled separately from anti-cheat penalties and may result in:

Chat restrictions (24 hours to permanent)
Tournament disqualification
Account suspension or ban
Loss of Elite Six qualification
Forfeiture of prizes

DCS reserves the right to modify these rules at any time. Players will be notified of significant changes via email and in-app notifications. Continued participation constitutes acceptance of current rules.

Official DCS Rules