Game Help

What is a bot?

A bot is an non human or AI player. Allowing bots makes it easier to get a game started when their are few players online. 
If bots are not allowed, the game will wait until 4 human players join the room before it starts. 
If bots are allowed the game will start after 10 seconds, regardless of how many human players have joined the room. Empty spots will be occupied by bots. 

Private rooms

Select play in private room, then start. The game will start immediately with you and 3 bot players. Your friends will see your status as in private room and can join this room. Only friends will see this status and only friends can join your private room.
You may need to let your friends know that you are online so they can join.
You will be notified how many friends are waiting. Click the box next to each friends name to select their position. P for partner, L for left, and R for right. Any positions not filled will remain as a bot player. Click start to sit the selected players and begin your private game. 

Add friends

Add friends using the add friend dialog. 

How to play

The game is played with four players. To begin, the player with the double six starts, after which the winner of each game starts the next game. Each player in a clockwise direction then places a domino that matches any of the ends of the domino chain. A player who doesn't have any dominoes that match the ends must pass. The first to play all seven of his dominoes is the winner. The game also ends if no one has any dominoes that are playable; In that case the player with the lowest score when counting the pips on his dominoes is the winner. In a partners game, the combined score of both sides is used to determine the winner.

Partners

If this is a partners game then the player opposite you is called your partner, and the aim of the game is to coordinate with your partner to win. If your partner wins (plays last dominoes), this is counted as a win for both of you.

Loves and breaks

The ultimate aim in Caribbean Dominoes is to win four games in a row before your opponent has won a single game. In a partnership game this would be if you and your partner win four games in a row before your opponents win a game. If you reach score of 4 - 0, (pronounced as "four - love"), in Caribbean Dominoes this is referred to as winning or giving a Love Game. 

If however your opponent wins again before you your score reaches 4, the game restarts at 0 - 0 (or "love all"). A restart before a Love can be reached is called a Break. 

If opponents are very well matched and have similar skill, the game might "break" many times before any player is able to give reach 4 - 0. For this reason, and to prevent infinite games like this, in Caribbean Dominoes only two Love Breaks are allowed. After two Breaks the score continues until a player (or partnership) reaches. 

For example, you play a game and reach 3 - 0, but then unfortunately your opponent wins. The game resets at 0 - 0 (love all). This is the first Love Break. Then your opponent wins two games to reach a score of 2 -0. Then you win a game to break the love once again. This is the second and last Break allowed. The game resets to love all again but from this point on there are no more breaks, and whoever reaches four wins will be the overall winner. In this situation, if your opponent reaches again 3 - 0, but then you or your partnership wins again, the score will now be set to 3 - 1. Then 4 - 1 if your opponent wins again, or 3  - 2 if you win. At 4 - 1, play ends.

Scoring

Your overall player score is displayed at the login screen on the blue name and score icon next to your flag. A player's score is calculated based on the number of wins and the number of plays. The following factors also influence how many score points are won in a game:

  • win by Love
  • win in a non-partnership game
  • win with fewer bots

Manage your game account

When you start playing, the game will save your player display name in your browser memory so that the next time you return you can play with the same user account. However if you clear your browser history or lose your device, or log in to a new browser, you will be given a new username when you start. This new username will not have your game history, meaning you will lose all your points and statistics.

To save your game data permanently and allow you to play from more than one device or browser, it is best to create an account by adding an email address to your account. To do this click the name and score icon in the top center of the game start screen, and enter an email and password. You may also change your display name, or keep the one that is assigned to you. Once the game has saved an email and password for you, if afterwards you wish to play on another device, press the logout link then sign in again with your email and password, to restore your existing account to that device or browser.

You can also use this form to change your display name or your assigned country.

Need more help?

Contact us using the Contact Form.