Casino Dominoes

Introduction

Casino Dominoes is the first casino game I've seen played with dominoes, if you don't count pai gow. I first heard of it at the 2017 Cutting Edge table games show, where I made this video with the game creator. The game is played with representations of dominoes on playing cards. It offers two bets and requires no skill. It began as a field trial at the Plaza in Las Vegas on September 18, 2018. I paid it a visit two days later.

Rules

1. The game is played with a two 28-card decks. Each card consists of one of every domino in a set numbered from 0-0 to 6-6.
2. There are two wagers available — the primary Casino Dominoes bet and the Doubles side bet.
3. After players have bet, the dealer will deal three cards to each player and one Community Card.
4. The Casino Dominoes bet is paid according to how many points are formed between the Community Card and each of the three individual player cards.
5. One at a time, each of the three player cards will be compared to the Community Card for a common side. If there is a common side, then they will be placed against each other to form what is called a Train.
6. The total of the pips on either end of the train will be added. If this sum is evenly divisible by five, then the player will get that number of points.
7. If either the player card or the Community Card is a double (same number on both sides), and the other card matches that number, then the cards will be placed together in a T shape, where the number of pips of all three domino sides at the intersection of the T are the same. Next, the number of points in the three endpoints of the T will be added. If that sum is evenly divisible by five, then the player will get that many points.
8. If the player has two identical doubles, then they can also be placed in a T shape (once) and the points at the endpoints added as in the previous rule.
9. If the Community Card is the 2-3 domino, then it is mathematically impossible to get any total of points evenly divisible by five. In that event, the Casino Dominoes bet will be paid 2 to 1 odds.
10. Otherwise, the total points formed between the three player cards and the Community Card (that are evenly divisible by five) will be taken and the player will be paid according to that total and the pay table below.
11. The Doubles bet pays mostly based on the number of doubles between the player's three cards and the Community Card and the pay table below.
12. The Doubles bet pays a top award of 300 to 1 if the four dominoes form the Maiden's Hand, which is one each of the 6-6, 5-5, 4-4, and 3-3 dominoes.
13. The Doubles bet pays a second highest award known as Double Doubles if the player has two sets of two identical doubles.

 

 

 

 

If you didn't understand the rules as I explained them, here are scans of the rule card. Click either image for a larger version.

Casino Dominoes Analysis

The following table shows my analysis of the Casino Dominoes bet. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 2.90%.

 

 

In case you're wondering how to make 40 points, it is with a 6-3 connector and the 6-6, 6-6, and a 4-3 as the player dominoes.

Doubles Analysis

The following table shows my analysis of the Doubles bet. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 7.79%.

 

 

Written by: Michael Shackleford