Domino Set Reference
Every common double-n set, side by side: tile count, doubles, total pip value, the largest hand you could deal evenly, and the odds a 7-tile hand turns up no doubles at all.
Set size, tiles, and pip value
| Set | Total tiles | Doubles | Tiles per number | Total pip value | P(no doubles, 7-tile hand) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-6 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 168 | 9.8% |
| Double-9 | 55 | 10 | 10 | 495 | 22.4% |
| Double-12 | 91 | 13 | 13 | 1092 | 32.6% |
| Double-15 | 136 | 16 | 16 | 2040 | 40.8% |
| Double-18 | 190 | 19 | 19 | 3420 | 47.2% |
Doubles and “tiles per number” always match — both equal n+1 for a double-n set, reflecting the same fact from two directions: there’s one double for every value, and every value is paired with every other value (including itself) exactly once.
Max equal hand by player count
| Set | 2 players | 3 players | 4 players | 6 players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-6 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| Double-9 | 27 | 18 | 13 | 9 |
| Double-12 | 45 | 30 | 22 | 15 |
| Double-15 | 68 | 45 | 34 | 22 |
| Double-18 | 95 | 63 | 47 | 31 |
These are ceilings, not customary deals: floor(total tiles ÷ players), the most tiles everyone could get in an even split with nothing left as a boneyard. Most games deal fewer than this on purpose — a double-six set famously deals 7 to each of two players (14 of the 28), leaving 14 in the boneyard for draw dominoes.
How every column is derived
Total tiles and doubles come straight from the double-n combinatorics covered in the math behind a double-six set: (n+1)(n+2)/2 tiles total, of which n+1 are doubles. Total pip value follows the same style of derivation — summing every dot on every tile in the set reduces to n(n+1)(n+2)/2, a related but distinct formula from the tile count (notice it’s exactly n/2 times the tile-count formula).
Max equal handis simple division: the total tile count split evenly across however many players are seated, rounded down. It answers “what’s the biggest hand everyone could get?” rather than “what hand size does this game actually deal?” — that second question is a house-rule or variant choice, covered game-by-game in our rules guides rather than asserted here as one universal number.
P(no doubles)uses the hypergeometric distribution — the exact model for drawing a fixed hand without replacement — run at a fixed 7-tile hand size across every row, so the comparison isolates one variable: set size. For the full hypergeometric walkthrough, including why a simpler binomial estimate gets this wrong, see domino draw odds, done properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do these numbers come from?
Every figure in both tables is computed live from the same functions behind the Domino Set & Combination Counter and the Domino Draw Probability Calculator — the total tile count and doubles count from the (n+1)(n+2)/2 combinatorics formula, and the “no doubles” percentage from the hypergeometric distribution. Nothing here is a separately maintained, hand-typed table.
Why is the total pip value useful?
It's the sum of every dot on every tile in the set — the number the last player standing in a blocked game is measured against. Knowing a double-twelve set carries 1,092 pips total, versus 168 for a double-six, makes clear why blocked rounds in bigger sets tend to swing for far more points.
What does “max equal hand” mean, and is that the standard deal?
It's the largest hand every player could receive with nothing left over — floor(total tiles ÷ players) — a mathematical ceiling, not a house rule. The customary starting hand in most games is smaller than this ceiling, on purpose, so a boneyard remains for players to draw from during play.
Why does the “no doubles” percentage go up as the set gets bigger?
Because the hand size is held fixed at 7 tiles across every row while the set (and the boneyard doubles get diluted into) keeps growing. The same-size hand pulled from a bigger population is naturally less likely to contain any specific group of tiles, doubles included — see the draw probability calculator to run any other hand size against any set size directly.
Reference tool only. Figures reflect the standard combinatorial construction of a domino set; novelty and themed sets may differ.
Use it with
- Domino Set & Combination Counter — check any single set size, or a specific number’s tile count, on demand.
- Domino Draw Probability Calculator — run the doubles odds above for any hand size, not just 7 tiles.
- Tile Inventory Tracker— check a physically counted pile of tiles against the totals in the first table.