What dominoes are in a double 6 set?

The straightforward answer

A double 6 domino set contains 28 individual tiles, one for every possible pairing of two numbers between zero and six, including the pairing of a number with itself. The set runs from the blank-blank tile (0-0) all the way up to the double six (6-6), and every combination in between appears exactly once. No tile is repeated, and no combination is skipped.

Each tile is a rectangular piece divided into two square halves by a line across the middle, and each half carries a number of pips, or dots, ranging from zero to six. Because the pieces are unordered pairs, 3-5 and 5-3 refer to the same physical tile rather than two separate ones. This is the mathematical reason the count lands on 28 rather than 49: the seven numbers combine with repetition allowed, but order does not matter, so the total follows the formula n(n+1)/2 where n equals 7, giving 28.

Every tile listed by suit

Domino players often talk about a number "suit," meaning every tile that carries that number on at least one half. In a double 6 set, each suit from 0 through 6 contains seven tiles. Listing the tiles this way, without repeating a pairing that already appeared under a lower number, shows how the full 28 are built up.

Adding the count column down gives 7+6+5+4+3+2+1, which equals 28. Seven of these tiles are doubles, meaning both halves show the same number, running from 0-0 through 6-6. The remaining twenty-one are mixed tiles, each pairing two different values.

Pip totals and how the values add up

The pip value of a tile is simply the sum of the two halves, so 5-6 carries a value of 11 and 3-3 carries a value of 6. Across all 28 tiles, the combined pip count of a double 6 set reaches 168. This figure matters in scoring games such as Block or Draw, where the goal is often to be the player holding the fewest remaining pips when the round ends, or to reach a target score built from the pip totals left in opponents' hands.

Every number from zero to six appears on exactly seven tiles and shows up eight times when doubles are counted twice, a consequence of the way the combinations are constructed.

Materials and how the tiles are made

Historically, domino tiles were carved from animal bone or ivory paired with ebony backing, which gave older sets a two-tone look with a lighter face and darker edge. That practice largely disappeared once international restrictions on ivory trade tightened, and manufacturers shifted toward alternative materials that could be produced consistently and at a lower cost.

Common materials in modern sets

Today, tiles are commonly molded from resin or engineering plastics such as ABS, since these materials hold sharp pip edges and resist chipping under repeated shuffling. Wooden sets remain popular for a warmer tactile feel and are usually cut from maple, birch, or bamboo, then sanded and lacquered. Higher-end sets sometimes use stone composites or a dense synthetic material meant to mimic the heft of bone, giving the tiles a satisfying weight when they strike a table during play.

Spinners and tile dimensions

Many double 6 sets include a small metal rivet, called a spinner, set into the center divider of each tile. The spinner allows the tile to rotate freely on a table surface without scratching, and it also helps players distinguish the two halves at a glance. A typical tile in this set measures roughly 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and slightly under half an inch thick, though travel sets shrink these dimensions while jumbo sets, sometimes used for outdoor lawn games, can grow to several times that size.

Games commonly played with this set

The double 6 set is sized for two to four players, and its 28 tiles support a wide range of games beyond simple matching. In Block dominoes, players draw a hand and take turns placing tiles that match an open end, with the round ending once no legal move remains and scores tallied from pips left in hand. Draw dominoes works similarly but allows players to pull additional tiles from a shared boneyard when they cannot play, which keeps the game moving longer and changes the strategic calculations around which tiles to hold back.

Muggins, sometimes called All Fives, adds a scoring twist where players earn points whenever the open ends of the layout sum to a multiple of five, turning each placement into a small arithmetic puzzle. Beyond structured play, the same 28 tiles are also used for domino toppling displays, where the pieces are stood on edge in long chains and tipped in sequence, a pastime that relies more on the tiles' uniform shape and weight than on their pip values.

Caring for a double 6 set

Wooden and resin tiles generally tolerate a wipe with a barely damp cloth, though soaking should be avoided since moisture can warp wood or loosen the adhesive holding a spinner in place. Sets stored in a cloth pouch or wooden case tend to keep their pip color longer than tiles left loose in a drawer, where they can knock against harder objects and chip along the edges. Checking periodically that all 28 tiles are present, using the suit table above as a reference, helps catch a missing piece before it disrupts a game already in progress.