How to play Jamaican dominoes

The Academy takes you from never touching a bone to tournament play, in five belts: Yard Baby, Learner, Player, Yard Champion and Table General. Lessons cover the pose, what a pass gives away, counting a blocked board, six love, partner signals and endgame strategy.

Real yard rules

• Four players, seven bones each from a double-six set. Play goes anticlockwise, to your right.
• The double six opens every set. Match a number on either end, or pass.
• First player out wins the hand. If the board blocks, the lowest count wins it. In Partner, that player's side wins on their count alone, even if the other side holds fewer pips in total.
• Six love: win six hands while the other side is still on love (zero). When the last side on love wins a hand, the score bruks back to 0-0.
• The key: the one bone that shuts both ends when they want different numbers. Winning with it scores 2.