What Is a Capicú in Dominoes? Rules and Bonus Points

Q: Is it capicú or capicúa?

Both. Capicúa is the standard Spanish word for a palindrome; at the domino table it is usually shortened to capicú, and you will also see it spelled kapicú.

If you learned dominoes at a Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban or Venezuelan table, you have heard someone slap down their last tile and shout "¡capicú!" It is the most celebrated way to win a hand in partner dominoes, and at most tables it is worth extra points. Here is what it means, which finishes count, and how the bonus is scored.

What capicú means

A capicú is winning a hand with a last tile that could have been played on either end of the line. The word comes from the Catalan cap i cua, "head and tail". In Spanish, a capicúa is a number that reads the same both ways, like 1221. You will see it spelled capicú, capicúa and, on some apps and scoreboards, kapicú. They all mean the same finish.

It is mostly a partner-dominoes rule, played with a double-six set by two teams of two. You'll also find it at tables that play individually.

When a finish counts as capicú

Look at the two open ends of the line just before the last tile goes down. The finish is a capicú when that last tile matches both ends. That can happen in two ways.

Both ends show the same number. The ends are 4 and 4, and your last tile is the 4-2. It could go on the left end or the right end, so it is a capicú.

The tile carries both numbers. The ends are 3 and 5, and your last tile is the 3-5. You could play its 3 against the 3 or its 5 against the 5. That is also a capicú.

Open ends	Last tile	Fits both ends?	Capicú?
4 and 4	4-2	Yes	Yes
3 and 5	3-5	Yes	Yes
2 and 6	6-1	No, only the 6 end	No
6 and 6	6-6	Yes	Depends on the table

The last row is the classic argument. With both ends showing 6, the double six fits either end, but plenty of tables say a double can't make a capicú because it can only be laid one way. Decide before you play.

A few other house rules you may run into:

Capicú only when you go out. A tile that fits both ends in the middle of a hand is just a tile. The bonus is only for the winning play.
No capicú in a blocked hand. If the game ends in a tranque (nobody can play), nobody went out, so there is no capicú.
One finish, one bonus. A capicú pays the bonus once, whichever of the two ways it happened.

How much a capicú is worth

The bonus is added on top of the hand's normal points. The usual amount is 25 points. Some groups pay 50, and a few pay 100, which makes a capicú close to a game winner in a match to 200.

Say your team goes out with a capicú and the opponents are left holding 32 pips:

	Points
Pips left in the opponents' hands	32
Capicú bonus	25
Hand total	57

If your table counts all three remaining hands instead of only the opponents', count those pips first and then add the bonus. The bonus doesn't change how you count; it is just added at the end.

A game with a capicú

Here is how the bonus can swing a partner game to 200. Hands 6 and 8 are capicús at +25:

Hand	Winner	Pips	Bonus	Points	Us	Them
1	Them	34		34	0	34
2	Us	29		29	29	34
3	Them	41		41	29	75
4	Us	38		38	67	75
5	Them	46		46	67	121
6	Us	32	25	57	124	121
7	Them	39		39	124	160
8	Us	44	25	69	193	160
9	Us	27		27	220	160

Without its two capicús, Us would have reached only 170 by hand 9 and the game would still be open. Fifty bonus points over a game is common at tables that play capicú, which is why the shout is so loud.

Capicú and the rest of the score

A capicú doesn't replace normal scoring. The team still needs to win the hand by going out, still counts the leftover pips the way the table always does, and still plays to the agreed target. The bonus is a reward for a skillful finish. Good players set one up by steering both ends of the line toward a number they hold.

For the basics of counting pips, blocked hands and targets, see how to score dominoes. If someone at your table is brand new, how to play dominoes covers the whole game from the shuffle on.

Capicú in Domino Score

In a Teams or Individual game, the capicú bonus is a house rule you choose when you set up the game: off, or +25. Premium adds +50 and +100. When a hand ends with a capicú, tap the Capicú chip while entering the hand and the app adds the bonus to that hand's points. The hand list marks it, and with Premium the records count capicús for every player.

FAQ

Is it capicú or capicúa?

Both. Capicúa is the standard Spanish word for a palindrome; at the domino table it is usually shortened to capicú, and you will also see it spelled kapicú.

Does a double count as a capicú?

It depends on the table. With both ends showing the same number, the matching double fits either end, but many players say a double can't make a capicú. Agree before the game.

How many points is a capicú worth?

Most tables add 25 points to the hand. Some use 50 or 100. The bonus is added on top of the pips the winning team counts for the hand.