What Is Bergen?
A Scandinavian game with a scoring idea all its own. The ends do not add up; they match.
Bergen is a draw game with a twist on scoring. Instead of counting the ends, you look at whether they match. Two ends showing the same number is a double-header and scores two. If one of those matching ends is a double, it is a triple-header and scores three.
Hands are small and games are short. Going out is worth a point, a blocked hand goes to the lightest player, and the first to 15 wins. It is a sharp, quick game that rewards knowing the suits.
Players
2-4 players, each for themselves. Two is the classic form.
Equipment
A standard double-six set (28 tiles). Nothing else but a scorer.
Time
A hand is a few minutes. A game to 15 runs 15-25 minutes.
Skill Level
Intermediate. The rules are short; setting up headers without handing them to the next player is the craft.
Setup & Deal
What You Need
- A standard double-six domino set (28 tiles)
- 2-4 players
- Pencil and paper, or a cribbage board
Tiles Per Player
| Players | Tiles Each | Boneyard | Play To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 6 tiles | 16 (draw from it) | 15 points |
| 3 Players | 5 tiles | 13 (draw from it) | 15 points |
| 4 Players | 5 tiles | 8 (draw from it) | 15 points |
Bergen opens from the bottom, not the top. The player holding the double-blank [0-0] leads with it; failing that, the lowest double any player holds. With no doubles out, the lowest tile leads.
Playing The Hand
The Lead
The lowest double in any hand opens the first hand, [0-0] if anyone has it. After the first hand, the winner of the previous hand leads with any tile.
Playing Tiles
- Play proceeds clockwise
- Match one end of your tile to one of the two open ends of the line
- Doubles are laid crosswise and do not spin
- If you cannot play, draw one tile; play it if it fits, otherwise pass
- When the boneyard is empty, a stuck player simply passes
Headers
Look at the two open ends after every play. If they show the same number, you have made a double-header. If one end is a double of that number, it is a triple-header. Announce it and mark the score.
Ending The Hand
- A player plays their last tile (domino), or
- The boneyard is empty and nobody can play: blocked
Scoring
Scoring During Play
| Event | Points | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Double-header | 2 pts | Both ends show a 4 |
| Triple-header | 3 pts | [4-4] on one end, a 4 on the other |
| Opening double | 2 pts | The lead double shows the same number both ways |
End-of-Hand Scoring
- Going out (domino) scores 1 point
- In a blocked hand, the player with the lightest hand scores 1 point
- Ties in a blocked hand: a hand with no doubles beats one with doubles; then the fewer doubles; then the lower pip count
The Game
First to 15 points wins. A short game goes to 10.
Doubles are the whole scoring engine. A double on an end is a triple-header waiting for anyone with that number, so play yours when the other end already matches.
Strategy Tips
Count The Suits
Seven tiles carry each number. If five sixes are down, nobody can answer a six end, and a header there is safe from being matched back.
Set Up Your Own Header
Play to make the far end a number you hold, then match it next turn. A header you build over two turns is one nobody else can take.
Hold Doubles For Triples
A double scores three when the other end already shows its number. Save it for that moment instead of leading it.
Do Not Feed The Next Player
Before you play, ask what the ends will show and who holds those numbers. A header you hand to the next player costs you two.
Shed Doubles Before The Block
In a blocked hand, doubles lose ties and weigh you down. Get them out while the line still takes them.
FAQ
Both open ends of the line showing the same number. It scores 2 points for the player whose tile made it.
A double on one end and the same number on the other end. It scores 3 points.
The lowest double in any hand, the double-blank if someone has it. With no doubles out, the lowest tile leads. After that, the previous winner.
15. Short games play to 10.
Not yet. Today you can play Cutthroat head-up against the CPU on Dominologist; the other games are on the way.