Chicken Foot Rule Variations

Chicken Foot is a family game, and families like to make it their own. If the rules you grew up with are a little different from ours, you're not wrong, and neither are we. Here are the variations we hear about most, with a note on what our online game does.

Four or Six Tiles on the Starting Double

Our game asks for four tiles on the starting double by default, one on each side. Many players use six: one on each end and two along each long side. Six makes the opening last longer and gives the table two extra arms, which usually means more open ends and fewer blocked rounds.

In our game: open Settings and, under House rules, choose "Starting double needs 6 tiles". It takes effect when you start a new game.

The Double Blank: 50, 25 or Face Value

We count the 0–0 as 50 points if it's left in your hand. Some groups use 25, and a few just count it as zero. Fifty makes the double blank the most important tile to get rid of, which adds a little tension to every round.

In our game: choose 50 or 25 points for the 0–0 under House rules in Settings.

A Shorter Game: Five Rounds Instead of Ten

A full game runs ten rounds, one for each double from 9–9 down to 0–0, and can take an hour or more. Plenty of families play a shorter game when time is tight: just the first five rounds, 9–9 down to 5–5. The lowest total after five rounds wins. Others play "to a score", stopping as soon as anyone passes an agreed total such as 250 points.

A short game changes the feel a little. The high doubles come first, so the early rounds tend to have heavier hands and bigger scores, and one bad round matters more. Getting rid of heavy tiles is even more important.

In our game: choose a 5-round game under House rules in Settings.

Set Size and Number of Players

The double-nine set (55 tiles) is the usual choice for four players. Here are the common setups:

Whatever the set, deal so that some tiles are left in the chicken yard. A round with no tiles to draw from blocks very quickly.

Drawing Rules

We draw one tile when you can't play; if it doesn't fit, you pass. Some families keep drawing until they find a tile that fits. That keeps rounds moving, but players can end up holding a lot of tiles, so scores run higher.

Who Goes First

In our game, the player holding the starting double places it, and the player to their left takes the first turn. Some tables let the player who placed the double also play the first arm. Either way, the four arms fill up before anything else happens.

Where the Toes Go

Most players lay the three toes of a chicken foot fanned out from the far side of the double. Others put one toe on each side and one at the end. It changes how the table looks but not how the game plays: three tiles on the double, then play continues.

Going Out on a Double

If a player's last tile is a double, our game ends the round immediately. Some groups don't allow this: you can't go out on a double, so you'd have to hold it and play another tile. If you prefer that rule, keep it in mind when you're down to two tiles.

Playing Our Way

Our online game follows the rules on the How to Play page: four arms on the starting double, draw one tile, the 0–0 counts 50, ten rounds. Three of the variations above are built in as house rules you can switch on in Settings: six tiles on the starting double, a 25-point 0–0, and a five-round game. Your choices are remembered on your device and used from your next game.

Settings also let you pick how strong the computer players are (Easy, Normal or Hard) and play a particular deal number. The same deal number always gives the same tiles, so you can replay a round that went badly or share a number with a friend and compare scores. At the end of each round, Show All Hands lets you see every player's tiles and what was left in the chicken yard.