Spectacular Bid

Spectacular Bid is a two-player Fives duel with opening auctions and a match clock. Both players begin with 150 points, represented by thirty five-point chips. Scoring transfers points from your opponent rather than creating new ones. Win by exhausting your opponent’s balance or time; emptying your hand earns an opening advantage.

Points and five-point counters

Each player starts with 150 points. One counter represents 5 points. Points transfer between players; their combined balance remains 300. Do not divide point awards by five. A transfer is capped at the payer's remaining balance: an earned 20 transfers only 5 if that is all they have. The payer reaching zero loses immediately; balances never become negative.

For example, an end total of 15 transfers 15 points—three chips—not 3 points. From 150–150, the balances become 165–135. The figures below assume the payer can cover the full amount.

Deal and opening

Use all 28 double-six tiles, including [0|0]. Deal 7 to each player; the remaining 14 form the drawable boneyard, with no reserve. Before the first round and after a blocked round, the player holding the highest double must open with it. If neither has a double, open with the tile having the greatest pip total, breaking a tie by the greater half. Redeal the full set for every round.

Keep your hand hidden from your opponent.

Connecting and counting ends

Match equal values at an available connection. The first double alone is a spinner; its two opposite main arms must be occupied before its side branches become available. An opening double counts both halves until both main arms are occupied; afterwards unused branches count zero. Later doubles never branch and count both halves while exposed at an end. Add only the exposed scoring ends. A positive multiple of five transfers that many points; zero and other totals transfer none. An opening tile scores by the same rule. Play then passes to the opponent, even after a double or a score.

Drawing, dominoing and blocking

If unable to play, draw one tile at a time until one is playable or the boneyard is empty. A playable drawn tile must be played immediately at a legal end of the player's choice; no other tile or further draw is allowed. Drawing and placing remain the same timed turn. Pass only if no play or draw is possible. Playing the last tile ends the round after its ordinary score; there is no separate remaining-hand award. The dominoer gains the next opening privilege and auction credit. If both players pass, the smaller hand pip total wins a transfer equal to the opponent's full hand total, rounded to the nearest five, without subtracting the winner's own pips. Equal hands transfer nothing. A blocked round returns to ranked-tile opening, without jockey credit.

For example, blocked hands of 4 and 18 pay the lighter hand 20 points: round the opponent’s 18 to 20, without subtracting 4. An opponent’s 17 rounds to 15. Equal hands of 6 and 6 pay nothing.

Bidding for the next opening

After dominoing, that player is the jockey. After the next deal the opponent may decline bidding, letting the jockey open free, or bid at least 15 points. The other player accepts that bid or raises by at least 5 points; all bids are multiples of five. The accepted bidder pays the opponent and opens with any tile. Only the jockey's own winning bid receives the 15-point credit, never below zero payment. Credit applies only to this auction and expires when opening begins, with no cash payout or carry-over. Net payment cannot exceed the bidder's balance; an all-in payment loses immediately before opening. A player unable to afford the minimum must decline.

For example, an accepted jockey bid of 20 costs 20 − 15 = 5 points. The opponent receives those 5 points, not the full bid. Winning the opening never creates points.

Match clock

Each player has a 120-second bank for the whole match and a fresh 10-second delay for each genuine new decision or opening turn. The bank decreases only after that delay; it is not refilled between rounds. Draws within one turn do not restart the delay. A bid raise switches the clock; acceptance or declining bidding starts the opener's clock. Clocks stop during dealing and settlement, until Start or Continue, and during a private shared-device handover until the next player reveals their hand. Disconnecting or reloading does not stop or reset time. A command must reach the server before the deadline; expiry at the deadline loses. A proven service timing failure aborts the match without a rated result.

For example, a decision completed in 8 seconds uses no bank time; one completed in 13 seconds uses 3 seconds. The next genuine turn receives a fresh delay, not a fresh bank.

Automatic digital play

Points are recorded automatically and an accepted play or required pass ends the turn without a separate clock button. Physical muggins claims, penalties and referee procedures are not part of this digital game. Illegal requests do not change play. Rules help does not pause a running clock. This is the automatic digital adaptation of Christopher Haviland's Spectacular Bid.