What is Domino?

Domino is a tile game played on a table. Most domino games are bidding or blocking games. The tiles are arranged into a line of play, called the layout or string. They are joined together when their numbers match, with doubles joining end to end and singles playing crosswise.

The term domino comes from Latin, and earlier denoted a long hooded cloak worn over a priest’s surplice. It also denoted a type of gambling table.

Rules

There are many different rules that apply to domino. Some of these rules are universal, while others may only apply to specific variations of the game. For example, the order of play varies by game, and the scoring system may differ between games.

After the dominoes are shuffled and rearranged, each player draws a hand of tiles from the stock. The player who draws the heaviest double starts play. If no double is drawn, the player with the heaviest single starts play. In some cases, a player who opens the first hand is required to continue playing until all of his bones have been played.

If a domino has several two/one pairs or blank/one pairs nearby, look for those to join to avoid wasting a domino with a number. If you find a domino that has already been split, don’t join it. This will waste a domino.

Variations

Wood and bone are the traditional materials used to make dominoes, though ABS and PVC are often preferred for their strength. The material is prepared by cutting and shaping for wood and bone, or melting and molding for plastics. The dominoes are then cut to the correct size and shape for each game type.

Each domino tile bears identifying marks on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. The identifying marks are called pips and range from six pips up to blank or zero. The value of a domino may be referred to as its rank or weight, with a heavier tile being considered more valuable than a lighter one.

The objective of most domino games is to win by completing your own “train” of dominoes before the other players can. A popular blocking variant is Mexican Train Dominoes, played with a double-twelve or double-fifteen set. Players alternate putting tiles on the table to extend their own personal domino train from a central “train station.” If a player cannot play a tile and does not draw a playable one from the boneyard, they pass.

Materials

Throughout the centuries domino pieces have been made from a number of different materials. Regardless of the material, each domino has two sides: one side is blank or decorated with a design; the other side is divided into squares that are marked with a uniform arrangement of spots (also known as pips) that represent numbers from zero to nine.

In the 18th century, European dominoes were usually hand carved from animal bone, often ox bones, though some sets were also made of ivory for wealthier players. Later, cheap dominoes were mass-produced from tinplate and distributed to pubs and inns by tobacco companies for free or a very small charge.

Today, dominoes are mostly manufactured from plastic produced by petroleum. Some are still crafted from wood or stone, and high-end wooden dominoes can be a real work of art with hefty price tags to match. Several accessories can make your experience with domino even more fun, from a sturdy and stable table to a score pad and pencil for keeping track of scores.

Scoring

Domino is the result of a top-secret government breeding program intended to produce the perfect weapon. Her mutant ability to predict luck made her invaluable in the war effort, but she resented the control exerted over her by the Church of the Sacred Heart and became a mercenary.

Domino scored her first points when she laid a tile with matching ends (one’s touch one’s, two’s touch two’s) so that the sum of the exposed dots is divisible by five or three. A player scores points for each time this happens.

When a player has no more dominoes in their hand they win the game. The winner earns additional points based on the value of the opponent’s remaining dominoes. This score is usually rounded to the nearest multiple of five. In a tie, the player with the higher number of pips in their domino wins. The winning player may also earn points based on the number of dominoes left in the boneyard if they were not played, but this is a rare event.

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