Domino is a game in which players lay tiles on a table and match them according to the number of pips on each. Then they play these tiles to form a line of play. This line is called the layout or string.
The game can be played on a hard surface or even carpet. The pips on the tiles are arranged in order of their value.
Origin
The word domino is probably derived from a Latin dominus, meaning lord. It was a word used to describe a hood worn by priests, and perhaps also referred to the rounded shape of the tiles.
Domino’s power manifests whenever she engages in an action that can have multiple outcomes. Her powers enable her to influence the laws of probability in order to shift odds in her favor and make lucky strikes.
A mercenary and mutant, Domino helped form the mercenary group Six Pack with teammates Grizzly, Hammer, Anaconda, and Solo. She is also a key member of Cable’s X-Force, though she was previously a prisoner of supervillain Tolliver for a year. During Reality-80521’s overlap with Earth, she accompanied the team in protecting mutants from Lucas Bishop and Stryfe.
Rules
There are many different rules for domino games. Most of them involve forming a line of dominoes that can be scored by counting the pips on the open ends. The basic instructions are listed here under Line of Play.
A variation on the rules states that whichever player has the highest double starts the game. This is not a very popular variation, and it should be noted that this rule does not apply to all games.
A player may also choose to start the game by drawing a domino from the stock. The player with the heaviest tile, whether a double or single, seats himself first. This method is used to break ties in partnership games. If there is no winner for a game, players draw new hands and continue playing.
Variations
Dominoes have a unique design, with one side bearing an arrangement of spots (or “pips”) like those on dice. The other sides are blank or identically patterned. The pips determine how many points can be scored. The winner of a round is awarded the total number of points on all opposing player’s tiles, including doubles, if any (i.e., a 6-6 counts as six or 12).
Most domino games are positional in nature and focus on building lines of tiles that connect to adjacent dominoes. Several rule variations affect how this is done, such as whether or not all four sides of a spinner must be occupied. Some games, such as Matador and Bendomino, also use curved tiles, which can cause the line of play to branch.
Materials
Over the centuries dominoes (also known as bones, cards, men or pieces) have been made from a variety of robust, hard materials. Each piece is usually twice as long as it is wide and has a value indicated by an arrangement of spots (or pips) on one side and blank or identically patterned on the other.
Modern mass produced domino sets are often made of inexpensive plastics. However, some high end wood dominoes are hand crafted by artisans and can have very hefty price tags to reflect the time and skill involved in their construction. A good quality domino set should come with a storage box of its own to keep the pieces safe between uses. A vinyl snap lock case is the most common.
Scoring
Domino is a point-type domino game played between two to four players. The player with the highest number of total pips in their hand wins. The game is usually played until a predetermined number of rounds or until a set score limit is reached.
A bone (domino tile) has two sides and is marked with numbers from 0 to 6. There are 28 bones in a complete set.
The points scored are determined by counting the exposed ends of the chains. For example, a double that has been exposed on both ends scores eight points. In addition, a spinner is worth five points. The total of all points scored is recorded by each player and a running score is kept. The winning player is decided once the number of rounds has been completed or a set score limit is reached.