Dominoes are a type of tile that is often used for board games. Whether you play this game alone or with your friends, it can be a fun experience.
The tiles are shaped like playing cards, with markings on one side and blank or identically patterned on the other. They also have a line that separates the top and bottom parts equally.
Origin
Dominoes are a popular game that originated in China around the 12th century. However, some claim that they were invented in ancient Egypt and Asia much earlier than this.
Chinese dominoes were originally constructed to represent all the possible combinations of two six-sided dice. In European dominoes, on the other hand, only the unique rolls are used.
The origin of the word domino is a bit obscure, but the name probably derives from contrasting black spots on a white background reminiscent of hooded winter cloaks worn by Christian priests in Europe. The word also is derived from the Latin term dominus, meaning “lord” or “master.”
Rules
Dominoes are a type of tile that is similar to six-sided dice. They have pips on each side and are available in various sizes and shapes.
When players start a domino game, they draw the number of tiles specified in the rules for the game being played. They then place them in front of themselves in such a way that their opponents can’t see the pips.
Each player then lays down one tile at a time, making sure that their pips match the open end of the domino on their turn. If a player doesn’t have any matching tiles, they pass their turn and play next.
Materials
A domino tile (also known as bone, men, tiles, or stones) is twice as long as it is wide and has a line in the middle to divide it visually into two squares. The value of each side is the number of spots or pips, which range from blank to six in the most common variant (double-six).
Modern commercial domino sets are typically made of synthetic materials such as ABS or polystyrene plastics or Bakelite and other phenolic resins; some sets approximate the look and feel of ivory while others use colored or even translucent plastics for a more contemporary look.
They are also usually covered in a fabric called baize. It provides a bit of friction and a little slip; this helps to keep the dominos from skidding or flipping over. It’s also very comfortable to the touch.
Variations
There are many variations of domino games. Most are layout games in which players add tiles from their hand to a layout or tableau in the middle of the table.
There are also blocking and scoring games in which players accrue points during the game by creating certain configurations of tiles. Some of these games draw inspiration from card games.
The most common set used for domino games is a double-six set of 28 dominoes, each of which has the same arrangement of pips as a die. These pips are divided into two square halves and represent numbers from zero to six.
Dominoes can be played end to end or across a line of play, except for doubles which are laid crossways on the chain. Play proceeds clockwise around the table.
Scoring
A domino chain is formed by playing tiles end to end, each tile must have matching sides that touch. Doubles are always placed cross-ways across the ends of the chain.
In the British version of domino, 5s-and-3s, players are scored for each time a sum of the exposed ends of the tiles they have played is divisible by five or three. One point is awarded for each time a double is exposed sideways on the end of a chain, giving 8 points for a double four and 2 points for a two.
Most games of domino are bidding or blocking games where the objective is to empty a hand while blocking an opponent’s. At the end of a game, the winning player or team subtracts the number of tiles remaining in the losing players’ hands from their total score and adds that to their own.