A domino is a small rectangular block marked with two groups of spots–called pips. They are used in many different games.
The most common domino sets include a double-six set (with 28 tiles) and a double-nine set (with 55 tiles). Larger sets are available.
Origin
Dominoes are one of the oldest games in history. They’ve been around for over millennia and have continued to evolve.
They can be played by everyone from the young to the old. They’re a great way to pass time and have fun with friends and family.
Originally, dominoes were made of black dots on a white background and were thought to resemble the hoods worn by Christian priests during winter. It’s believed that the word “domino” came from this.
The first domino sets were created in China. Chinese domino sets are different from European ones in that they don’t have class distinctions and don’t have duplicates. Instead, they’re designed to represent all possible combinations (or faces) of two thrown dice.
Rules
Domino is a game that is played by arranging tiles to form an arrangement where the sum of the dots is divisible by 5. This game also trains strategic thinking and helps in improving your arithmetic skills.
The rules of dominoes allow for a variety of variations, and there are two main ways to win. One way is to play all your dominoes and be the first player to have no more tiles left in your hand.
Another variation is called domino muggins, where the point is scored by making arrangements where the number of dots on the ends of the dominoes is divisible by 5. This type of game originated in California and is widely popular across the country.
Variations
While dominoes are usually thought of as a game for four or more players, there are many variations of the popular tile-based board game. Some of the most common include layout games, which are a form of block game; scoring games, which score during the course of play; and trick and trump games.
Layout games involve adding tiles from the hand to a layout on the table. These can be either blocking games in which the goal is to empty one’s hand or scoring games, in which a player attempts to create particular configurations of the tiles.
The most common set of dominoes consists of 28 tiles, each with the combination of dots from 0 to 6. Other sets may be larger or more complicated.
Materials
Dominoes are small, rectangular-shaped game pieces that are typically twice as long as they are wide. Each domino has a line in the middle to visually divide it into two squares, each of which is marked with an arrangement of spots or pips on one side, with a blank space on the other.
They are made of a variety of materials, including plastics, wood, bone, ivory and stone. Some are mass-produced for cheap production and others are forged with a sense of craft.
Traditionally, dominoes were made of ivory. Wealthier players favored ivory dominoes, as they were softer and more durable than tiles made of tagua nut.
Scoring
Scoring for dominoes is done by counting the open ends of all the dominoes placed in a game. If the count is a multiple of five, you score one point.
Many players prefer to keep a running score, which can be easily read at the end of the game. This can be kept on a cribbage board or counter.
Straight dominoes are scored if the number of pips on each exposed end is divisible by five. Other versions allow scores divisible by three or make no restrictions at all.
A scoring variant of the game is 5s-and-3s, commonly played in British public houses and social clubs. In this game, each player plays a domino so that it matches one of the tiles set by the previous player.