a flat, thumbsized, rectangular block, the face of which is divided into two parts, each either blank or bearing from one to six pips.
Dominoes are usually made from bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (MOP), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony. They are sometimes patterned with contrasting black or white pips.
Origin
The name domino refers to a large hooded cloak worn at masquerades. It was later used to describe the game, as well.
It is thought that the game originated in China during the 12th century. It was later introduced to Europe, where it spread rapidly.
In Chinese domino sets, the tiles mimicked both military and civilian suits, or styles. They also had duplicates, allowing players to make up their own combinations of tiles.
European domino sets, however, did not contain the distinctions of military and civilian suits or any duplicates. Instead, according to French philosopher Michael Dummett, the tile’s identity mattered most.
Rules
A domino is a long, narrow tile with two ends (called sides) that match each other. Each end has a number of pips or spots on it. These range from six pips on the “double” end to none on the blank end.
In a standard game, the player holding the heaviest double begins play. The rest of the players take turns to play a single domino, matching its value with that of an adjacent one on the line.
Players can also make a single domino into a “spinner” by playing it at an angle to the line, and then building new lines of play along the spinner’s open ends. This allows more possibilities for play and makes it easier to get rid of the dominoes you hold.
Materials
Dominoes are small, flat, rectangular game pieces made from various rigid materials such as wood, bone, and plastic. They are also known as bones, men, tiles, or cards.
They are usually twice as long as they are wide and feature a line in the middle to divide them visually into two squares, called ends. Each side has a number of black spots or pips. In the most common variant (double-six), the values range from six pips down to none or blank.
Most modern commercial domino sets are 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 to achieve a more contemporary look.
Variations
There are many variations of domino that can be played with different sets and different numbers of players. Some of these variants have special rules, while others are more random and just have fun!
In this variant, players start with a hand of dominoes that they have to place end to end. If a player cannot place a domino from their hand, they must draw until they can play one.
Once a player is able to lay their dominoes, they score points every time the pips on an open end add up to a multiple of 5. This variation works just like a game of Straight dominoes.
Scoring
The scoring system for domino is based on a simple rule. The open ends of the dominoes are counted and if they add up to any multiple of five, the player is awarded that number of points.
The score is also determined when a domino is blocked in the opponents’ hands. If the dots on a tile are not all in the same suit, the opponent’s score is reduced by a certain amount of the pip value of the tiles still in his or her hand.
There are three common strategies for dominoing, which can be played individually or as part of a team. The most obvious is to play the highest numbered tiles in order to increase your own score, but other tactics are also available.