A domino is a rectangular tile with either a single or double value of pips, which are marked on each side. These values range from six pips to none or blank.
Physicist Stephen Morris explains that standing an upright domino against the pull of gravity gives it potential energy, which becomes kinetic energy when the domino falls. This process is what causes a chain reaction that topples other dominoes.
Rules
In domino, the dominoes are arranged on the table in a line of play with each player drawing 7 tiles (if two players play) or 5 tiles if three or more. The tiles not drawn are pushed to one side and make up the boneyard. When a domino is played, the exposed ends must match: one’s touch one’s and two’s touch two’s. Each player is awarded points when the dominoes in their line of play add up to a multiple of three or more.
The game ends when one player has no more tiles left or when a hand is blocked. The winner is the player who holds the lowest total of spots in their hand. If a player has no tiles left, the other players add up the spots on their remaining dominoes and subtract the winner’s spot total from the sum of the remaining numbers to determine a score. If the players are playing in partnership, the partners count the total number of pips on their remaining dominoes.
Variations
There are many variations of domino, but almost all of them fall into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games. In a bidding game, players compete to score more points than the other players in a hand or a game. This can be accomplished by placing the highest value domino in your hand and playing it first.
Block games involve linking dominos with the values of their open ends. The value of a domino depends on its type and the number of pips on its two sides. Typical types include doubles, which can be played on all sides, and single-blank dominoes, which can be played on either side of the line of play.
In this variation, players start with seven dominoes and add to their trains on each turn. If a player is unable to move, they pass and draw a sleeping domino from the stock (also known as the boneyard). When all the sleeping dominoes run out, the game is over.
Materials
Over the years, dominoes have been made of a variety of materials. The most common material is plastic, but there are also many sets that are made of other types of materials. Some of these are quite beautiful and are often considered works of art. Some are very expensive, however.
A domino is a small rectangular game piece that represents the result of rolling two dice. The domino is usually twice as long as it is wide and features a line down the middle that divides the piece visually into two squares, each of which contains a number from 0 to 6.
Teachers can use this activity to help students learn about the commutative property of addition. To do this, the teacher selects a domino from a stack or bag and holds it up. The class then counts the dots on each side and names an addition equation. Depending on the size of the class, this activity can be done in pairs or groups.
Scoring
In scoring games, points are awarded for connecting dominoes to one another by matching their end values. This is done by playing a tile so that its end touches the opposite end of an existing domino chain, and the value of the exposed ends is equal or multiple to five. A double-blank counts as zero, while a domino with the same number on both ends is counted as one (a 6-6 would score six points). The player who scores the most wins the game.
Many players also subtract the total pip value of all tiles remaining in their hands, rounded to the nearest multiple of five, from their running total at the end of each hand. This method is not ideal for scoring on a cribbage board or using Holsey and Tidwell’s X’s, however, as it requires the player to keep track of all outstanding tiles in their hands. In addition, it may not work well for players who have trouble counting the pips on their own hands.