Domino is a game in which players lay dominoes in a line, matching the value on one end to the domino at the other end of the line. They can also play a double domino on the spinner, which opens up new sides for future dominos to be played on.
Origin
Dominoes were first noted in the West in the early 18th century in Italy and France. The game was brought to England toward the end of that century (possibly via French prisoners) and quickly became one of the most popular games in traditional inns and taverns at the time.
The name of the game and the domino tiles themselves were supposedly derived from the black domino half-masks worn by French Christian priests in Europe. Alternatively, the dark markings on the white faces may have reminded people of a domino hood, which is a hooded cape with eye holes worn in masquerade balls.
The domino effect is a term used to describe how the actions of one person or country can affect many others in a similar way. It can also refer to the theory that once a small country adopts Communism, other countries will follow suit, and this is known as the Domino Theory.
Rules
Dominoes’ rules are designed to ensure that the game runs smoothly and prevent cheating. The most important of these rules are the ones dealing with doubles. In general, when a player begins the game with a double or lays one later in the game, it must match both ends of the other dominoes touching it (i.e. one’s touch one’s, two’s touch two’s). The resulting line is then called a chain or a snake-line.
Each player draws a hand of seven tiles before each round, and the first player to play is decided by drawing lots or, alternatively, by who holds the highest double. The game continues until either the number of rounds is predetermined or a set score is reached. The player with the higher score wins.
Variations
There are many different games that can be played with dominoes. These can be grouped into blocking games in which the objective is to empty one’s hand, and scoring games in which the goal is to create particular configurations of tiles on a layout.
The basic game is the Block or Draw Game, which uses a standard double-six set of 28 dominoes. Each player draws seven tiles from the stock and then places a tile that starts the line of play. Players then alternately extend this line with a matching tile at either end. Players who cannot play pass their turn.
To win, the player must be the first to play all of their dominoes. If a player has no dominoes left, they score zero points for the round.
Materials
Dominoes are rectangular-shaped pieces that feature a line down the middle, and a set usually has 28 to 55 tiles. They are twice as long as they are wide, and are normally made to be slightly thicker than a playing card. They are identified by the numbers on their ends, called pips. The more pips on a domino, the higher its value.
Historically, dominoes were made from mammal bones or ivory. In 1855, Charles Lepage invented a type of plastic for dominoes known as Bois Durci or Parkesine that was mixed with sawdust and albumen from eggs or blood. It was replaced in the 20th century by tinplate and Bakelite.
The more common commercial dominoes are made from plastics or phenolic resins. These are generally molded to look like ivory or are colored to distinguish different end values. Some are even textured to mimic bone. These are the types of dominoes you’re likely to find in most stores today.
Scoring
A domino is a flat thumb-sized block, a type of clay tile with a line dividing the face into two square ends, each bearing from one to six pips or dots. 28 such dominoes form a complete set.
The goal of most domino games is to empty your hand of tiles and then win the game. This is accomplished by scoring the value of the opponent’s remaining tiles rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
One of the most popular scoring domino games is Fives and Threes, sometimes also known as Muggins or Five Up. In this game, players score points by forming domino chains in which the end scores add up to a multiple of five or three. For example, playing a [1|4] domino on an existing layout gives the player 6 points because it replaces the four with a 1, making the edge score a multiple of five.