Domino is a game of skill and luck. It is played on a table and the players make their moves in turn. The game ends when one player chips out.
Most domino games have a basic set of rules but there are also many variations. These variation may be in the way the tiles are matched or in scoring.
Origin
Domino is a game that has been played throughout history and continues to be popular worldwide. There are many different versions of the game and the rules vary from one region to the next.
There are a number of theories as to the origin of domino. Some believe that Marco Polo brought the game back from his travels in China while others claim that the game originated in Europe.
There is also a dispute over the origin of the name “domino.” Some say that it was named after hooded capes, black with white lining, worn by French priests while others suggest that it comes from the Latin word dominus meaning master of the house. Whatever the truth may be, domino became a very popular game that has influenced culture and politics around the world.
Rules
There are many different ways to play domino. Some games require that the tiles be shuffled and each player draws a hand of seven dominoes. The first player (determined by drawing lots or by who has the highest double) then makes the first play. The rest of the tiles form the stock or boneyard, and each player draws from it when needed.
In some games, the first tile played is called the spinner; it can be played on all four sides and causes the line of play to branch. This is a common feature of Five-Up, Matador and Bendomino, where the doubles serve as spinners for their respective games. Other games use a specific piece that is able to be played on only one side, like a wing or an ace.
Materials
Like a playing card or dice, domino pieces have an identity-bearing face and a blank side. The identity-bearing face is divided visually into two square halves and marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, or a lack of spots, representing a zero.
Domino pieces are typically twice as long as they are wide, making them easy to stack and re-stack after play. They are made from a variety of materials, including plastics, stone, wood, bone and ivory.
Using domino sets helps children develop core maths skills and problem solving skills, such as adding, counting, matching, sorting, and classifying. They also develop hand eye coordination and artistic expression as they build their dominoes. Most dominoes come in a storage box of their own, which range from simple cardboard boxes to more common vinyl snap lock cases.
Variations
There are many different types of domino sets and a wide variety of games that can be played with them. The most common are the Block and Draw games, both of which have detailed instructions on this site. There are also a number of games where dominoes are not drawn and scored by hand, including many solitaire and trick-taking games.
When a domino is played, the exposed ends of the tile must match each other (one’s touching two’s, three’s touching four’s, etc). When the dots on the exposed ends total a multiple of five, the player scores those points.
The game continues until a player cannot play, at which point they pass. Each player then draws a new hand. Usually, the winner of the last game begins play with the heaviest double.
Scoring
In most domino games players draw one or more hands of seven tiles. The player drawing the highest double goes first. If there are no doubles, the player with the heaviest single begins play.
In some games, points are scored by laying adjacent matching ends of a line, with the exposed sides touching. For example, if two lines cross to form a large X each line is worth five points and the X is worth ten.
Other scoring systems are used, including counting the number of pips left in an opponent’s hand at the end of a game or hand. The winning player may also count the number of tiles in his or her own hand and add this amount to his or her score.