Dominoes – A Game of Skill, Luck and Strategy

domino

Dominoes are rectangular tiles with two ends. Each end has a number of spots, or pips, that range from zero (or blank) to six. Each tile is ranked according to its total number of pips, with the highest ranked domino winning the game.

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Origins

Domino is a game of skill, luck and strategy. It is played worldwide and is especially popular in Latin America. The game is a favorite pastime among all ages, from the youngest of grand children to their oldest grandparents. It is a great way to relax and socialize with family and friends.

The domino game originated in China, where it was known as ‘pupai’. It was mentioned in a text called the Encyclopedia of a Myriad Treasures by Zhang Pu.

The game reached Europe in the early 18th century. It grew into a fad in France. The word domino does not appear before that time, and its origin is unclear. It may refer to the dark markings on the white tiles, or it could refer to a mask used by French priests in winter.

Rules

In domino games, players place a domino on the table positioning it so that both ends match. If both ends have a number showing, this is called a double. Each player must play a tile to this end, or the chain will be broken.

Some games have a different starting point for the line of play. This can be a double, known as the lead, or any other type of domino. In addition to playing onto their own trains, players may also add to other people’s trains. However, if a player is unable to add to a train they must continue drawing tiles until they can find one that matches.

This is known as the Draw Game and most characteristic domino games are elaborations of this rule. The game is played until either a player runs out of pieces or until a predetermined total score has been reached.

Variations

There are many variations to domino games. These variations are usually based on the number of players and the specific rules of each game. For example, some games allow for blocking, while others do not.

The first player to play a domino is called the setter, downer, or leader. He may add a tile to the ends of an existing double only if it has the same number of pips as the open end of the double.

This method of scoring is used when playing a game with multiple players on teams. A team’s score is calculated by combining the scores of all members of that team. This is different from the way individual dominoes are scored. It is also different from the way that a single player’s score is calculated.

Materials

Dominoes are a type of flat rectangular tile that has numbers on its ends. The most common domino set contains 28 tiles with a range of 0 to 6. The numbering is represented by dots that are uniformly molded or drilled on the piece’s face. Some sets also use color dots to make matches easier.

Traditionally, dominoes were made from ivory inlaid with ebony pips. However, the harvesting of this material contributed to the decline of elephant populations, so ivory dominoes are now rare and expensive. Modern domino sets are often made of plastic or wood.

To play a domino game, players arrange the tiles of their hand in a line on the table. Then, they move the dominoes to a new position by matching their open ends with other pieces.

Scoring

Domino scoring varies from game-to-game. In most domino games, the winner is declared when one player has cleared all of their hand tiles. The winning player subtracts the value of their opponent’s remaining dominoes from their own hand total to determine a score.

If a double domino is played, it must be placed perpendicular to the matching tile end. A double is also known as a “doublet.” Each match counts as two points for the winner.

Some games, like Chicken Foot, require all sides of a spinner to be occupied. This requires a larger set of dominoes and can be difficult to manage. There are many advanced methods for risk assessment and management of domino effects, including Computational Fluid Dynamics/Finite Element Model (CFD/FEM) models and probabilistic models.