Domino is a fun and educational game for children of all ages. It can be played with one or many players. It is easy to learn and provides a great way for children to develop fine motor skills.
The game ends when a player places his last domino. The other players then count the dots on the exposed ends of their remaining dominoes. The player who counts the most wins the game.
Rules
There are many different games that may be played with domino. Almost all of them fit into one of four categories: blocking games, draw games, scoring games and round games.
To begin a game, the players draw a hand of seven domino tiles. The player who draws the highest double goes first. If he cannot play, then the next player draws from the stock (called byeing) according to the rules of the particular game being played.
Dominoes are laid end to end except for doubles, which are placed cross-ways across the ends of the line of play. When a tile is played to a double, the two matching sides must touch fully or the domino is considered to be a spinner and may not be matched until another turn passes. Each turn, the players draw from the stock if they cannot match their tiles. The remainder of the stock remains face down and is called the boneyard.
Materials
Over the years domino has been made from a variety of materials. Some have been natural (bone or ivory) and others were carved from dark hardwoods, such as ebony. Modern domino sets are usually made from plastic and often use different colors for the dots that represent the different end values to make it easier to identify matching ends when building lines or fields.
These plastic dominoes are readily available in department stores and can be a great way to introduce new players to the game. However, for serious builders and those looking to expand their domino library, it is worth seeking out higher quality wood dominoes, such as those pictured on the left. These are crafted by true artisans, layered in multiple woods, and finely finished with layers of lacquer. These are a little heavier than the mass produced plastic dominoes and are more stable when used for larger building projects. The only drawback to these is that they can be more difficult to find without the debossed Domino Day logo and may not be as consistent in color.
Variations
A wide variety of games can be played using domino. Most of these are “layout” games, in which players add matching tiles to a layout or tableau. The game ends when one player is out of tiles or holds a number of the lowest pips left in his or her hand. Typically, the player with the lowest total score is declared the winner. There are also scoring variations such as counting the number of open ends in the losing players’ hands.
A popular scoring variant, called Muggins, counts only the ends of a domino and not the numbers on the faces. This allows a line of play to continue after a double is played.
Another variation, called Concentration, requires a smaller set than other layout games. The dominoes are shuffled, then arranged into a 4 x 7 grid face down. Each player then turns over two of them when it is his turn to play. The pair must add up to 12.
Scoring
In scoring games such as bergen and muggins players accrue points during game play for certain configurations or moves. Most scoring games involve emptying one’s hand while blocking opponents’ plays. A score may be determined by counting the pips on dominoes left in losing players’ hands, although double blanks count zero.
Some players, known as “fat number” players, prefer to play their highest-numbered dominoes first, so as to maximize their chances of winning the round. However, this strategy can lead to a domino train where no player can make a play until the last domino is played.
In addition, determining the score for different types of domino requires an understanding of board counts and scoring adjustments. For example, all the board count groupings categorized under the 3.8 heading would require the same tiles to score because they all need +2, -3 or -8 adjustments in order to be scored. This allows a more precise determination of the available scoring combinations.
