Dominoes are a fun and entertaining way to pass the time. You can use them to make curved lines, grids that form pictures, and even 3D structures.
Before a hand of domino begins the tiles must be shuffled. This is done by placing them face down on a flat surface and then moving them around randomly without touching any specific tiles.
Origin
Historians have not been able to determine whether the modern domino game originated in Europe or China. However, they do know that the European version of the game first appeared in Italy, possibly in Venice and Naples, in the 18th Century.
There are many different games played with dominoes, but most involve blocking or scoring with the corresponding pairs of tiles. There are also puzzles that require calculation and strategy, as well as some that are simply fun to play.
The name of the game probably derives from the French word “domino,” which originally meant a black and white hooded cape worn by Christian priests in winter. The dark markings on the domino pieces remind people of this hood, and so the name stuck.
Rules
Players draw a hand of dominoes and play them according to the rules of the game being played. The player who wins the game is determined at the end of a number of rounds or by reaching an agreed-upon score.
As each player plays their tiles, a line is formed on the table called the Line of Play. When a player cannot play a tile, they “knock” on it or otherwise indicate that they can’t continue playing.
This signals that their turn is over, and the next player takes their place. If the entire line of play is closed, the player who has the least amount of unplayed tiles scores the most points. If both players have the same amount of points, they share the winnings.
Materials
Over the years different materials have been used to make dominoes. The pieces are usually flat thumb-sized rectangular blocks with a line down the center visually dividing them into two square halves, each bearing from one to six dots or spots (also called pips).
The pips are uniformly molded or drilled on each piece. A complete set consists of 28 dominoes, although larger sets exist for special purposes.
Modern mass-produced dominoes are generally made of plastics, metals or stone. More expensive dominoes are often crafted in wood. They are considered works of art and may command hefty price tags. The best dominoes are those that are crafted by a true craftsman. These are rarely found in stores and usually have a high-end price tag to match.
Variations
Players may use any number of dominoes to play a game, and rules vary widely. The classic domino game, known as Block Dominoes, uses a double-six set and two players. The tiles are shuffled, and the player drawing the highest double goes first. The rest of the tiles form a boneyard, from which players draw their hand of seven tiles.
Each time a tile is played, it must be positioned so that its matching end touches an open end of an existing domino. This causes the line of play to branch, and the shape of the developing snake-line becomes a small part of the enjoyment. Depending on the game, a double may be placed cross-ways to a single or straddle it. A special case is the bendomino set, which uses curved tiles and allows one side of a double to be blocked for geometrical reasons.
Scoring
Dominoes are flat thumbsized rectangular blocks whose face is divided into two parts, each bearing either blank or from one to six pips or dots. 28 such pieces form a complete set. Dominoes are played in a variety of ways, primarily by matching ends and laying them down in lines and angular patterns. The game is generally scored based on the sum of all exposed pips on the domino in the line of play.
Players draw tiles from a stock, sometimes called the boneyard, and the first player to score a full domino wins the round. The winning player receives points based on the value of all the opposing players’ remaining dominoes rounded to the nearest multiple of five. In the case of a tie, additional rounds are played until one player clears their hand.
