Domino is a fun game for the whole family. It can also be a great way to teach kids the value of counting and strategy.
After the dominoes are shuffled, each player draws a number of tiles specified in the rules for the game being played. The player with the highest double then makes the first play.
Origin
Dominoes have a long history and many games. They can be used for both blocking and scoring. Block games involve placing dominoes edge to edge so that their ends match. In addition, there are games based on arithmetic properties of the pips, such as totals of lines or tile halves.
Dominoes appear to be a direct descendant of ordinary spotted dice. However, the precise details of their invention are not known. They may have been developed by separate cultures at different times in history.
The name “domino” probably came from the Latin dominus, meaning lord or master. The word may have also been inspired by a mask worn at Venetian carnivals that was black on the outside and white on the inside. The masks resembled the look of European dominoes.
Rules
There are a number of different games that can be played with domino. Most of them are blocking games and the objective is to empty one’s hand while blocking opponents’ turns. The winner is determined by the total value of pips in the losing players’ hands at the end of the game.
To begin the game, each player draws seven tiles from the stock. These may be turned over to look at without being revealed to the other players. Some games require that all tiles in the stock be bought before play begins, while others allow the players to draw from the stock as needed.
Once the order of play has been determined, a domino is placed on the table, with the heaviest domino being set first. This domino is called “the set,” “the down,” or “the lead.”
Variations
There are many different types of domino games. Most involve connecting dominoes to create chains of dominoes that form a layout. Some use a different rule for pairing dominoes and some use only certain combinations of tiles as pairs. The rules vary by game, and the rules can be changed during play to add variety or to prevent a dominant player from scoring too much.
Some domino games are blocking games where the goal is to empty a players hand while blocking their opponents. The winner is determined by the lowest total value of the opponents points left in their hand after all rounds are played.
Another variation is the concentration game, an adaptation of the Concentration card game. This variation uses a double-six set. Pairs consist of two dominoes whose pips sum to 12. A skillful player can score the most pairs in a round, often 61.
Materials
Dominoes are small, flat game pieces that can be used for a variety of games. They are usually twice as long as they are wide and feature a line in the middle that divides them visually into two squares. One side of the domino is marked with an arrangement of spots, or pips, and the other is blank or unmarked (sometimes called the end).
In the past, dominoes were made from many different materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell, mother of pearl, ivory, and wood. Today, dominoes are most commonly made from plastic or a combination of these materials. Other accessories can also make a domino game more enjoyable, such as a domino rack, score pad, and pencil for keeping track of scores.
Scoring
Players earn points by laying dominoes that add up to multiples of five. The winner of a hand scores additional points based on the value of dominoes still in opponents’ hands, rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
Muggins is a scoring variation that allows players to play off the ends of the first double played in a chain (this first domino is called “the spinner”). When the exposed ends of the spinner match, the player who made the play receives the score.
If a player notices a bogus play during the game they must call a UDL Official to resolve the issue. If a player plays on a bogus domino they will be disqualified from the tournament. Slow play is not tolerated and players must stop playing and notify a UDL Official if they are slowing the game down.
