Domino is a game played with a set of small blocks called dominoes. As the dominoes are placed, a line is formed on the table which is called the line of play.
The player holding the highest domino begins play. If no players hold a high domino, the game may end in a tie.
Rules
The rules of domino vary between games but most involve the formation of a line of play. Each player places a tile on the table positioning it so that it either touches one end of the existing domino chain or blocks other players from joining it. A player may only play a domino which shows a number on one of its ends.
Depending on the game, some doubles may serve as spinners (tiles which can be played on all sides) while others are not. Usually, the first double played is a spinner and is the start of the line of play in the game.
After the players have drawn their hands, they place the remainder of their unseen dominoes in front of themselves and draw new ones when they are unable to make a match with any of the current tiles in their hands. The player who draws the highest domino starts play. A winner is declared when a player is able to empty his or her hand of tiles.
Materials
There are a number of different materials used in domino. The most common are plastics and wood. However, some people prefer to use felt surfaces for their tables, as it protects the faces of the tiles from scratching. In Puerto Rico, special moulded plastic tables are often used.
Historically, domino sets were made from animal bone or even carved ivory. Today, most sets are produced from synthetic materials. However, some sets are made of wood or even ebony inlaid with pips. Ivory is no longer legal to harvest because it violates CITES regulations and has contributed to the extinction of elephants.
Almost every domino set comes with a storage box to keep the pieces in. The boxes range from a simple cardboard box to vinyl snap lock cases. Some come with a cribbage board built into the case. Some of the boxes also include rules and scoring instructions for specific games. The material of the box is important because it can impact the quality of the codes. Domino sample testing can help ensure that the substrate you choose meets your coding needs.
Scoring
The scoring system in domino is based on making the ends of the layout add up to a multiple of five. The player who does this scores the sum of all the opponents’ spots in their hand, rounded to the nearest five. In partnership play, the score is also the sum of the partners’ hands.
Each domino has two square ends that have a pips value from zero to six. The number of pips on each end determines the value of the tile. A traditional double-six set has 28 unique pieces.
In the standard game of domino, each player begins with a double and adds to their train on each turn. The first player to clear their hand wins the round. Players can also add to other trains at a cost of one tile per turn. If a player cannot play, they draw from the boneyard until they can. They may also knock if they cannot make a play.
Variations
There are many different ways to play domino, and each game has its own rules. However, there are some rules that are commonly agreed upon to ensure a fair game and prevent cheating occurrences. These include maintaining the initiative and playing defensively.
In Dominos, maintaining the initiative is essential for scoring points and limiting your opponent’s ability to score. This is done by playing a domino onto your opponent’s double before they have the chance to make their own play. There are a few tiles that can be played on top of a standard end (as opposed to a blank end) that will not allow your opponent to rescore immediately.
The Block game is the simplest basic domino variant for two players. A double-six set is shuffled and each player draws a number of dominoes, typically seven, from the remaining tiles. The starting player plays a tile that starts the line of play, and the players alternate extending it by adding one matching domino on each end. If a player cannot extend the line, they pass their turn.
