The game of dominoes is played by stacking dominoes in a particular way. Tiles with the same number of pips are known as count dominoes, and are worth five points. Players can play with a partner or alone, depending on the number of dominoes. There are two main styles of domino games: 3-handed and four-handed. Players alternate between each type of game. The scoring games require a minimum of five dominoes, with tiles worth two points or more.
The falling domino sets off a chain reaction. Each falling domino has a pulse, similar to a firing neuron in your body. It travels at a constant rate, without losing energy, and in one direction. The triggering signal does not matter what size it is, because the impulse travels in one direction only. In the same way, an individual nerve cell is triggered by a specific stimulus. It travels the same way if it is hit by a specific stimulus, and this is how a domino falls, starting a chain reaction.
The most common domino games are block games, where the objective is to block your opponent from getting an empty hand. In these games, pips are counted in losing hands to determine the winner. In one popular version of the game, called Hector’s Rules, the player can play double tiles on his opponent’s hands. After doing so, he is awarded a bonus tile. This version of the game is popular in Singapore, and is referred to as Hector’s Rules.
The first known mention of dominoes dates back to the Song dynasty in China. The game originated in China, and has the same physical properties as playing cards. The Chinese versions were made to represent the possible throws of two dice. They are often called “dotted cards” because there are no blank faces on them. They are traditionally used for trick-taking games. Chinese 5-3 is a combination of a 5 and a three, whereas the Western version is a single club.