The game of dominoes is popular around the world. It can be played by lining them up in long rows or toppling them in a circular arrangement.
Despite their seemingly simple rules, dominoes are complex machines, thanks to the laws of gravity. A tiny nudge is all it takes to push the first domino past its tipping point and set off a chain reaction.
Rules
Domino is a game played by two or more players using tiles. Each player draws seven tiles from a pool of 28 dominoes and sets them face down on the table.
The aim of the game is to score points by laying dominoes end to end, except for doubles which are laid across the line of play. If the dots on the exposed ends of a domino chain total any multiple of five, the player is awarded that number of points.
In order to do this, each player must play a tile onto the domino chain positioning it so that it touches one of the end points, which gradually increases in length. The tile may only have a number showing at one end of the chain or the other; any tile with both ends showing the same number is known as “stitched up” and is not playable.
Once all the tiles have been placed, each player turns up his/her dominoes and counts the number of dots. The player who is the highest scoring is declared the winner.
Materials
Dominoes are small rectangular tiles with a line in the middle that separates them into two sides and each side has a number of black spots (pips) on it. They are used to play games similar to those of playing cards.
In the 18th century, dominos were first introduced into England by French prisoners-of-war. These tiles were carved from cow and sheep bones, but richer players favored ivory dominoes.
Today, dominos are made from many different materials, including plastics, wood, and metals. Some are made from molded phenolic resin, which approximates the look and feel of ivory.
These plastic dominos are available in a variety of colors and are more affordable than their ivory counterparts. Some are even marbleized to give them a swirled appearance.
Variations
The game of domino can be played in a number of different variations. These can include block games, scoring games or trick and trump games.
The most popular variation of domino is the block game. Players draw five dominoes and set them face down so that their opponents cannot see them.
Each player in turn lays down one domino, playing it so that the ends of the tile match. Dominoes are laid end to end, except for doubles which are played across the line of play.
This game can be played with 2, 3 or 4 players, depending on the number of tiles in each set. The game is won when a player plays their last domino and all of the unplayed dominoes are turned up by the other players.
This game is similar to the block game, with the added twist of having a spinner. The first double domino that is played becomes a spinner.
Scoring
The scoring system in domino is a bit more complicated than in other games. The winning player is determined by a combination of factors, including the number of rounds played, a point limit set by the game’s rules, and the player’s total score.
One method for scoring is to create a large X-shaped symbol on the board and then adding small X’s around it. The small X’s add up to represent the same number of points as the large X, and this tally is then compared with the other scores to determine the winner.
Another scoring system is to count the pips (spots) on the tiles left in the hands of the losing players at the end of a hand or game. This is the most efficient way to add up the score for each player, but it can make the game a little more difficult, since the winning player may not have enough tiles to complete their last round.