The Basics of Domino
Domino is a game of strategy and tactics played with small rectangular tiles, or dominoes. Like playing cards, dominoes bear identifying marks on one side and are blank or identically patterned on the other. They are divided, by a line or ridge, into two squares, each marked with an arrangement of spots, or “pips,” similar to those used on a die, except that some squares are blank (indicated in the listing below by a zero).
The dominoes can be made from various materials. The most common type is wood, but plastic or a composite material can also be used. Some sets use a combination of wood and polymer; others may use a more traditional material, such as bone or silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (MOP), with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on the surfaces.
Regardless of the material used to make the dominoes, all of them have the same basic properties. Each tile is twice as long as it is wide, which makes it easier to stack the pieces together after they are used.
In addition to their physical properties, dominoes have a number of other characteristics that make them ideal for playing a variety of games. These include their ability to be easily stacked, their relatively lightweight weight and their easy-to-understand design.
To play a game of dominoes, each player takes a certain number of dominoes from a set and begins placing them on the table in a chain. The chains gradually grow longer as players add new dominoes to the set.
Each new domino added to the chain may be played only once. If a tile has on it a number showing at both ends of the chain, this is called “stitched up” and the player is not permitted to play this type of tile.
Another important factor that affects how well dominoes topple is friction. Friction slows down the dominoes as they slide against each other and when their bottom edges slip against the ground, creating a force that keeps them from toppling.
There are many ways to play dominoes, but the most popular are the Block and Draw games. In the Block game, players take fewer dominoes than in the Draw game.
In the Draw game, players are allowed to take more dominoes than in the Block game, but they must choose sleeping dominoes that are not on the table before they can place them. Once a player’s set of sleeping dominoes has run out, they must pass their turn and the next person picks a domino to place.
Once a player has placed all of their dominoes, they are awarded points for each tile that is added to the chain. These points are multiplied by the number of pips on the tile, and the player who reaches the target score or who amasses the most points wins the game.
The game of dominoes has been around for centuries and is still a popular family game throughout the world. It originated in Italy in the 18th century and became a fad in France in the mid-18th century.