Dominoes are flat, thumb-sized, rectangular blocks with a line down the middle that separates their ends into two squares. Each end is either blank or has a number of spots–called pips.
Traditional domino sets have one unique piece for each possible combination of two ends from one to six pips. These are usually called “double-six” sets because the highest-value piece has six pips on each end.
Origin
Dominoes are small, rectangular pieces marked with groups of spots on one side. They are used to play a variety of games.
Traditionally made from bone, wood or ivory, dominoes are one of the oldest game sets known to mankind. An example of the earliest known set was discovered in King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1355 BC.
The origins of dominoes are disputed, but they were developed independently by many cultures throughout the world at various times during human history. During the 18th century, they became popular in Europe and were brought over by Europeans to new worlds like the Americas.
Rules
The rules of domino vary from one game to another, but most games start with a standard domino set. The most common domino set is the double-six set, which consists of 28 tiles with numbers from 0 to 6 on each end.
After the pips on the tiles are shuffled, each player draws a number of tiles according to the game’s rules. These tiles are placed in front of the player in such a way that other players can’t see the pips on them.
After each player has drawn, any tiles left out of play are discarded. The first player then makes the first play.
Variations
A domino is a rectangular tile with pips on the front and blank on the back. The pips represent numbers from 0 to 6 on each end of the tile.
The pips on a single domino can be arranged into a variety of different suits, depending on the number of pips on each end. These include the 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 0-5, and 0-6 suits.
Dominoes are used in a wide range of games, from blocking games to scoring games. They can also be used in combination with other equipment such as dice.
Materials
There are many different materials used to make dominoes. These include plastic, wood, bone, stone and ivory.
The most common and popular material for dominoes is plastic. It is a durable and inexpensive material that can be found in many colors.
It is also very resistant to wear and tear, so it is ideal for playing games that involve a lot of movement. It is also a good choice for snooker, poker and pool tables since it helps keep the tiles from sliding or skidding.
Originally dominoes were made from ivory inlaid with ebony pips, but today ivory is illegal. In place of ivory, some craftsmen use vegetable ivory. It is made from the tagua nut and has been used for more than two centuries to make dice, chess pieces, and dominoes.
Scoring
In British public houses and social clubs, a version of domino is played with the aim of scoring points as you play. Rather than emptying the hand and counting points at the end of a game, you must score by playing tiles that make all the open ends of the domino layout total to a multiple of five.
The first tile played is a single and the second is played to the opposite side of this to form the spinner. This is followed by other doubles, each of which must be played at right angles to the first. The exposed ends of the double are then scored by dividing them by five or three, depending on which is the highest number. The player who has the highest score is the winner.