Dominoes are flat, rectangular blocks that have identifying marks on one side and are blank or identically patterned on the other. They are sometimes called bones, cards, men, or pieces.
The domino effect is a behavioral concept that describes how one change can cause a series of related changes. For example, someone who eats healthier foods may increase their exercise habits as a natural side-effect.
Rules
Dominoes are a game played by two or more players. They are arranged on the table and the number of rounds to play is predetermined or agreed upon before beginning. The player with the highest score after a set number of rounds wins. The number of rounds can be a specific number, such as 10 or 200, or the game may continue until a certain point limit is reached.
The dominoes are shuffled and the players decide who will start the game, either by drawing lots or by having the person with the highest double begin. The players then take turns placing their dominoes in the line of play, joining them to matching ends, except for doubles which are joined in the middle.
A double is said to be a spinner if it can be played on all four sides. If a player cannot add to his or her train he or she must draw from the boneyard until he or she can.
Materials
Dominoes can be made of many different materials, depending on the desired look and playability. The most common are plastic and wood. The earliest dominoes were made of ivory inlaid with ebony, but ivory has been banned since the 1980s as the harvesting of elephants is so cruel.
The pips on each domino are normally inked with numbers or symbols, but some sets feature colored dots to make it easier to match them up. Some sets even use pictures instead of pips to add a little extra color and fun to the game.
When playing Domino, it is important to use a special felt table to keep the tiles from scratching the surface of your kitchen or dining room table. The felt also protects the faces of the dominoes from damage. A good felt table will also have a raised edge that prevents dominoes from sliding off. This edge also makes it easy to pick up a domino by its end without putting your hands on the tile face or backing.
Variations
Dominoes have a number of variants. Different games have slightly different rules, although most of them are played with similar basic rules. Some even share the same name but differ in small ways, like how the game is played or what tiles can be used.
A domino is a tile with numbers on each of its faces. Each half of the domino has a specific value, and the number on each side is added together to get the total. Dominoes with the same value on each of its ends are called doubles.
Usually, domino games are played in pairs, with one player playing the first tile of a hand before passing to the partner. Occasionally, however, it is possible to play a game by yourself. The partner that wins the game is determined by the combined value of the remaining spots on their dominoes. This variation is known as the “spinner” and adds a little extra strategy to the game.
Scoring
There are many different ways to score a game of domino. Most games involve a series of “ends” with points scored in each end counting towards a total. A score may also be kept on a cribbage board. In 5s-and-3s, a scoring variant commonly played in British pubs and clubs, players compete against each other for the most points in a set. Each player draws a line of dominoes, each with a value indicated by the number of spots or pips on the domino.
The first player to play a domino that matches another in his or her hand places it on the table. Players then add to the domino train on each turn. The winner of a hand scores the sum of the values of all dominoes in their hands, including those left in the boneyard. A player with a larger number of high-value dominoes is said to have a heavier or higher-ranked hand.