Dominoes are flat, oblong pieces with blank or numbered ends that can have from 0 to 6 pips on each half. They are used in games involving blocking and scoring.

Children enjoy setting dominoes up in long lines and then knocking them over. Dominoes can also be used to practice counting and number recognition.

Rules

There are many different games of domino, and the rules for each game may differ slightly. However, most of the games play similar. After the tiles have been shuffled, each player draws a domino from the stock and makes the first play. The player with the heaviest double usually begins, although some players prefer to draw lots to determine who starts.

Then, each player takes turns placing dominoes in the line of play according to the rules of the game. Each domino must be joined to matching ends, with the exception of doubles, which can be joined sideways. The player who lays the last domino wins that round and receives points based on the number of remaining dominoes in his opponents’ hands. Before the next round, it is a good idea to remove any obstacles, such as tiles with high numbers. This will prevent your opponent(s) from receiving too many points if you win the round.

Materials

Dominoes are small, flat blocks used as gaming pieces. They are commonly made from wood or plastic, but have been made of many materials over the centuries. Each domino is rectangular in shape and typically twice as long as it is wide. The identity-bearing face is usually marked with an arrangement of spots, resembling those on dice, while the other side is blank or has an identical pattern. The number of spots on a domino determines its value.

In the early days, dominoes were usually white with black pips, but modern sets can be found in almost any color combination. Authentic wood dominoes are generally expensive as they are handcrafted and finished with layers of lacquer.

The most common material for dominoes today is polymer plastic. This is available in a range of colors and is durable enough to hold up to years of use. But high-end wooden dominoes, like the ones pictured here, are crafted from a variety of fine hardwoods and carved by hand.

Variations

There are many different ways to play domino. Some have a very specific rule set that only applies to one game, while others are more general rules that can apply to several games. In addition, there are a number of variations in how a domino is scored.

In Block Dominoes, two to four players take turns laying matching domino halves end to end. The player scores points if all the exposed ends add up to a multiple of five. The score can be modified by adding or subtracting tiles from the string.

In a variant called Straight Dominoes, you can make a line of dominoes that extends out from the center. This is similar to the Mexican Train variant of Dominoes, but with a different scoring system. You can also play a variation of Straight Dominoes with a double-twelve or double-fifteen set that allows you to make plays off the ends of the first double tile played.

Scoring

Players score points each time a domino is played. A single domino is worth one point, while a double counts as two. Dominoes must be played so their ends match (except for doubles which can only be placed on the end of a domino that is already there). The player who wins a hand receives points equal to the total count of his opponents’ unplayed dominoes minus the number of his own unplayed dominoes.

The scoring system for a game of domino may vary depending on the specific rules being used. For example, the classic game of fives and threes is a scoring game in which players score points whenever the sum of the end tiles is divisible by five or by three. Other scoring games require that a certain type of domino be used to score a particular result, such as sevens and fours in the case of a game called Odd Primes. This is because the pips on a domino are arranged in sets of pairs that belong to specific suits.