When playing domino, players draw tiles from the stock. The player who draws the heaviest tile makes the first play. After this, the next player begins picking tiles until an opening double (also known as a spinner) is played.
Depending on the game being played, the open ends of these tiles may form a line that is called the layout, string or line of play.
Rules
The rules of domino vary from game to game. Some have a line of play, with dominoes placed end to end, while others require that the pips on each end match an adjacent number. In either case, it is important to follow the basic instructions for scoring and blocking.
In games with more than one player, players seat themselves by lot. Each player draws a hand of dominoes from the stock, and then turns them over to look at them without revealing them to the other players. The dominoes that are not part of a hand are returned to the stock and reshuffled before the next player draws his or her hand.
Some games allow players to “buy” tiles from the stock, and the number of purchased tiles is added to the winner’s score. The number of pips left in the losing player’s hand at the end of a hand or game is also included in the winning score.
Materials
Dominoes are small rectangular blocks made of rigid material that can be lined up to form a structure. They are usually twice as long as they are wide and have a dividing line that separates them into two squares. Each square has an arrangement of spots, or pips, that represent numbers. The other side of the domino is blank or decorated with a design.
Early domino sets were made from animal bones (or ivory for wealthier players) and had black spots carved or inlaid into the bone. Later European dominoes were made from slim narrow pieces of bone and a layer of dark hardwood such as ebony, often with a contrasting white or black surface.
Today, dominoes are manufactured in a wide variety of materials, including plastics, metals, stone and wood. There are also specialty dominoes made of more novel materials such as frosted glass or crystal. The earliest dominoes were hand carved from animal bone, most commonly ox bones.
Variations
There are many variations to the game of domino. Some have rules that differ from the usual blocking and scoring games. For example, some use different methods for determining who will play first. Some use lots, while others choose the player who has the highest double on their train as the starter for the line of play. Other games like Matador or Bendomino have specific rules for matching tiles.
Dominoes have a numbered arrangement of spots, or pips, on each face and are blank or identically patterned on the other faces. They are twice as long as wide and are usually marked with a line or ridge that divides them into two squares. The value of a domino is determined by the number of pips on each end, or face. Some domino sets have “extended” ends that increase the number of unique combinations. The winner of a round of domino is the player who holds all of the pieces left in his hand and scores the highest total.
Scoring
Dominoes come in a variety of play formats. Some are blocking games like bergen and muggins while others, such as cribbage, allow players to count the number of domino dots in their opponents’ hands.
The first player to empty their hand wins the game. If they cannot, they draw additional dominoes from the boneyard until they can. The total value of the opponent’s hands is summed and the winner scores points equal to the sum of this value, rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
In a skillful variation of this game played with a double six set, the player scores for each open end that is divisible by five or three. This scoring system is used in 5s-and-3s, a popular game that is part of several competitive domino leagues in the United Kingdom. It is also used for a variation of the game called Odd Primes. It is more complex but it adds variety to the game.