Domino has the ability to subliminally and psionically affect probability in her favor, giving her “good luck.” This ability is unconsciously controlled.
The joy of one small domino falling and impacting the whole line is mesmerizing. That same principle applies to the impact of a learning challenge on students.
Origins
Domino is a game that requires calculation and strategy. Its origin is unclear, but it was first popular in the 18th century. Some scholars believe that it originated in Italy and France. The European version of the game differs from the Chinese version in its rules, tile starts, and design.
The name domino may come from the Latin “dominus”, meaning master of the house, or it may be derived from a mask that was worn in Venetian Carnivals that were white with black dots. The word also resembles hooded caps that French priests wear during winter.
Domino’s luck powers are activated in dangerous situations and amplify her natural reflexes. Her ability is subconscious and she cannot control it consciously. She is a skilled marksman with various firearms, a trained athlete, and an excellent swimmer.
Rules
The game requires a combination of luck and strategy to build a long train of dominoes while blocking your opponents. The first player to empty their hand wins. Most domino games are block games, but there are also some that require the use of double tiles to make an overlapping chain.
Players draw seven tiles and place them on the table to form a line of play. Each turn, the players extend the line of play by placing one domino that matches the number of dots on one of its open ends. The matching domino must be a spinner, and both ends of the double must match.
At the end of a hand or the game, the losing players’ total number of pips is counted (rounded up to the nearest multiple of five) and added to the winning player’s score.
Variations
There are many different variations of domino, each with their own rules and scoring. Most variants use a basic double-six set. A typical game starts with the tiles shuffled face down to form a boneyard and each player draws seven tiles. The players then take turns extending the line of play with one tile each. The first player to complete a full line wins the hand and scores the total remaining pip count.
Another popular variant is called Block domino, which is similar to Draw but with a twist. During the block phase, you score whenever open ends of your dominos add up to a multiple of five. The game ends when a player can no longer play or all the players are blocked.
Materials
Dominoes are typically made from a durable, robust material. They can be molded from various plastics, but are most often made of wood. They can also be made from a variety of other materials such as stone, metal, or ceramic clay.
European dominoes were traditionally made from animal bone (and occasionally ivory for wealthier players), with a layer of ebony inlaid to the surface to make black spots. Later, ebony was replaced by brass pins in the center of the domino.
Generally, each piece of a domino set is twice as long as it is wide. This makes it easier to handle the pieces in one hand. For games that involve larger sets, a tile rack may be used. This rack supports a row of tiles standing on end.
Scoring
Domino’s abilities make her a powerful asset for the X-Men, helping them uncover John Sublime’s plot to harvest mutant body parts. She possesses a high speed reflex and agility, is skilled in various firearms, and has extensive training in the martial arts.
Domino also plays in a number of pub leagues and tournaments, including the British National Dominoes Championship. A variation of the game is 5s and 3s, a game where points are scored for making the ends of the dominoes add up to multiples of three and five.
Each round ends when one player has played all of their tiles, and that player wins the rounds. The winner earns additional points based on the total value of their opponents’ remaining dominoes, rounded to a multiple of five.