There are many different domino games. In most of them, players take turns placing dominoes in a line. Usually, you only get points when you can join a domino on its ends to another with matching numbers.
A domino set may be made from materials such as bone, silver lip oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or ebony with contrasting black pips.
Rules
There are many different domino games. Most of them are played with the same basic rules, but there are also variations within each game. The most common set consists of 28 dominoes, with seven doubles (the same number on both ends from double blank to double six) and 21 singles (a number only on one end or a number and a blank).
The tiles are shuffled and the players establish who will make the first play. Usually, the player with the highest double starts, but the rules of specific games may differ.
The player makes a play by putting down a domino from their hand so its ends match those of another tile already on the table. The chains extend outward from the exposed ends of a double, and the points are counted as the dominoes are placed. The player who has the most number of dominoes in their hands after everyone has made a play wins the round.
Materials
Traditionally, domino pieces were made of bone or carved ivory, but today they can be found in a wide variety of materials. The most common are plastics, but dominoes can also be made of metals, stone and wood.
Each domino has one side that is identifiably marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips. The opposite face is blank or patterned with a design. The pips represent numbers, from six to zero, but some of the squares are blank or empty (indicated by a lack of dots).
Whether used for games or simply lined up in patterns, Dominoes are a great tool for developing children’s core math skills through numeric patterning and strategic thinking. And of course, they’re fun to play!
Scoring
The scoring system in domino varies from game to game. Some games count the number of dots remaining in opponents’ hands, while others merely keep score of the exposed ends of each domino. The most popular scoring variant is Muggins, which requires keeping track of the total of all the dots left in your opponent’s hand. Other games count the accumulated points of a line of play, or the total of all the domino spots on a single double, known as the spinner.
Players may also score by laying tiles end to end so that the sum of the exposed ends is divisible by five or three. In this case, each time the sum is divided by five or three, one point is awarded to the player who laid the tile. When no player can advance, the winner is awarded a score equal to the total amount of dots in his opponents’ unplayed dominoes. The first player to win all of his opponents’ dominoes is said to “domino.”
Variations
There are many variants of domino that use different rules, tile starts, and designs. For example, the Mexican train game uses a double-twelve set and players start their trains by placing tiles to extend the line of play from the spinner. The goal is to play all of your tiles before your opponent does. Variations may include additional rules for the line of play, such as how to use doubles or whether all sides of a spinner must be occupied before any other side is played.
The Muggins variation is a scoring game that counts the number of times each end of a double can be divided by five or three. The player who has the lowest score wins after the game ends. A variant of this game is commonly played in British pubs and clubs. It also is a popular tournament game. It is typically played until 100, 150, or 200 points. Afterward, the players tally their scores.