Dominoes are small rectangular blocks marked with groups of spots on one side. They are used for playing many games. They are also called bones, tiles, cards, stones, or spinners.
When a domino falls, its potential energy becomes kinetic energy and knocks over the next piece. This chain reaction continues until all the dominoes have fallen.
Rules
In most domino games, a player wins by scoring more points than his opponent. There are many variations of this theme, but most of them involve blocking the opponents’ hands or counting the number of domino spots in their hand.
To start a game, the players draw tiles from the boneyard or stock, as instructed by the rules for the particular domino variant being played. The player holding the heaviest double begins play.
Before playing, the players should shuffle the tiles face down on the playing surface and thoroughly mix them by moving them with their hands. One player may be designated to do this before each game; in some games, players take turns shuffling before each round. When drawing from the stock, each player has 15 seconds to find a tile that is playable. If the player pulls a tile that cannot be played, he must pass or buy it from his opponent. If he does not, his turn is over.
Materials
Dominoes are small, flat, rectangular-shaped gaming pieces. They have been made from a variety of materials over the years, including plastic, wood, bone, ivory, and stone. They are typically twice as long as they are wide. Regardless of the material, dominoes are designed to be able to stand on their edge without falling over.
Educators can use dominoes as an addition activity for students who have internalized the commutative property of addition. Students can draw their own dots on blank domino grids and use them to represent addition equations. This activity can also be used as a bridge between using moveable manipulatives like cubes and only representing addition with symbols on a line.
To play domino, you will need a set of dominoes and some accessories to make the experience enjoyable. You will want a sturdy table to prevent the dominoes from falling over, a domino rack for holding the tiles, and a score pad and pencil to keep track of scores. Some games also require a special card table with a felt surface to avoid scratching the backs and faces of the tiles.
Variations
Many different variations of domino can be played. Some are very simple, others involve a number of rules and scoring systems. The most common games use a double-twelve or a double-fifteen set. The game can be played with one or more players. The winner of a round begins the next hand.
The first player to play a double (also known as the “the lead”) sets the tone for the game. The leader plays a second tile on the first and must declare whether the two tiles match or not. If they do, then the second tile counts as a multiple of five and scores points.
Some games also have a spinner. The first double played may be a spinner, or the entire line of play may contain one. The rule of the spinner differs from game to game. For example, some games require all sides of the spinner to be occupied before anyone can play elsewhere.
Scoring
Dominoes are flat thumb-sized rectangular blocks, each bearing an arrangement of dots or pips on one face and blank or identically patterned on the other. They are usually twice as long as they are wide, which makes them easier to re-stack after play. Each domino has a line in the middle to divide it visually into two squares that are either equal in value or different. The value of a domino is its number of spots, or pips.
In many domino games, players make their plays by matching the pips on the open ends of the domino they choose to the pips on the board. This is called the line of play.
If a player is unable to match any of their dominoes, they draw tiles from the boneyard until they find one that can be played. The winning player then scores the number of points left on their opponents’ unplayed dominoes. The rules of scoring vary from game to game.