Throughout the centuries, dominoes have been used for a number of different games. Most of them are adaptations of card games, although the Chinese also have their own versions of dominoes. In fact, a number of children prefer to use the dominoes as toys rather than playing the games.
Dominoes are small, rectangular blocks of wood or bone, sometimes with a line running down the middle. They are normally about twice as long as they are wide. They are marked with an arrangement of spots or pips, and they are usually blank on the other side. They can be stacked on the end in a row, or they can be placed in any direction.
The basic rules of dominoes are that each player draws seven tiles from a stock of dominoes. These tiles must then be played onto the table. The player must place the tile so that two of the matching spots are adjacent. Then, the tile is tipped, and the next domino in the line is tipped. This chain reaction continues until all of the dominoes are tipped.
The traditional European style of dominoes are made of dark hardwood such as ebony, or mother of pearl oyster shell. The set is typically grouped into four suits: three, five, seven, and eight. These sets are traditionally played with four players, and the goal is to make the sum of the open-end pips on a layout that is a multiple of five. Some of these games are known as “matador” and “draw” games, or trick-taking games.
The first dominoes were used in Italy and France in the mid-18th century. French prisoners of war brought the game to England, and in the 1890s, the domino game spread throughout Europe and the United States.
The first dominoes were crafted of ebony blacks, and the pieces were sometimes marked with ivory faces. In the 1860s, the domino game began to be popular in certain regions to circumvent religious proscriptions against playing cards.
The first domino games were known as “block” dominoes, and the most common type of domino game is a scoring game. The number of tricks played equals 42, the total points won. The “concentration” variation of this game uses a double-six set of dominoes. Each player picks twelve tiles, and each of the seven tiles must have a number that adds up to 12.
When playing the game, the player must position the tile so that it touches one end of the domino chain. This can be done by flicking it or rapping it against the table. When the player’s tile has been laid, the player can knock the dominoes down. Depending on the player’s whims, the chain can be formed in any shape. The domino is a game that can be a lot of fun.
The most basic domino variant is a two-player game. In that game, the player must place the tile so that it is touching the end of the domino chain. The second player can place a tile with a different number on one end of the chain, but the first must place it so that it is touching the end of the chain.