Domino is a tile game with a long history. First documented in Italian literature during the mid-18th century, it spread to England and France, where it became a fad. A hooded masquerade mask originally served as the domino.
The game can be played against one or three opponents, and can be played with family and friends. The winner is the partner who scores the least number of spots on the dominoes. Before playing, each player must agree on a target score. To reach that goal, players take turns adding tiles to a platform of three or four dominoes. When a player chips out, the game ends.
Dominoes are small, rectangular, and usually two inches by one inch. They are made from a variety of materials, such as ebony, ivory, and bone. Traditional European sets are made of dark hardwood, such as ebony, and silver-lip ocean pearl oyster shell. In the late 18th century, dominos began appearing in American literature. Some versions of the game involve a lot of giggling and shouting. Several versions of the game also require a player to chip out.
Dominoes are a variant of the game of cards. They differ from the usual playing cards in that they are marked with the arrangement of pips, which are often referred to as “spots”. This type of game is played on a flat surface, such as a table or floor. It can be played in many different styles, including a number of solitaire games and trick-taking games.
Most traditional domino games involve two players. However, there are also variations for three and more players. For instance, the Concentration variant requires all players to have a total pip count of twelve. Other variations, such as the Mexican train, duplicate a card game.
To play, a player must pick a domino from a set, which is placed face down on a flat surface. The player then places the chosen domino edge-to-edge with other dominoes in a line. Depending on the rules of the particular game, the second tile played may be a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal match to the first. Another player then picks a domino from the same set.
A player who chooses a domino that matches the same number on both ends is said to have “stitched up” the ends. However, in some versions of the game, all of the sides of a double are considered open. These are not included in the scoring, but the pips on the ends are still counted.
Doubles are also played cross-ways, as they are placed on the ends of the chain. In some versions of the game, all four sides are considered open, but in most, they are only laid perpendicular to the line.
If a player does not have a domino, they can draw from a stock of unused tiles. However, when drawing from the stock, each player takes turns picking from the available dominoes. Players then take turns placing their tiles onto the line, and alternating.
