Domino – The Game That’s Easy to Learn and Enjoyed by People of All Ages
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Domino, also known as dominoes, is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s easy to learn and can be played with any number of players, although two is ideal for most games. There are many different ways to play, but most fall into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games and round games.
A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block, the face of which bears an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice. The other face is either blank or identically patterned to the first. These spots, called pips, are used to determine the position of the domino in a line of play. Dominoes can be joined edge to edge, crosswise, or lengthwise, depending on the rules of a particular game. They can be arranged to form straight or curved lines, grids that make pictures when they fall and even 3D structures like towers and pyramids.
Most domino games are played on a flat, level surface such as a tabletop or floor. The player begins the game by placing a domino down on the ground and then, one at a time, each subsequent player places a tile on top of it. This creates a line of falling tiles, or dominoes, that is called the chain. The goal of the players is to place dominoes in a manner that will allow them to reach the end of the chain, which is typically marked with a number such as “10.”
The word domino originated in the mid-18th century and was adopted into English shortly thereafter. Its roots are unclear, but it is thought that the word came from a Latin noun meaning “fall” and may have referred to a garment worn with a mask at a masquerade or carnival. Alternatively, the name may have derived from a French verb meaning to “to place or arrange.”
When a player is unable to place a domino, he must pass his turn. Some players may agree to play a rule that allows them to continue playing a domino, even if it is not the correct tile for that particular turn, as long as they do not change the order of the tiles. This rule is often referred to as “the set,” “the down” or “the lead.”
In most cases, the total value of the dominoes in the chain determines the winning score. A player’s score may be calculated by adding the pips on the ends of the dominoes in the chain to a total point value of his choosing. It may be beneficial to choose a high point value when playing with young children, because this will increase the likelihood that the chain will progress.
In some games, seating arrangements are determined by chance, and the dominoes are shuffled before each player draws a tile from the stock. The player who draws the highest numbered domino takes the seat to his left, while the player holding the second highest numbered domino sits to his right.