Domino is a game of strategy and luck. It is usually played with a set of 28 dominoes. Players are arranged in pairs, and each player takes turns placing tiles onto the game table. When all of the players have placed their dominoes, the first player to knock out all of the tiles wins the game. There are several ways to play the game, depending on the type of dominoes used.
When playing a traditional “block” style domino game, players place the dominoes edge to edge on the playing surface. The pips on each end of the dominoes are marked with the number that represents that end. When one end of a domino touches another, the tile is deemed a double. However, when the number on the opposite end of the dominoes matches the number on the same end of the same domino, the domino is deemed a single.
When playing a “draw” style domino game, the dominoes are laid out perpendicular to the line. They are then lined up in a long row. Traditionally, European-style dominoes were made of dark hardwood such as ebony.
When a player cannot place a domino, they pick a sleeping domino. If the domino falls, the player is out of the game. If the next player does not have a playable domino, he or she is required to draw from the unused tiles in his or her hand. The game can be played by up to four players. The game is typically scored by awarding pips on opposing players’ tiles. Some large domino sets are designed so that the tiles can be joined all four sides.
To start the game, the players line up three or four dominoes on a platform. The first player lays a domino in the middle of the platform. The player to the left of the first player must then match one end of the domino to part of the first tile.
The second player must then lay a domino on the other side of the first tile. If the domino has the same number on both ends, the player is deemed to have “stitched up” the ends. This means that he or she can only play the domino with the number on one end of the chain.
When the game is over, the players can see the number of dominoes that are in their hands. If a player has all of his or her dominoes, he or she is awarded a point. This is similar to how the numbers in a card game are awarded. If a player has no pips, they are awarded no points.
The final player must then chip out the remaining dominoes. If a player can’t chip out all of the tiles in his or her hand, he or she can choose a sleeping domino. If all of the remaining tiles are played, the player is out of the game.
In a “concentration” variant, the players must each have a total of 12 pips. If the count is a multiple of five, then the players round up to the nearest five. If the count is a multiple of six, the players round up to the nearest 6.
The “draw” domino game is a popular version of the game. It uses a double nine” domino set, and is played by up to four players.