A domino is a small, rectangular piece of plastic or wood used for game play. These are generally 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Each piece is marked with an identifying mark on one side, and pips on the other. The pips are the results of rolling two six-sided dice.
Dominoes are a cousin of the playing cards and represent one of the oldest tools for gaming. They were first mentioned in a Chinese book, titled Former Events in Wulin, during the Song dynasty. There are several different types of dominos, each with its own defining characteristics.
Typically, the goal of a domino game is to place the pieces in a way that will make them stand up. This means that the players must take turns to add dominoes to the platform. Some versions have time limits for each turn. In other variations, the winning team must chip out a certain number of dominoes from the other players’ hands.
Traditionally, European-style dominoes are made from dark hardwoods such as ebony and ivory. They are also manufactured from bone and plastic. However, there are many different types of domino sets used around the world. Although there is no clear evidence that the game was first played in Europe, it was introduced to England in the late 1700s by French prisoners of war.
Typically, there are two main types of domino puzzles. One type requires that all the tiles be placed on a pattern that matches the face of the tile. Another type is based on the arithmetic properties of the pips. For instance, a single tile may be positioned perpendicular to the edge of another tile to form an “L” in the layout.
For example, in a five-up game, multi-colored tiles are played to form a line that runs down the center of the board. If the line crosses the face of a player’s tile, he or she will get five points. Similarly, a double-blank will be deemed a 0 or a 14.
Depending on the type of domino game you are playing, you may have to add the other players’ tiles to your hand to score points. For example, a game called “Chicken Foot” only allows this.
To begin a game, each player draws seven tiles from a stock of dominoes. These are usually shuffled in front of the players before the game begins. When all of the tiles are drawn, they are positioned edge-to-edge against the other players’ tiles.
Once the players have all their tiles in their hand, they are ready to start playing. Usually, the first tile that is played is a double-six. Players then take turns picking and playing tiles, alternating their line of play. Before the game starts, each player should decide on the target score. Often, these numbers are 61, but they can vary.
Normally, the winning team will have the lowest score. This is because the points are calculated by awarding pips to the other player’s tiles. While this method of scoring is not considered a bad strategy, it should be avoided in the case of a basic match.