Domino is a game based on the laying of a series of tiles, called domino, edge to edge, that each have a particular value. Known also as bones, cards, men, pieces or tiles, dominoes have a unique mark that divides each face visually into two squares, marked with an arrangement of spots, or “pips,” similar to those on a die, but with some blank (indicated in the listing below by a zero). The sum of the values of the two sides of a domino is its count. Counts may be used to determine the outcome of certain games, or to form an element of a game’s strategy.
In the simplest domino game, one player makes a play by placing a domino in such a way that its edge touches the end of another tile that has upon it a number showing. As each player makes his or her move, the domino chain builds up in length. The first player to place a domino with a value shown on both its ends wins the game.
Most of the classic domino games involve more than one player, but some are played by only a single person. Many are adaptations of card games, which were once popular in areas that did not permit the playing of cards. In some cases, these games were developed to circumvent religious proscriptions against the use of cards.
The rules for most domino games are simple and easy to learn, although the strategy involved in the best games can be challenging. Most games are played with a set of 28 dominoes, called a double-six set, although progressively larger sets exist. Some of these have the capacity to be extended by adding more doubles, thereby increasing the number of possible combinations of ends and therefore of pieces in a game.
When a line of dominoes is carefully positioned on the table, it is referred to as the line of play. Each domino in the line must be matched to another piece by matching its pips or by being a double. Matches are usually made on the open end of a domino, although there are some games in which matches can be made on the closed end.
If a domino is played out of turn, it is referred to as a misplay, and must be corrected. If a player has a double and plays it, the next player must either make a double of his own or draw a new tile from the stock. Most players only draw from the stock as needed, but there are some games in which a specific number of tiles must be drawn from it. Generally, the highest value domino is drawn first.