Domino, also called dominoes or tiles, are long pieces of wood that have a line running across them to divide them into two squares. Each domino has a number of spots or pips on either side, which are marked by a small dot that is either colored or blank. Typically, there are three pips per side. However, some sets of dominoes have a greater maximum number of pips, such as double-nine (55 tiles), double-12 (91), double-15 (136) and double-18 (190).
In a game of domino, each player in turn places a domino edge to edge with an adjacent domino in such a way that the faces of each are identical (e.g., 5 to 5) or form some specified total. The game can be played with one, two or four players, and is usually a competitive game of skill, though it may also be fun for children.
The name “domino” first appeared in 1771, in the dictionary Dictionnaire de Trevoux. It is derived from the Italian word dominio (meaning “double”) and dates back to the early 18th century, when it was introduced into Italy and later spread to Austria, France, and southern Germany.
There are many types of domino games, with varying rules and scoring. The most common is block-and-draw, which is a game for two to four players in which the dominoes are shuffled face-down on the table and the leader draws at random the amount of dominoes required to complete the game, generally seven. The remaining pieces are called the stock or boneyard and are used by the rest of the players.
Another type of domino game is the draw game, which is more popular in Europe and other parts of the world. This is a variant of the block-and-draw game in which the players take less dominoes initially but then must choose one of their sleeping dominoes to add to their set when they run out of their own tiles. The difference is that in the draw game, the leader plays first, and each player then has a chance to place a domino.
If the leader cannot play a tile that matches their own, they must select another from the boneyard and play it as if they were playing the original piece. This repeats until either the leader or the second player can play a tile that matches their own.
Some domino players are experts at designing intricate art on their dominos. They can create straight lines, curved lines, grids that make pictures when they fall, or even 3D structures like towers and pyramids.
As you can see, these types of domino designs can be very interesting to watch and are a great way to have fun with your friends! If you want to design your own domino artwork, follow the tutorial below and get started!
In addition to being fun, dominoes can be a great way to exercise your creativity. In fact, some people have devoted their entire lives to designing and constructing complex domino art!