Dominoes – A Game of Chance and Skill

Domino is a game of chance and skill. There are many different games played with dominoes, which can be enjoyed by all ages. These games can be competitive or social.

The dominoes are a set of small square tiles with a matching pattern on each end. They have a number of pips on one side and blank or identically patterned on the other.

Origin

Domino games call for calculation and strategy. They are very similar to dice but were probably invented independently in Europe and China. Dominoes first appeared in the early 18th century and spread throughout Europe. They arrived in Britain late in the same period, possibly brought by French prisoners of war, and became popular in traditional inns and drinking taverns.

The word domino derives from the Latin dominus. It was originally used to refer to a type of monastic hood, and later to a long hooded masquerade costume worn together with a mask. Its contrasting black dots also resembled the spots on a priest’s surplice.

Chinese history relates various accounts of the origin of dominoes, but they are probably legend. One tale says that a hero called Hung Ming invented them for the amusement of his soldiers to keep them awake during night watches while encamped before battle. Another account credits Keung T’ai Kung.

Rules

Count the open ends of each domino to determine a score. Depending on the game, you may need to play to 100 or 200 points before the winner is determined.

Players take turns playing a domino on the line, joining it to the matching end of an existing tile. Doubles can be played across the line but cannot touch at their ends.

When a player can no longer play, they pass their turn. The next player then draws from the boneyard and adds to their score for that round. Alternatively, some games allow for the buying of tiles from the stock. When this is the case, a player must draw the number of tiles permitted by that game’s rules. The player is then referred to as the setter, downer, or leader.

Variations

Many domino games have variations that change the basic rules. For example, the lines of play are often not drawn. In these cases, players only match one end of their own dominoes to part of an existing tile (although this may be optional). A double is laid perpendicular to the line, and its pips are counted. When both players are down to their last domino, they “chip out” and whoever has the lowest sum of spots on their remaining tiles wins the game.

Other variation rules are found in matador and bendomino, where the rules for matching vary from the basic rules. Muggins also has unusual rules, and scoring is based on the number of open ends of dominoes played. This is usually a multiple of five.

Materials

Dominoes are typically made from polymer materials, but some sets are crafted in natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony. These sets can have a more unique look and feel to them, but are generally more expensive than standard plastic dominoes.

Various accessories are available for players of domino, such as a tile rack and a score pad. A score pad allows players to keep track of their points and determine who has the most during a game.

The standard dominoes sold in department stores are 4.8 x 2.4 x 0.75 cm (1.89 x 0.94 x 0.3 in) in size, similar to the ones featured on the TV show Domino Day. They are light in weight and come in many colors.

Scoring

In some games of straight domino, players score points based on the number of pips on the exposed ends. One point is scored if the total of all the pips on the ends of the exposed dominoes (excluding doubles) is exactly divisible by five.

In British public houses and social clubs, a scoring version of the game is played in rounds until a predetermined total is reached, often 61 points. A player wins the game if they have the highest score after all rounds.

The players establish who starts by shuffling the tiles face down. The player drawing the highest double usually starts. The rest of the players draw their hands of dominoes. A line of dominoes is then laid down to form a chain. When this is done, the dominoes held by the players are tallied to establish the winner.

By admin1989