Dominoes are used to play a variety of games. Some of the most popular are block and scoring games. There are also games that involve a lot of strategy.
Once the dominoes are shuffled, players draw from the stock (boneyard) to determine who starts playing. The player with the heaviest double or single makes the first move.
Origin
Domino is the sole survivor of a government super-soldier breeding program. Able to manipulate probability to shift odds, she became a career mercenary. Recruited by the mutant Kid Omega, she went undercover with him and Sunspot to infiltrate a research center that was being targeted by Donald Pierce’s cyborg Reavers. She later joined X-Corporation’s Hong Kong branch and fought alongside Cable and the X-Men.
The word domino may be derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord” or “master.” The earlier sense of the term could also refer to the black hood worn by French priests in winter. Dominoes first appeared in Europe in the early 18th century and spread quickly, arriving in England in the late 18th century (possibly brought by French prisoners of war). From there they spread to all parts of the world.
Rules
Regardless of the domino game you play, there are certain basic rules that apply. For instance, the heaviest tile begins the round and players must play in turn. If a player holds a double, they may play it at any time but must pass if another player holds an adjacent double with the same number of pips.
Some games have rules about the heaviest tile or the order of play, while others require that a player draw from the boneyard to determine who will make the first play. The rules of a particular game should be clearly understood before starting to play. In case of a tie, the winner is determined by counting the number of points on all of the losers’ tiles. If this value is equal, the game is blocked and the winner scores the value of their opponents’ hands.
Variations
There are many different games played with domino tiles. Most of them are blocking or scoring games. Others are solitaire or trick-taking games that are adapted from card games.
Players may also add a tile to one end of the existing ones in their hands, as long as it matches the number of pips at both ends. This is called a “train” and is a common feature of most domino games.
Some rules allow a player to bye a tile from the boneyard (the stock) to make it available to play, while others require that all tiles in a train must match to continue. Other rules may change how a player’s hand is scored at the end of a game or hand. For example, some games use a spinner rule that changes the way that doubles are counted.
Materials
The materials used in dominoes can make a big difference in how well the blocks work. Plastic dominoes are a good choice for beginners because they are available at most department and game stores. However, they can have rough edges and can stick together easily.
Wooden dominoes are more stable than plastic ones, but they are often too light for larger toppling constructions. They are also more expensive.
Other accessories, such as a domino rack and score pad, can help players have a more enjoyable experience. A score pad allows the person keeping track of scores to keep a record of each player’s total. Pencils are usually the preferred writing instrument for this purpose.
Scoring
Regardless of what kind of domino game you play, the basic rules are similar. Most games involve emptying opponents’ hands, blocking their play, or scoring points. Some games count the pips (spots on a domino) in the losing player’s hand. Others, like bergen and muggins, are scoring games where players accumulate points throughout the hand.
A domino is a rectangular tile that has two ends, and each end has a different value, usually from six to none or blank. The total number of dots is called its rank or weight. A double with both exposed ends may be a spinner, in which case you can use one side of the spinner and then another, creating an infinite chain. Other doubles are played across the line of play.
