A domino is a rectangular piece of wood, plastic, or other rigid material with a line down its middle. It is usually twice the length of its width. Each piece has a number of pips (a marking) on one side. These pips can be a combination of colors or patterns. The pips on the other side are blank.
Dominoes are typically made from dark hardwood or ivory. However, they can be made from bone or plastic. Some domino sets use Arabic numerals instead of pips. Traditional Chinese dominos are made from two dies. They are longer than the typical European ones. In addition, they do not have a suit distinction, like European sets.
Originally, each piece of domino represented one of the results of throwing two six-sided dice. Since then, dominoes have been used for a variety of games. Most of these games involve a game of “blocking” or “score”; they are usually played with two or more players.
To begin the game, the first player starts by placing a domino on the board. Then, the second player picks up a domino, and he or she must match the number of pips on the first domino. This is called trick-taking.
If the first domino is tipped, the next domino in the line is also tipped, and so on, until all the dominoes are tipped. Then, the second player continues the game, and so on, until each player has completed his or her round.
The resulting chain reaction can be quite interesting. It can be fun to watch the dominoes fall, especially if it is a long line.
While the exact origin of the game is not known, it was introduced to England in the late 1700s. Soon after, it began to spread throughout Europe. By the mid-18th century, dominoes were already being played in Italy and France.
A double nine set has 55 tiles. A double twelve set has 91 tiles. A double fifteen set has 136 tiles. Typically, European-style dominoes are made from ebony, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell, or ivory.
Typical domino games include the Chinese games Che Deng, Tien Gow, and Pai Gow. Similarly, European-style dominoes are generally adapted versions of card games. Depending on the type of dominoes, the game can be played for scoring, trick-taking, or a combination of the two.
Other forms of dominoes have a more esoteric origin. For instance, one of the oldest forms of dominoes is a crude woodcut on paper, a popular item among peasants in France. The term domino was first recorded in 1771 in the French dictionary Dictionnaire de Trevoux.
Dominoes can be played with a computer or a group of friends. Many children prefer to play the game as a toy. Others enjoy playing online games.
The game is simple enough that even adults can play it. But it can take some time to set up. You can play the game by hand, or you can set up a fun domino course.