The Basics of Dominoes
Dominoes are the little rectangular blocks that form the foundation of a number of games played by matching and laying down tiles in lines and angular patterns. There are many rules and variations for the various domino games. Some are more strategic than others, while some involve more luck and chance than others. The term domino also can be used to describe a situation in which one small trigger starts a chain of events that spreads and gains momentum as it goes along.
The earliest known game with dominoes was a simple one called “squat and go.” A player placed a tile in the center of the table and then placed a smaller rectangle on top of it, so that its square ends touched that of the larger domino. Then, in turn, each player placed another piece on the table in a way that the edges of its rectangles touched those of previous pieces, creating a line of dominoes from end to end that gradually increased in length. The first player to complete his domino chain won the game.
Since then, the world of domino has grown in size and complexity. There are now dozens of different types of dominoes and hundreds of games to play with them. While the rules of each game vary from place to place, most of them can be categorized into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games.
Each game of domino involves placing tiles on a table in such a way that their edge-to-edge contact creates chains of adjacent points. In positional games, players then use these chains to make bids or blocks. Each player then scores by counting the number of points on the open ends of the dominoes in the chain.
After a player has completed his play, the next player begins. The order of play is determined by the rules of the particular game being played and may be decided by drawing new hands or by determining who holds the heaviest tile (highest double or highest single) in his hand. In some games, a tie is broken by drawing new hands until the player holding the heaviest double or highest single makes his first play.
Once a player has completed his turn, any unplayed tiles should remain face down in the stock until they are needed for a play or scored. The number of pips remaining in the stock is then added to the winning player’s score, if applicable. Some games, however, have specific rules about what tiles can or cannot be bought from the stock and when, so it is important to understand these rules before playing. For example, some games require that all the tiles in a player’s hand be bought before he can play them. In other games, a player must buy a certain number of tiles before the end of his turn or the end of the game.
Dominoes are the little rectangular blocks that form the foundation of a number of games played by matching and laying down tiles in lines and angular patterns. There are many rules and variations for the various domino games. Some are more strategic than others, while some involve more luck and chance than others. The term domino also can be used to describe a situation in which one small trigger starts a chain of events that spreads and gains momentum as it goes along. The earliest known game with dominoes was a simple one called “squat and go.” A player placed a tile in the center of the table and then placed a smaller rectangle on top of it, so that its square ends touched that of the larger domino. Then, in turn, each player placed another piece on the table in a way that the edges of its rectangles touched those of previous pieces, creating a line of dominoes from end to end that gradually increased in length. The first player to complete his domino chain won the game. Since then, the world of domino has grown in size and complexity. There are now dozens of different types of dominoes and hundreds of games to play with them. While the rules of each game vary from place to place, most of them can be categorized into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games. Each game of domino involves placing tiles on a table in such a way that their edge-to-edge contact creates chains of adjacent points. In positional games, players then use these chains to make bids or blocks. Each player then scores by counting the number of points on the open ends of the dominoes in the chain. After a player has completed his play, the next player begins. The order of play is determined by the rules of the particular game being played and may be decided by drawing new hands or by determining who holds the heaviest tile (highest double or highest single) in his hand. In some games, a tie is broken by drawing new hands until the player holding the heaviest double or highest single makes his first play. Once a player has completed his turn, any unplayed tiles should remain face down in the stock until they are needed for a play or scored. The number of pips remaining in the stock is then added to the winning player’s score, if applicable. Some games, however, have specific rules about what tiles can or cannot be bought from the stock and when, so it is important to understand these rules before playing. For example, some games require that all the tiles in a player’s hand be bought before he can play them. In other games, a player must buy a certain number of tiles before the end of his turn or the end of the game.