Domino is a small, rectangular tile-based game that can be played by multiple players. Each domino is a rectangular tile divided into two square ends by a line, each end of which is either blank or marked with a number of spots, called pips or dots. The backs of the tiles are indistinguishable from each other, and they can be placed in various patterns.
Dominoes are commonly used in a variety of games. They can be matched up to create elaborate patterns, and they are often set up in rows and angular shapes.
During the 18th century, dominoes started to be widely popular in Italy and Austria. It also spread to France and Germany.
In French, the word domino comes from the hooded garment of a priest worn during a masquerade or carnival season. Earlier, it was used to refer to crude and colorful woodcuts on paper that were popular among French peasants.
The word domino does not appear before 1771, in a dictionary published in Trevoux, France. It may have come from a cloak that was reminiscent of the priest’s black domino, contrasting with his white surplice.
Since the early 18th century, dominoes have been used in a variety of games, including block-and-draw games, scoring games and layout games. A traditional European domino set contains 28 tiles, which are shuffled face down and used for each of the game’s six “ends.”
Playing domino is very simple: Each player draws seven tiles from a stock (also known as a boneyard) and begins the game by playing the highest-value piece. The player who has the fewest pips wins.
Many different domino variants can be played, including two-player block-and-draw games; three- and four-player layout games; and five-up. For example, one-player block-and-draw games can be played with multicolored tiles; or three- and four-player games can be played by laying down the dominoes in order of a given score.
A block-and-draw game is the most common domino game, played for two to four people. In this game, each player draws seven tiles from a set of 28 dominoes. The set is usually a double-six set, but large sets are available.
Another type of domino game is the 5s-and-3s, a scoring version played in British public houses and social clubs. The rules are similar to 5-up, but the doubles serve as spinners.
Traditionally, the leader plays the higher-value domino, and each player draws from the stock until only one tile remains. The winner of the game is the player with the fewest pips, and this domino is the “heavy” domino.
The game can be played with any number of dominoes, but the traditional European domino set consists of 28 pieces, each unique. These pieces are commonly called “bones,” “pieces,” “men,” or “cards.”
In a single-player game, each player begins by laying down the dominoes on a table in a row, creating a symmetrical layout. Each player then selects a domino from his or her hand and attempts to add it to the corresponding end of the previous domino’s hand.