Dominoes are a popular variation of playing cards and resemble the ancient Chinese game Che Deng. This game was first described in 1232-1298 by Zhou Mi. A traditional Chinese domino set has 32 tiles, which represent each face of two six-sided dice. The suit of each tile is illustrated in the set, and all the tiles in a set with the same number of pips on one end make up a suit.
European-style dominoes are traditionally made from dark hardwood, such as ebony. They are also available in mother of pearl oyster shell. These dominoes are usually three eighths of an inch wide and two inches long. Some dominoes are blank and only have their arrangement of spots on their faces.
Western dominoes came into existence in the mid-18th century in Italy, France, England, and the United States. French prisoners of war brought the game to the English and the dominoes spread to other countries throughout the world.
Dominoes are a variant of card games and are played with a set of two or more players. The basic rules of dominoes involve placing a domino on the table, with its ends touching each other. It is then possible to move the tiles around, but they cannot be returned to the pile. Players can take turns, and when a player can knock, he or she must play the tile. If the next player has a tile, they must play it to the right of the one already played. In this way, a player can build off a previously-played domino, which helps the dominoes to stabilize the tower.
To start a domino game, each player draws a tile, which he or she places in the center of the table. Depending on the size of the set, each player draws nine or twelve tiles. Before the game begins, each player decides on a target score. During the game, the goal is to reach that target and win.
The winning score in dominoes is the sum of the pips on the tiles. Pips are arranged in the suit of zero, which includes 0-1 and 0-5. All the tiles in the set with the same number of pips in the same suit are considered the same. However, doubles are counted as one or two.
A domino is a rectangular, dark-colored, ebony piece with a line down the middle and identifying marks on the sides. The pieces are typically rounded off, to avoid scratching the table top. Typical western dominoes measure approximately 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Traditionally, they are made from ebony, ivory, or silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell.
Usually, each domino has two ends, which are called the “left” and the “right.” If the first player has a single, he or she draws a tile with a number on the “right” side. Similarly, if the first player has a double, he or she draws a tile which has the same number on both ends.
