Domino is a small, rectangular block used as a gaming device. It is typically made of a material such as wood or bone and can be stacked on end in long lines. When one domino is tipped over, it causes the others to topple over as well. The result is that very elaborate patterns can be formed. Some people also use domino to make artistic sculptures and structures.
The most common domino sets commercially available contain 28 tiles, although larger ones exist. Each domino has a number of dots, called pips, which indicate its value. Normally, each domino has a single side with a unique arrangement of spots while the other side is blank or identically patterned. The most common games played with dominos involve blocking and scoring.
A player scores points by placing a domino into play and then touching it to another one with matching ends, i.e., a one’s touch a two’s and so on. The resulting line is then counted to see how many points the player has scored.
Some games involve arranging the pieces into specific shapes, such as triangles or crosses. In such cases, the forming shape defines the rules of the game and must be followed precisely. Other games are not restricted to any particular structure, and the rules of each game determine how the pieces are arranged. The number of pips on each end of a piece is usually significant in the game’s rules, but not always.
Most domino players use a standard set of 28 tiles, commonly known as double six or the “boneyard.” This is a large enough number for most domino games that can be played with two or more players. Larger sets exist, but they are rarely used in games that do not require a full domino deck, as these larger sets tend to be bulky and difficult to transport and store.
The most basic game for domino requires two players. The tiles are shuffled and form a stock, or boneyard, from which the players draw seven each turn. The first player to draw a tile that matches the value of an existing domino plays it, and so on. If the second player cannot match a value, they must draw from the boneyard until they find a matching domino or lose by playing all their tiles.
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