The Basics of Dominoes

The game of domino has many variations. The most basic game is the Block variation for two players. Each player draws seven tiles from a double-six set and alternately extends the line of play. The winner is the first to have all of his tiles down before his opponent. The losing player’s pip total is deducted from his score. Then, the winner’s score equals the number of tiles left on the losing player’s hand.

The European version of dominoes is usually made of ivory, bone, or silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell. Other styles are made from dark hardwood, such as ebony. Some are even made from stone or soapstone. In recent years, the game of dominoes has also been made of plastic, glass, metal, and even foam. However, despite its countless variations, dominoes are still considered one of the most popular family games.

The word domino has an obscure origin. It may have been brought to Britain by French prisoners of war. The name ‘domino’ comes from the French word for a black and white hood worn by Christian priests during the winter. Dominoes are also widely played in Latin America and in the northernmost part of Canada. The Inuits also play a similar game with bones and probably imitating Western Dominoes.

When laying the domino, it must match the two adjacent ends. A domino can be placed in any direction, but the end tiles must touch each other. If you can lay a domino on top of a double, then you must play the tile on top of it. If you’re successful at this, you’ve won the game! And you can prove your math skills! Don’t forget that maths has a reason for everything.