How to Play Domino
Domino is a game in which two or more players take turns to put dominoes on a platform. They must match a part of their tile to an open end of the other players’ tiles. Once they have reached their target number of points, they win the game. The game can be played in pairs or in fours.
Each player’s hand contains seven dominoes. These are drawn from a stock and shuffled. If there are any dominoes left, the next player draws them from the unused tiles. In this way, both partners have a chance to chip out their own dominoes.
Before playing, each player must agree on a target score. The target number is usually 61. This is determined by counting the number of pips remaining in the losing players’ hands. Players can choose to add to the number by laying new tiles to a line, or to increase the total by awarding pips on the opposing player’s tiles.
Depending on the rules, players may have the option to play only a single tile with a certain number at one end of the chain. Another popular variation is to allow a double tile on the opposing player’s hand. Some versions of the game include an “L” layout in which a right angle tile creates a vertical space. Other variants require both partners to chip out.
The first tile played is generally a double-six. This is followed by a 5-5. Next, the next player plays a 6-6. The fifth tile is a 5-5, which produces open ends of 4 and 5.
A player’s goal is to make the tower stable. To do this, the player must rap the table. When they are able to do so, they can play a tile onto the table. Alternatively, they can chip out the domino, which will remove it from the table.
If the opposing player’s tower is unable to be knocked down, the game ends. If a player’s tower is knocked down, the winner is the player who has the least amount of pips in their hand. For this reason, most domino games are either positional or blocking games.
Playing a domino is very similar to the game of cards. However, there is a slight difference. In addition to the number of pips on each tile, the pips on a domino are marked with a line in the middle. Therefore, each tile has a suit based on its markings. Most Western dominos have only two suits, whereas the Chinese sets have a third and a fourth.
Dominoes are often made of plastic, wood, or rigid material. Traditionally, European-style dominoes have been made of dark hardwood such as ebony. Today, there are many varieties of dominoes available. There are even some that are blank. Generally, they are laid on a flat surface, but they are also used in some forms of balancing.
The domino is divided into two squares, called ends, which must be aligned with each other. If the domino has the same number at both ends, the player who placed the domino will be referred to as having “stitched up” its ends.