Domino – A Game of Chance That Has Been Played Around the World For Over 300 Years
Domino is a game of chance that has been popular around the world for over 300 years. It is a table game of skill, strategy, and luck in which a player places a domino tile on a playing surface with one end touching another tile that already has a number showing on its face. When played correctly, the chain of dominoes grows and the player scores points based on the exposed numbers. Dominoes can also be used to build structures such as pillars and towers.
A player begins a hand or game by drawing dominoes from a bag and placing them on the table. Once the players have all drawn their tiles, they are then shuffled and placed in front of them. The players then take turns placing their tiles, positioning them on the table so that they touch the ends of existing dominoes. The player then declares that he or she may play that particular tile. Then, he or she either plays it or “knocks” or raps the table with his or her fist and play passes to the next player.
Each domino is printed with a series of pips, or dots, that correspond to each number on a die. The pips are usually painted on the face of the domino, although some older sets used ink stamps to mark their numbers. Dominoes have been made from many materials, including wood, metal, and polymers. Some sets use a combination of materials, such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), ivory, and ebony, with the pips inlaid or painted onto the top of each piece.
In addition to being a fun and exciting family activity, dominoes can be used for educational purposes. In fact, there are a variety of games that can be played with dominoes in order to help children learn mathematics and vocabulary. These games include dominoes with numbers that correspond to the days of the week, dominoes that represent months of the year, and even dominoes that depict simple shapes.
The history of the domino is interesting and intriguing. It is believed that the word originated in France about 1750, with the term domino referring to a long, hooded cloak worn over a white surplice during carnival season or at a masquerade. The name probably stuck when the domino pieces were made with ebony blacks and ivory faces, as the pieces resembled the hooded garment with its contrasting colors. The game quickly spread through Europe and Asia, and by the 1860s there were several published domino games.