Domino is a type of game played with small, rectangular tiles. This form of game is similar to playing cards, but instead of having the standard face down arrangement of spots, dominoes have a face, a back, and a line in the middle. In addition, they are usually twice as long as they are wide.
There are many variations of the game, but the basic premise is that players take turns adding tiles to a platform. The goal of the game is to make the tower as stable as possible. If the tower falls, it will fall on the next player. However, if the tower is too unstable for the next player, the chain will break and the game will stop.
The first tile in the game is a double-six. The second tile is a vertically placed 5-5, the third is a horizontally placed 6-4, the fourth is a 5-7, and the fifth is a 5-8. Each tile is also assigned a number, from zero to six, which is printed on each side of the tile.
The game begins with a platform of three or four dominoes. Players take turns placing the tiles onto the platform in an attempt to build a tall tower. When the tower is too unstable for the next player to reach, the game stops. During the game, the players can communicate with each other, either by letting other players know how many tiles they have in their hands or by playing online.
Dominoes are made from a variety of materials, from ivory to bone to plastic. Traditionally, European-style dominoes were made from mother of pearl oyster shell. They can be found in a range of colors. One of the most common types is a double-nine set, which has 55 tiles.
Some dominoes have blank faces. Other variations have pips. These pips are painted or drilled. Depending on the game, one or both pips may be counted as a weight. Counting is a crucial part of the game. Generally, a domino is considered to be “stitched up” when the same number is printed at both ends of the chain.
Typically, the game is played with eight or nine players, with each player drawing a pair of tiles from a pool of 12. Alternatively, two players draw a pair of tiles. For games with more than one player, a large domino set is often used. Usually, the size of the domino depends on the number of players.
Various variations of the game have been developed, including a concentration variant. To play this variant, the total pip count of all the players is 12 and the player who reaches the target score wins the game.
Another variation is a trick-taking game. A player receives pips for each opponent’s tile that he or she beats. Several other types of domino games include layout, blocking, and scoring. Depending on the rules of the game, some versions require both players to chip out.