A domino is a small, flat block used as a game piece. The term is derived from the Latin domini, meaning “he who has the most.” Dominoes are generally made of wood or bone and marked on one face with an arrangement of dots, similar to those on a die. The other face is blank or identically patterned. They are arranged in sets with adjacent ends touching each other (one’s touch two’s, three’s touch four’s).
The first player to play all of his dominoes wins the game. When a player cannot continue playing a domino, he “chips out” and passes play to his partner. Normally, the partners then proceed to play their remaining dominoes until the pips on the exposed ends total some multiple of five (as an example, seven). Then the players count their remaining dominoes and award points.
A large number of domino games exist, and their rules vary greatly from place to place. The most basic Western games are the block-and-draw type for two to four players. The pieces are shuffled and the leader draws for the lead, usually taking the piece with the highest number of pips. The other pieces are left on the table, called the boneyard. The first player to play a domino on the table starts the round.
Dominos are also often used as tools to teach children the value of counting. Some of these games are based on matching pairs of numbers, such as six and twelve, or three and nine. In addition, the use of dominoes in teaching can help develop motor skills by encouraging kids to manipulate and move them around.
The earliest known dominoes were Chinese. They were functionally identical to playing cards, and probably developed in the 12th or 13th century. Later, the pieces were constructed to represent all possible combinations of the results of throwing a pair of dice.
Most modern domino sets contain 91 tiles, but larger sets can be obtained. Most of these “extended” sets increase the maximum number of pips on each end of a domino by three. The most common extended sets are double-nine and double-twelve.
Dominoes are a popular pastime for people of all ages and backgrounds. For some, such as the Latin American immigrants interviewed for this video in New York City, it is a way to escape from the struggles of everyday life and immerse themselves in an enjoyable activity. For others, it is a chance to display their skill and compete with their friends. However, most of all it is a time to relax and enjoy a good game of domino. We hope you’ve enjoyed this Wonder of the Day!