Domino (also known as bones, cards, men, pieces, or dominoes) is a game of skill and chance that has captured the imaginations of people for centuries. It can be played by two or more players on a tabletop and is enjoyed in many different cultures and languages.
Dominoes are rectangular tiles with a set of numbers on each side that range from zero to six, and can be arranged in line or in a grid that form pictures when they fall. They are normally twice as long as they are wide and may be carved in wood or made of plastic, ceramic, or other materials. Some sets are made of natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips.
In the past, Domino games were often played to circumvent religious prohibitions on playing cards. Unlike card games, which involve bidding or scoring, Domino is a set of rules for placing tiles in order to create a chain with matching pips. Each player in turn places one domino edge to edge against another until the entire chain is complete or some other specified condition is met. The winner of the last completed game then takes the starting tile for the next round.
The basic rules for most Domino games are very simple, but variations in rules and strategies exist for many games. A few of the most popular domino games are blocking and scoring games, while others have a very different character. In some cases, the rules are so complex that only a small number of expert players understand and can play them.
If a player plays out of turn, it is called a misplay and the player must return his or her tile to the stock and wait for the next player. Depending on the game, a misplay may have no effect or may result in penalties for the player.
Many Domino games have a rule that specifies the number of tiles a player can buy from the stock. Some rules allow players to buy more than the specified amount. If a player has more than the number of tiles allowed by the rules of the game, the extra tiles may be passed to other players or they may be ‘byed’ later in the game (see Passing and Byeing).
Some of the most popular games use the total number of pips on a winning tile to determine the game’s winner. However, there are also rules that require a specific number of pips on a winning domino or that the winner must make certain combinations of pips.
As the popularity of Domino increases, more and more people are using the game to decorate their homes and offices. Some create simple lines of dominoes that form a picture when they fall, while others build intricate curved lines or stacked walls that can be as high as a skyscraper.