Domino is a game of matching adjacent dominoes edge to edge in a line and making them fall according to the laws of physics. A skilled Domino player can create intricate designs using just a few tiles, and some of her larger works take several nail-biting minutes to topple.
In the early 20th century, Domino became a popular toy and later was used as an educational aid in schools. Today, Dominoes are an excellent way to teach children about physics, and they are also useful for building motor skills.
When you play Domino, you need a flat surface such as a board or table to set the tiles on edge. Ideally, you should use tiles with a consistent number of pips on each side so that they will stand upright. You also need a set of chisels to mark off any unplayed areas of the board and a cup or bowl to catch the fallen pieces.
Most domino games are played in pairs and the winners are those whose partners’ combined total of all pips on their remaining dominoes is the lowest. Some games require players to “chip out,” indicating they can no longer make a play. Others are won by the first player to make a play and then stop playing when either partner has no more tiles in their hand.
The word Domino is a Latin word meaning ‘falling one’ or ‘striking together.’ It has been used in English since the mid-18th century to refer to a domino, or a set of playing dominoes. The name may have been derived from the Italian Domino, or from the French word domination, which means control or power. The modern form of the word was probably coined in the late 19th century.
There are dozens of different Domino games, but most of them fit into four categories: blocking and scoring games, matching games, and round games. Many domino games are adapted from card games, and some were originally developed to circumvent religious prohibitions against playing cards.
Dominoes have a unique feature, which distinguishes them from other types of game pieces. The face of each domino is marked with an arrangement of spots, called pips, similar to those on a die. The pips are normally colored black or white, but some sets include a mix of colors.
Once the dominoes have been shuffled, each player draws a tile from the stock and makes a play by placing it edge to edge against another domino with identical or matching numbers of pips. In some games, the heaviest tile is considered to be the lead and must be played first.
Some dominoes are doubles, which can be played on all four sides; other dominoes are singles, which can only be played on two sides. Some domino rules call for each double to be played as a spinner; in other games, every other double is a spinner and all others are singles. A domino that cannot be played is a misplay, and it must be removed from the table.