Dominoes

A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block, with one side bearing an arrangement of dots like those on a die and the other blank or identically patterned. A set of these tiles is used to play games of chance or skill that involve building a chain or pattern of dominoes across the face of the board. A domino game may be played with two or more players. There are many different games that can be played with dominoes, and the rules of each vary greatly. Some of the most common include blocking, scoring, and trick-taking. Many of these games are adaptations of card games, and were once popular in areas that prohibited the playing of cards due to religious proscriptions.

When a player matches and plays a domino, it becomes part of the line of play, which may be lengthwise or crosswise. When a domino is crossed by a domino of the same number, it must be played onto that domino. A domino may also be played over a double to form a triple or higher. In some games, a player may also make the first move of the game by playing a domino with the same value as the highest existing double on the line of play. This is known as the “set,” the “down,” or the “lead.”

Dominoes are sometimes used to make art, such as straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Artists use a variety of materials to create domino art, including paints, markers, and stickers. Some artists use a computer program to design their art, but others draw their designs on paper or other surfaces.

While some games require only a single set of dominoes, the vast majority require more than one. The most popular domino games are based on the traditional game of domino, which is generally governed by a set of rules (sometimes called “the rules of domino”). The most common domino rules specify that a domino must touch or land on the edge of another domino before it can be played.

The rules of most domino games begin by distributing the dominoes to each player. The tiles are then shuffled and placed on-edge, or face down. Each player then draws a number of dominoes from the stock or boneyard until each has a hand of seven tiles. If there is a tie, the player with the heaviest tile begins play. In some games, the rules state that if a player does not hold a double, he must draw new dominoes to make the first play. Other rules, however, allow a player to open the game by playing a double before the other players.