Variations of Dominoes
Dominoes are small, rectangular pieces that are used in several games. They are made of hardwoods, such as ebony or ivory, or of silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell. These tiles are marked with numbers on each end. Most are around one inch by three-eighths of an inch in size. There are a wide variety of dominoes that vary in shape and size. Some are large and have many different numbers, while others are smaller and have fewer digits.
Dominoes were introduced in Europe in the late 1700s. The word domino originally referred to a cape worn by priests. It is unclear why the word originated in France, but it probably came from the black and white hoods worn by Christian priests in winter.
The most basic variant of dominoes involves two players. Each player draws a certain number of tiles from stock. Typically, the first tile played is a double-six. However, other tiles can be played.
In the second round of play, players alternately extend their line of play. One rule for playing in this round is that the player with the highest double leads with a double-six. Another rule is that all doubles are played cross-ways across the chain. When a player plays a tile with the same number at both ends, the tile is said to be “stitched up.” This is only allowed in a domino game variant.
Another version of the domino game is called the Block game. The objective of this game is to keep other players from completing their moves. Two players start with a set of four tiles, whereas three players would begin with five. During the first round of the game, a pair of 2s is allowed, but should be avoided in the second round. If a player is not able to finish the second round, they may chip out. A player who chips out is out of the game.
Other variations of the game involve a scoring system. In this type of game, points are awarded to the winner based on the number of dots on the other players’ tiles. Also, some games award a bonus. For example, in Five-Up, a player can gain a point for every tile that contains a multiple of five.
In addition, some dominoes games don’t require the wind blowing cards. For example, in the Block game, a player is allowed to block other players’ moves.
Many dominoes games are played with a set of twenty-eight pieces. This is the most popular in Western Europe. Traditionally, these pieces were made of dark hardwoods such as ebony or ivory. Unlike traditional Chinese dominoes, European sets do not include a suit designation.
Several dominoes variations also include blocking games. In these, the object is to empty the hand of the opponent. The winning team can pick the first domino in hand. Alternatively, both partners can chip out to win.
Besides its use in many different games, dominoes are an important source of math practice. Players learn to count, place, and add pips.