Domino is a game played with a series of tiles on a flat surface. The game is popular in many parts of the world. There are a few versions of the game, and different rules are used to play it. In some cases, the players take turns picking dominoes from a stock. They then place them face down on the surface, and try to place them so that one side of each tile touches one of the edges of the table.

In a classic match, the player with the highest number of doubles in their hand leads with a double-six. The next player’s first domino is usually a double-five. Alternatively, the player with the next highest double leads with a double-four. Whenever the first player plays a double, they are considered to have “stitched up” the ends of the double. This is done by playing the tile with the same number on each end of the double.

In some games, players can chip out a tile to join it to the other three sides of the domino. In some other versions, a player’s tile is only allowed to be played with a number at one end. All other tiles are open to other players. Some of these versions are played in pairs, but in other games, it is only played against a computer.

There are different ways to play the game, and some variants involve the use of score sheets. One common type is called the Block game, which involves a basic match with a pair of 2s. Players shuffle their hands when they choose seven dominoes.

A typical match in this style is played by the winner of the previous round. The winner’s team can then pick the first domino from their hand and begin the game. If they do not have enough dominoes, they must draw from the unused ones.

In a skillful match, the goal is to get to a certain number of points. The first player begins the game with seven tiles and draws seven more. Each player must have at least one tile from the same set. Depending on the type of game, the winner is determined after a specified number of rounds have been completed.

Most domino games are easy to play. To begin the game, the players must agree on the target score for the game. Once a number of rounds have been completed, the winner is the player who has the most points. Many games have a point limit of 150 or 200. In some games, the winner is the player with the most pips in their opponent’s hand.

The earliest known written form of the word domino is in the Dictionnaire de Trevoux in 1771. It comes from the French word domino, which originally meant a long, hooded cloak. Other dictionaries indicate that the name is a translation of the Chinese character pu, meaning “pupai”. During the 17th century, Chinese dominoes were found and played.