The Basics of Domino

Domino is a game that involves small, rectangular pieces, often called “dominoes” or “stones.” Each of these tiles has a distinctive face, which is divided into two square halves. The front of the tile is marked with an arrangement of spots, while the back is blank. Some of these tiles are also marked with pips. These pips are used for matching purposes. These pips are painted or drilled.

These small, rectangular pieces can be played by placing one end of each domino against a chain of other dominoes. The goal of the game is to place the tiles so that each matches a specific total. If the total matches, the player scores a point. If not, the opponent wins the game. If the total isn’t a multiple of five, no extra points are awarded.

The tiles are typically half-inch thick, which allows them to stand upright on their ends without tipping over. The backs of the tiles are usually blank, but some can be decorated. Many high-end wood dominoes are hand-crafted by artisans and are considered works of art. Traditionally, European dominoes are made of dark hardwood such as ebony, ivory, or bone. However, modern mass-produced dominoes are manufactured from a variety of materials, including plastics, metals, and even stone.

Various games involve dominoes, including Mexican train and chicken foot. The most common type of game is a scoring game. A player who has eliminated all of his dominoes first wins the hand. The winner’s score is the total of the last pips remaining in his opponent’s hand. In some scoring games, players also add to their score by calculating the number of pips in their opponents’ hands.

The most common domino set is double six, which contains 28 tiles. The tiles are arranged in pairs, with the first two tiles containing a single digit and the rest of the tiles containing three or four. The double-six tile is the first tile that is placed on the table. It is the player’s turn to lay down a tile, and he must do so before the next player can. In this way, each player can see the tiles in his own hand and in the other player’s.

Most dominoes have a face, which is a plain square on one side. It can be decorated with a single, a line, or a pattern. It is a game piece, but it can also be used for watching the other dominoes fall. Alternatively, it can be played at a 90 degree angle, making it easy to view the other side of the table.

The most popular domino games are the scoring game and the block game. In the scoring game, each player’s hand must contain at least seven tiles. If a player does not have enough dominoes, he must draw from the unused tiles. He cannot hold back the playable ones, but must make the most of them by playing them as soon as his turn comes up.