The Basics of Domino

Domino is the name of a popular game in which players place dominoes on the table and, as each player plays his or her turn, the dominoes cascade across the table and knock over other dominoes. The result is a chain reaction that creates a sequence of numbers and other symbols that are displayed on the dominoes. The most common domino games involve two or more players. The basic rules of the game can vary somewhat from one region to another. But the general principles are similar, and the same basic rules apply to most of the different types of domino games.

Most domino games are played with a set of standard double-six dominoes. These are usually made of ivory, bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), or a dark hardwood such as ebony. The pips on the dominoes are typically inlaid or painted black or white. Other materials used for domino sets include marble, granite, and soapstone; a combination of ivory, silver-lip oyster shell, and bone; or plastic. These are generally less expensive and more durable than the natural, hand-carved wooden or ebony dominoes.

The way that dominoes are placed on the table is a large part of what makes the game enjoyable to play. Each domino must be positioned so that its matching ends are adjacent to each other, except when the tile being played is a double. In that case, it must be placed cross-wise, perpendicular to the other double. In this way, a long snake-like line of dominoes develops.

In addition to being a form of entertainment, domino can also be an educational tool for teaching counting and pattern recognition. It is a good exercise for motor skills and spatial awareness, and it can also help children learn the value of taking turns.

As a type of art, domino can be used to create designs on the floor or on a piece of paper. The designs can be as simple or elaborate as the artist wishes. Some common designs include grids that form pictures when the dominoes fall, walls of stacked dominoes, and 3-D structures such as towers or pyramids.

In many domino games, the loser of a hand or the entire game is determined by counting the pips on the tiles remaining in the losing player’s hands. However, there is a rule variation that allows the losing player to count only the end of a double when making this count, rather than both ends. This is the variant most commonly used in the United States. The variation is not universally accepted and may be considered an unfair rule. Other scoring methods are common in other countries.