Dominoes are small rectangular blocks used in games. They are also called “bones”, “pieces”, or “stones”. They are often made of rigid materials, such as wood or plastic. Traditionally, European-style dominoes were made of bone, ivory, or ebony. These days, mass-produced dominoes are manufactured from various materials, including metals and plastics. Despite the variety of materials used, the goal of playing a domino game is to get to a certain target score. In order to do that, players must understand the basics of the game.
The first player chooses one tile to lay down. Typically, he or she draws from a set of seven tiles. Before drawing, the dominoes must be placed in a line. Once the tiles have been laid, the next player must place his or her tiles in a matching line. The tiles are then placed on a table. The game continues clockwise. The player who has the highest number of pips on any given domino leads the game. The next player must then lead with the heaviest domino in the same suit.
The heaviest domino is double-six, which is the largest, most “heavy” domino. The next tile played is to the left of 6-6, which is a 5-5. The third tile is a 4-6, and the fourth is a 5-5. The fifth tile is a 6-6, and the sixth is a 6-9. In other words, the tiles that are the same number on both ends of the chain are called doubles.
Each domino has an identifying mark on the side. The pips on the domino are used for matching. In some versions of domino games, the dominoes can be played upside down, to the right of 6-6, or even at a 90 degree angle. The most common variant of dominoes has six pips. However, there are other types of dominoes, such as a domino with three pips on each half of the face. Some dominoes can be blank, meaning that the pips are not visible.
When a domino is placed, it must be so that a tile with a matching number on either end of the chain touches one of the domino’s open ends. Then, the player must play the tile to one end of the chain, and the next player must match one of the domino’s open ends to part of the first tile. This process is called “stitched up” ends.
If the total of pips at the open ends of a domino is divisible by five, then the player scores a point. If it is divisible by three, then the player is awarded one point. The count of pips in the hands of the losing player is added to the score. If the number of pips in the losing player’s hand is greater than five, then the count is rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.
When a domino’s open end is touching another domino, the player must lay the domino so that it will be able to knock. If a player cannot play a domino, then the game will be over. If the number of pips in a player’s hand is higher than five, the game will end when the player chips out.
