Domino (singular: domino) is a small rectangular wood or plastic block with blank or dotted faces marked by pips resembling those on dice. A set of these dominoes, usually 28 in number, is used to play games of chance or skill. Many games are based on the principle that one domino will tip or “fall” over, causing the next domino in line to fall, and so on. These sequences of dominoes, called a chain, can become very long and complex. Such a chain is the basis for a common phrase, “the domino effect,” that describes a situation in which a single simple event leads to much larger and often catastrophic results.
The term is also applied to the game itself, and to the various rules governing it. Those rules, in turn, form the basis for variations in playing the game. The most basic games include blocking and scoring, while others can be based on solitaire or trick-taking. A few games, such as poker, are not based on a chain but use the same rules to determine winnings or losses.
Nearly all domino games can be grouped into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games. The words “the set,” “the down,” and “the lead” are all used to refer to the first domino played in a game, as well as to the initial placement of tiles for each player.
While a domino game can be played by two or more players, most of the best known and most interesting games are for just one player. Most of these games are arranged in a circle, with each player sitting in a chair to his left and right. When a player draws the first tile of a game, he places it in a center spot in the circle. Then he begins placing his own tiles on the table in front of him.
A player who cannot place a tile in his turn simply knocks on the table or, as it is sometimes called, raps the table. This signals to other players that he has no more tiles he can play, so they may proceed. Normally the game ends when a player plays his last domino, although some games allow players to “chip out” when they are unable to play any more. When this happens, the winners are the players who have a combined total of the least number of pips on their remaining dominoes.
An alternative to playing by the rules of a given game is to simply count the dots on the dominoes in the losing players’ hands at the end of a hand or a game, and then award points accordingly. This method is especially useful for games with multiple rounds. For example, in the classic game of Draw and Score, each player’s score is determined by counting the number of multiples of five in the opponents’ remaining dominoes at the end of a hand. For every multiple of five, the winner gets one point.
