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The game of Dominoes is something that most of
us are familiar with. Invariably the choice for
a wet day when you can’t get outdoors, dominoes
are played by both children and adults with
equal relish. It is not difficult to learn to
play dominoes and it can be a fun hobby with the
variety of games at various levels of
proficiency. Of course, you can also make up
your own games and have a terrific time.
Dominoes are enjoyed all over the world. The
game has its origins in China around the 12th
century. Around the 18th century,
Europeans began to play it, and in current
times, it is a popular club game there. Today,
everyone, regardless of age, race or
geographical constraint, plays dominoes.
Interestingly, many countries in Latin America
name Dominoes as their national game. In the US,
dominoes are a hot favorite at parties. While
there are game rules associated with Dominoes,
they do tend to vary slightly depending on where
they are played. It is always best to check the
prevailing rules at the specific place where you
intend to participate in the game.
Getting Started With Dominoes
Getting started with dominoes is fairly simple. All you need
is the following:
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Dominoes
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Pencils and Scoring pads
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Card Tables
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Chairs
The Domino Set
You will play dominoes with a set of tiles used
especially for the game you are participating
in. The domino tile corresponds to the roll of
two dice. The domino set will have a fixed
number of pieces or tiles, which are identical
in shape and size. Each tile or ‘bone’ is
rectangular has a face and a back. The faces are
unique and divided into two halves by a line.
Each end has a number. Players refer to the
domino by the number of dots or pips on each
end. The lower number is listed first. If you
have a tile with 2 and 5, then you call it a 2-5
tile. Tiles that have the same number on both
ends are called ‘doublets or doubles’. A tile
with the number six at both ends is a double
six, which is the heaviest domino. A tile with
zero at both ends is a double blank and the
lightest domino. All the players taking part in
the game will know the particular domino set
used for the game and its tiles. Tiles with the
same number of dots at both ends are said to be
a part of the same ‘suit’.
There are different kinds of domino sets, just
as there are different games. In the double-six
domino set, numbers vary from 0-6, so that there
are 28 tiles and seven suits.
You also get larger sized sets like the double
nine with 55 tiles, double twelve with 91 tiles
and so on. These are used for the more intricate
games with more players.
Let us now look at how the players are arranged
and what actually happens during the game.
Player Arrangement
In a game of dominoes, the players sit in a
circle, equidistant from each other, around the
table, on which the tiles will be played. The
players sit facing the table but cannot see each
other’s tiles.
The Game
The tiles are thoroughly mixed or shuffled, face
down on the table. During this shuffle, players
shall not look at the tiles’ faces. The shuffled
tiles are called the boneyard. Once this is
done, the tiles are dealt to the players.
Dealing can be clockwise or counterclockwise.
Games from North America, north and west Europe
and Russia are dealt clockwise, while games from
south and east Europe, Asia and Switzerland is
dealt counterclockwise.
Each player now gets a set of tiles, called
their hand. If there are remaining tile in the
boneyard they are placed aside, still face down
to leave the center of the table clear for the
game. The players hold their set of tiles with
the faces of the tiles visible only to them,
just like you hold your cards in a card game.
The game now begins. To decide who makes the
first move each player chooses a random domino.
Whoever holds the heavier domino plays first.
These dominos now go back to the boneyard to be
shuffled again. Another way to decide who plays
first is for the players to draw their tiles,
depending on the game. Then the holder of the
heaviest domino gets to play first.
The game ends when a player has played all the
tiles or when the game is ‘blocked’. A game can
also end after a specific number of hands have
been played or when the player/team has made the
winning points. When a player has played all the
tiles in her hand, she must announce ‘domino’
which means the other players have been “dominoed”.
If the other players cannot add another tile,
the game is blocked, ending it.
Different Types Of Dominoes Games
As you learn the basics and
nuances of the game, you can enjoy a lot of
simple games like Block dominoes, Draw Dominoes,
Chickenfoot and Matador. Forty-Two, the national
game of Texas is similar to a card game. If you
want to play point games, you can try Five-Up
and Muggins. Mexican Train is a rage in North
America and even has its own set of dominoes.
Domino games can be broadly categorized into
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Bidding games - similar to card games with two
to four players. Players bid their hands with
the highest bidder naming the suit. The bid
determines the score.
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Blocking games – played by matching domino tiles
in a line. Scoring is at the end of each hand.
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Scoring games – similar to blocking games but
scoring is throughout the game after each
scoring play and at the end of each hand.
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Round games – popular at parties involving 3-10
players. Each hand is a game.
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Connecting games – most commonly played by
forming lines of tiles.
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Capture games – further divided into trick
taking or tableau games.
There is a lot more to the game of dominoes –
different techniques and tactics. The variety of
games you can play ranges from the very easy to
the really tough.
The information in this article is only aimed at
getting you started. To know more, and for tips
to help you play a mean game of dominoes, do
visit the following website and watch the
instructional videos and excellent books on the
Dominoes that cover it in depth. Videos are
great at teaching since you can see professional
players in action. You will also find valuable
links that can tell you all that you want to
know about Dominoes. Go on and shuffle those
domino tiles!
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inviting friends and family over and having
a domino night. Contrary to popular thought,
there are over a hundred variations of the
classic domino game. Below are great online
resources to learn about the history of the
game and the different rules for playing.
