How to Play a Game of Domino
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Dominoes, also known as bones, cards or men, are pieces of wood or plastic that are marked on one side with a series of spots called pips. These pips are divided into two squares, or ends, by a line or ridge. The number of pips on each side is a measure of the domino’s weight, or rank.
In addition to the traditional block and draw games, there are many different types of domino games. They range from simple scoring games to complex solitaire variations, a lot of which are similar to card games.
How to Play a Game of Domino:
The first rule in playing a domino game is that the pieces must be positioned so that the matching ends of the tile are adjacent, or parallel, and touching fully. For a double, the tile is played perpendicular to the matching end, and the next domino played is placed perpendicular to the previous tile’s edge. Depending on the game, a player may also need to place the tile so that it is perpendicular to any other tile already in play and to a line of dominoes that are being placed.
Some games have a fixed set of dominoes, while others use a variety of sets. For example, a traditional game with a double-six set uses two pieces to each side and seven pieces to each end. Other games use a single piece to each side and three pieces to each end.
How to Play a Double-Six Game:
The most common domino game is the double-six game. Players lay a domino chain end to end, or “cross”-ways, and score points for each tile that matches. A player is awarded a number of points for each tile that is equal to the total pips on its exposed end. The highest score wins the game.
How to Play a Triple-Six Game:
The triple-six game is similar to the double-six game, except that all three tiles in a row need to match. The first domino to be played must have a matching double, and the other three must have a matching single.
Usually, the triple-six tile is placed perpendicular to the double-six tile, but can be placed parallel to the double-six tile or perpendicular to any other domino that has a matching single. The other tiles in the double-six tile’s row are also played perpendicular to the triple-six tile.
How to Play a Triple-Six Variant:
Another popular variant of the domino game is the Concentration game. This variant is similar to the draw game, but with a spinner that is played first and whose sides are used as the first dominoes to be played against each turn. The other three dominoes to be played against the spinner are then played against each of the other players’ four tiles, until all of the players’ dominoes have been used.
How to Play a Double-Six Variant:
The double-six variant is the most common domino game, and it is the easiest to learn. The only real difference between the double-six and the other variants is that the dominoes are twice as long as they are wide, allowing them to be re-stacked more easily after use.