If you’re a lover of card games, you’ll likely be interested in dominoes. These dice-like pieces have identifying marks on one side and are blank on the other. Several sizes exist, and the number of tiles drawn depends on the number of players. For example, two players will draw 12 tiles each. Players can play two sets of dominoes at the same time, and each set can have up to six decks. Some dominoes are marked with spots and pips.
The game begins with the first player laying his or her chosen tile face-up in the middle of the table. The next player then tries to match one end of the domino with a part of the first tile. Some versions allow tiles to be joined to all four sides. The player who draws the highest-scoring domino first plays. If no player has drawn a double, the player who shuffled the tiles draws the last hand. In some versions of the game, doubles are laid perpendicular to the line. Doubles are counted when they have pips on both ends. If a player has no dominoes, he or she must draw from those that are available.
In double-player games, the first player has eight tiles. The other player takes six tiles. Each player extends the line of play on each turn. If the player reaches their target score before the other player has time to lay all the tiles, the winner wins. However, double-blank tiles are not counted. This is an important factor to remember. A winning hand is one with more than 100 points. So, the more tiles you can lay, the better!
The origin of the domino game is still disputed. It has many names, and is believed to have originated in France shortly after the 17th century. The word domino originally meant “long cloak” or “mask” worn by priests. This may explain the ebony black and ivory faces of the domino pieces. In other cases, the term may refer to a pattern that happens when dominoes are shuffled.
Depending on the style of dominoes you prefer, there are several different sets to choose from. Double-six sets, for example, contain 28 tiles with six pips each. The Double-nine set, on the other hand, has sixty-seven-sided tiles. The highest-value piece in a double-six set contains six pips on each end. The remaining dominoes are blank ends without spots, which gives you twenty-eight unique pieces in total.
Although the game of dominoes has an ancient history, it was not introduced to Europe until the 18th century. Italian missionaries to China may have been the first to introduce the game to Europe. However, it did not fully evolve into the game that we know today. And while it is difficult to trace the exact origins of the domino game, its early history is interesting. Dominoes can be traced back to as far as the 12th century.