Domino is a game in which players build a line of dominoes by placing tiles edge to edge. Each tile has a number of dots or symbols, called pips, that determine its value and the way it connects to other tiles. As the lines of dominoes grow, they become more complex. Nearly all domino games fall into one of four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games.
The most common method of scoring in a domino game involves counting the total number of pips remaining on the losing player’s tiles at the end of a hand or the game and adding this to their score. However, many players choose to use a different scoring system.
When a domino is set down, it becomes part of the line of play and may be played again at a later time. This is known as the set, setting down, or leading.
A domino’s potential energy, which is based on its position, converts into the kinetic energy that causes it to topple. The force of gravity is a key factor in this change, which happens when a domino falls, making it possible for one domino to lead to the next, and then to the last one.
Some domino sets have additional pips on the ends of some of the tiles to make them longer or larger in order to increase the number of possible combinations. These are called extended dominoes, and they are often used for playing more complicated games with multiple players.
The game of domino was originally developed as a game of skill and strategy. The rules of the game vary from place to place, but most of them are based on the same principles. The most common type of domino is the double-nine set, which consists of twenty-eight tiles. This is the most common type of set that is used for playing games with two or more players.
In most games, the first player to play a tile begins the turn. After the tiles are shuffled and the stock is ready to be drawn, the player draws a hand of the number of tiles permitted by the rules of the particular game being played. The player then places his tiles in front of him.
When a player draws more tiles than he is permitted to, this is known as an overdraw. In some games, this leads to a tie; in others, the tied players draw new hands until one is declared the winner.
In some games, the player with the heaviest double starts the first play. If no player has a double, the first play is made by the player who holds the highest single. This rule can be modified by other rules in the same game, such as requiring the player with a double to play it before any other player makes a play or by adding a requirement that the player must have at least one double in his hand to begin the turn.