Originally known as a masquerade mask, the domino has evolved into a variety of games. It is played on tables, against friends or family members, or against a computer. This game is fun and encourages physical activity. It also helps to develop hand-eye coordination and colour recognition.
The basic rules of the game are simple. The first player draws a tile and places it on the table. The next player must match one of the ends of the domino to part of the first tile. If the first player makes a mistake, the second player can make a different choice.
There are two ways to play the domino: to knock it down or to stack it on the end. When a domino falls down, it creates a chain reaction. A domino chain has a line on the middle and a group of spots on either side. The number of spots on either side determines the value of that side.
The number of tiles to draw depends on the number of players. If there are three players, the first player draws seven tiles. If there are six players, the first player draws 11 tiles. If there are eight players, the first player draws nine tiles. This means that each player will have a hand of nine tiles.
Then, the first player chooses a tile and places it on the middle of the table. The second player makes a choice and places it on the table on the opposite side of the first player’s tile. If the second player’s tile has a number at one end of the chain, the first player will only play that tile. This is called “stitched up” ends.
To play the double, the first player plays a tile with the same number at both ends of the chain. The second player then plays a tile with the same number on the other end of the chain. In some versions of the game, the second player must chip out both the first and second players’ tiles, while in others the first and second players must chip out both the second and third player’s tiles.
The third player plays a tile that has a number on it at the right end of the chain. The fourth tile is played and produces open ends of 4 and 5. The fifth tile is played and produces open ends of 5 and 5.
The third player can only play a tile with a number at the right end of the chain. If the fifth tile is a double, the first player must place it perpendicular to the line of the double. The second player may also play a tile with the same number on the same side of the double as the third player. The third player must also match one of the ends of the domino with a part of the first tile.
In the Concentration variant, the first player draws a tile and then the second player must draw from the remaining unused tiles. This is similar to the Western domino.