Domino (also dominoes, and pronounced dom-in-oh) is a game played with a set of small rectangular blocks, each side being blank or marked by dots resembling those on dice. The pieces are normally twice as long as they are wide, and they are stacked together to form a chain or “line of play.” A domino with the same number of dots on both ends is called a double. Most domino sets have 28 tiles, but larger sets can be obtained by adding additional “extended” pieces, which increase the number of unique combinations of ends by three.
Each player takes a turn playing a domino onto the table so that it touches one end of a line of play. The players continue to play in this manner until the entire domino chain, or a part of it, is complete. The player who finishes playing his or her domino wins the hand. The winner then adds to his or her score based on the number of dots left in his or her opponents’ hands.
While most domino games are played with a single player, it is possible to play in teams. If a team is playing in partnership, seating arrangements are usually determined by drawing a domino from the stock, with the highest number of pips selecting the first seat. In other cases, each member of a team sits opposite his or her partner.
When a player has no more playable dominoes, he or she may place a piece on the board so that it reaches an opponent’s side of the table and stops that player from making a further move. This is known as blocking, and it is a fundamental strategy in many domino games.
In addition to the most common domino games, a wide variety of variants have been developed. These include domino rummy, where each player has a specific number of points to work with; monopoly, where each player has the same number of points; and others. Some of these are considered gambling games, while others are not.
As the popularity of domino has increased, so too has its presence in popular culture, with references to it appearing in movies, television shows, and songs. For example, in the popular show “Friends,” Rachel Green’s character is seen playing domino while wearing a mask during a carnival.
A popular book containing instructions for playing domino is The Great Book of Domino Games by Jennifer A. Kelley, and a wide variety of online guides are available for learning how to play. There are also a number of domino apps and mobile applications that can be used to practice or test new strategies.