Domino (also dominoes) is a game played by two or more players using rectangular blocks with a grouping of numbers and blanks on one side and a ridged surface on the other. The ridge divides each side visually into two squares marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, like those on dice. The number of pips on each end of the domino indicates its value, from the highest (double six) down to none or blank.
Each player plays a domino by placing it, edge to edge, against another domino in the line of play. This line is sometimes referred to as the layout, string, or chain of play. When a domino is played, it becomes the new open end of the line of play, and the count for that line is increased by 1.
The first player to play all of his tiles makes a win. In most games, however, the objective is not to be the first to make a play, but rather to be the first to remove all of your opponents’ pieces from the board by blocking them from being able to do so. In order to do this, each player must be sure that he has a valid move when his turn comes, which means he must draw the number of tiles allowed by the rules of the particular domino game in question.
There are many different domino games, and within each game there are several variations in how the pieces are used. For example, some games use only the ends of the doubles while others allow playing off both sides. There are also games that only allow scoring when the total count of the dominoes played is a multiple of five.
A domino set is made up of a number of different types of tiles, usually 28. There are seven doubles with the same number on both ends, from double blank to double six; and 21 singles, each with a different number and a blank on one side.
In addition to the basic rules of each game, the number of tiles a player draws in his hand is an important factor in determining his power and strategy in the game. When a player draws more than he is permitted to take, this is known as an overdraw, and the excess tiles should be returned to the stock and reshuffled before anyone else draws.
The rules of each game also dictate how the players interact with the other members of the table. For example, some players may pass their turn to another player when they have a valid move but do not want to play it; or they might try to block the other players from making plays by blocking off areas of the table.