Dominoes are game pieces sold in sets of 28. Each piece, known as a bone or a tile, consist of a rectangular piece divided in the middle with a line. On each side of the line, a number of spots (from one to six) make it possible to play a combination of numbers. Some tiles are also blank. Most dominoes are now made of plastic, but in the past, a variety of materials, including bone, metal, and wood, were used.
There are many different games that can be played with dominoes. The most common game consists of players drawing pieces to match the last one placed on the table. Players are “dealt” a number of tiles at the beginning of the game, which they try to match to the previous piece played. Players keep drawing until no pieces are left or until a match is made. The player that has no dominoes left in his possession at the end of the game is the winner. If all players have tiles left, the number of dots in the pieces are counted. The player with the most points loses the round. There are usually a set number of points to reach, such as 101. The first player to reach that number is out of the game. Rounds continue until all players except one have been eliminated. Variations of this dominoes game include Chicken Foot and Private Train, where players are required to create specific forms when playing their tiles.
Another popular game that can be played with dominoes is 42. In this game, the players’ objective is to win “tricks” or bets. These bets are placed by taking a tile and bidding it, face-down, on the table. All pieces are then turned and the highest one wins. The game is played in two opposing teams of two people each. The rules of 42 are complex, but the final result is simple: the team that prevails with the most tricks is the winner. Muggings, also known as Five Up, is another dominoes game based in numeric additions. In Muggings, a player earns a point every time all dots on a tile played add up to a multiple of five.
Dominoes are also used to create chains which are then toppled in succession until all titles have fallen. This game, known as “the domino effect,” is a competitive hobby practiced around the world. An annual exhibition of toppling dominoes has been held in The Netherlands since 1986. The world record, which was set in 2006, consisted of a chain of 4,079,381 dominoes.