Dominoes

Dominoes, game for 2 to 4 people, played with flat rectangular blocks usually made from wood, ivory, or bone. The game, introduced to Europe, probably from China, in the middle of the 18th century, is normally played with a set of 28 pieces. The face of each piece is divided into 2 sections, each of which either is blank or has up to 6 dots. The set of dominoes contains every possible combination of numbers from 0–0 (double blank) to 6–6 (double six). During play, each player in turn must attempt to match a number on one of the dominoes or “bones” in his or her hand with one of the two exposed ends on the table. Failing to do so, the player must draw a further piece from the central pool, or boneyard. Play stops when a player has disposed of all his or her dominoes. A number of variations on the game have been developed, and the number of pieces may also vary.