Traditionally, European-style dominoes were made of ivory or dark hardwoods such as ebony. However, these types of dominoes lack the Chinese suit distinctions. There are several versions of dominoes, and there are many games to choose from.
One popular version is the concentration variant, which is played with a double-six set. The goal of this game is to reach a target score. The player who reaches this score wins the game. A player must also agree on the target score before the game begins. The target score can vary between two and seven tricks. Each trick is worth one point.
If a player is unable to place a tile in the correct position, he or she must chip out the rest of the tile. If this happens, the chain will start to tip over, causing the next domino to fall. The first domino in the line will also tip over, causing the next domino in the line to tip over. Similarly, if a player is unable to go through the whole chain, the other player can chip out the rest of the tiles.
Another common variation is the draw game. In this game, players draw a certain number of tiles and then take turns drawing from that number. The tiles that are left over are face down for the other players to take.
When a player is ready to play, they must place a tile so that it will match a part of a domino that is already on the table. The first tile played is usually a double-six. This is because a domino is typically divided into two squares, called ends, and each of these squares has a number of spots on it. The first and second tiles are usually the same, whereas the third is vertical. The fourth tile is a 5-5, which will produce an open end on both sides of the four and five tiles.
In the concentration game, players are paired up into teams. Each team has a different number of spots on its dominoes, and the first player to match the number on his or her team’s dominoes to the number on the other team’s, is the winner.
Other games include the sixes and nines pips set, where each of the tiles has the same number of spots on one end. The number of pips on each side is the value of the side. If all of the pips on a tile are the same, it is said to be “stitched up”.
The most common type of domino has no pips, but players can use doubles. Doubles are a set of tiles, and are always placed cross-ways across the end of the chain. The double-six is the most “heavy” set. It is also the set with the least number of pips. It is the lightest domino. The number of pips on each end of a domino is also counted. Depending on the game, the doubles may be counted as one or two.