History
Domino is a singular term that refers to an individual game piece that in numbers, makes up a domino set, deck, or pack. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two squares edge to edge. Standard domino sets consist of 28 pieces called bones, cards, tiles, stones, spinners or dominoes. The correct plural term for dominos is dominoesDominoes are small tiles historically and traditionally carved from ivory or bone with small, round pips or indentations of inset ebony. Domino tiles may be used to play many different games.
The name for these tiles (dominoes) may have originated with this black on white look. Domino is a French term that refers to a Christian priest's winter hood, which was black on the outside and white on the inside.
Dominoes, as most of the Western world knows them, however, appear to be a Chinese invention, with the oldest domino sets dating back to around 1120 A.D. Dominoesare believed to be offspring of cubic dice, which had originally been introduced into China from India. In the beginning, each domino tile represented one of the twenty-one results of throwing two dice, with half of the tile set with pips from one die and the other half set with the pips from the second die.
Chinese domino sets introduced duplicates of some die throws and divided the domino tiles into two classes: military and civil tiles. Chinese dominoes are longer than European dominoes. In time, Chinese dominoes evolved into the tile set used to play Mah Jong, a wildly popular game in the United States during the 1920s.
In the early 18th century dominoes made their way to Europe, where they first became popular in Italy. Subsequently, the game mutated in its translation from the Chinese to European cultures. European domino sets contain neither class distinctions nor the duplicates that went with them, but have seven additional dominoes with six of these representing the values that result from throwing a single die with the other half of the tile left blank. In addition, there is a seventh tile with both halves left blank.
Traditional Western Domino Games
- 42: A trick-taking game popular in Texas
- Bergen: Not the county in New Jersy
- Castle Rock Solitaire: A Bergen derivative
- The Chickenfoot Game: A game of matching branches
- Five-Up: (aka Muggins or just Dominoes) —a basic draw game
- Flower & Scorpion: Another Bergen variant
- Longana: Dominoes as played in the movie Buena Vista Social Club
- Nos: A complicated Dutch game
- Trains:
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- Basic Trains: A simple game that demonstrates the variety of plays in this family of games
- Mexican Trains: A game first introduced by Cardinal Industries of Plano, Texas
Chinese Dominoes and Games
- Making a Chinese Domino Set: Using European Dominoes
- Pai Gow: Make Nine in this ancestor of Baccarat and Chemin de Fer
- Tien Gow: A trick-taking game
- Tiu U: Fishing for matches
- Kap Tai Shap: Collecting Tens in the grandfather of Rummy and Mah Jong