The Game of Dominoes
The game of dominoes is a family of tile-based games. Each domino is rectangular with two square ends marked with numbers. To play, the player takes turns placing dominoes on the board and attempting to knock over the opponent’s pieces. In some variations, a game is called Five-Up, while in others, the number of spots is less. Nevertheless, there is a single common rule that applies to all varieties: the player must try to place as many of the same number of dominoes as possible before the opponent can.
Xuan He Pai Pu is the earliest known manual written about dominoes
The earliest known manual written about dominoe, the Xuan He Pai Pu, describes the game in great detail. The earliest known copy of the book was written between 1119 and 1125 and describes the game in detail for a large audience. By the 16th century, the game had gained international recognition as the Chinese version of chess and was still being played today in some parts of China.
There are many stories about the history of the game, but the earliest known manual about dominoes was written in China in 1112. It is thought to be the work of Qu You, who lived between 1119 and 1125 CE. Another Chinese game historian, Xie Zhaozhe, wrote about dominoes in the early 15th century. In his book, he mentions that the game was first played during this period, but does not say it was invented then.
Double-6 set
A double-six set of dominoes is the most common type of game. Its basic rules are similar to the original game, but with a few important differences. The first person to play must hold a double-six or a double-five. In addition, the first tile they play must be the double tile that allowed them to be the first to take their turn. However, if no player has a double-six, they will be reshuffled and redrawn.
The standard double-six set consists of 28 tiles, with seven doubles and 21 singles. The tiles in this set contain seven pairs of pips, including the “double” for each suit. In double-six sets, each number appears eight times, including twice on the double tile. This makes them the perfect size for a game of memory. The Double-6 set also features a reusable collector’s tin, so they can be stored safely.
Chinese dominoes
The origins of Chinese dominoes are unclear, but some believe that the game was invented by Hung Ming, a romantic hero of the time. Hung Ming may have invented the game to keep soldiers entertained during the night watches. Other sources suggest that Keung T’ai Kung and Fan Lai were the inventors. In any case, the game was invented during the reign of Hwui Tsung, although it wasn’t widely played for several years. It was not until the early eighteenth century that dominoes reached Europe and the West.
Chinese domino tiles are different sizes, but generally measure about 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. The tiles do not have a spinner (a rounded metal pin in the middle), making it difficult to stack them. In Chinese domino games, players must draw a tile from a row of stacked tiles, the height of which varies depending on the game. Each tile has two spotted values separated by a short distance.
Five-Up variant
The Five-Up domino variant is one of the fives family of games. This game was made popular in California and the Southwestern United States by Dominic C. Armanino. This game differs from the other Fives variants in that there is no spinner on the fives. The game can be played by two players or more. Its name is derived from the fact that each player has two hands.
There are three different variations of this game. The simplest is the block game for two players. The two players each draw seven tiles from a double-six set. They then alternately extend the line of play. When both players have a hand with the same number of dominoes, the winner’s score is equal to the total number of pip counts in the loser’s hand. There is no time limit, and the game is played clockwise.