Dominoes are small, rectangular game pieces that are shaped like cards. Their markings represent the results of two dice being thrown. The tiles are usually about one inch wide and two inches long. They are traditionally made of dark hardwood such as ebony or ivory. However, they have been made from many different materials.

To play dominos, you need to know how to place the tiles. Each tile has a number on each end. Some dominoes also have a line down the center. If you play a domino with the same number on both ends, you are said to have “stitched up” the ends.

When you play a domino, you must place the tile on the table so that one end is touching the other end. Once the domino is placed, you can knock it down. Depending on the game, you may be able to knock down a single tile or dozens or hundreds of them.

One of the most popular types of games to play is to score. Typically, you earn points by awarding pips on the other player’s tiles. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the tiles in your hand to create a pattern. In some games, you can play in a “block” fashion, extending a chain of tiles until it is full. You can add new tiles to the chain if the original line of dominoes has been emptied out.

A traditional Chinese domino set has 32 tiles. Each tile is numbered in the order it was thrown in. This means that the first tile is 0-6, the second is 6-6, the third is 5-5, and the fourth is 4-4. These tiles can be joined together vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Other dominoes are blank.

There are many different types of domino games, but the most common type is the one that involves scoring. Players must agree on a target number before the game begins. For example, the winner of a game of skillful dominoes should have a total of as many points as possible. As a result, each time a domino is knocked down, players are awarded the number of pips that remain on the other player’s tiles.

Other games involve two teams trying to score against each other. The winning team can play any domino in their hands. In this way, the opposing team cannot see the value of the other players’ tiles. Instead, the opposing team will simply mentally note the numbers that are available.

In a concentration variant of the game, each player draws 12 tiles. Once all the players have drawn their tiles, the first player picks the first domino and the rest of the players take turns picking from the stock. Another version of the game is played with a double-six set, where each player draws seven tiles from the double-six set.

Many domino games are designed to be played with larger sets. Larger sets enable more players to participate. They also make it easier for players to create elaborate patterns and layouts.