Online domino is a game of skill where players try to make chains out of tiles that have the same number of pips on them. It’s a fun way to pass the time, and you can play it on your mobile device or computer.
Dominoes are made up of 28 tiles or bones, each representing two values between 0 and 6 (doubles have both sides equal). The player with the heaviest double in his hand, or in some games, the player who holds the highest single, is the first player to play. If there is a tie, it is broken by drawing new dominoes from the stock.
Rules vary for different domino games, but there are some general rules that apply to all. Some domino games are played with a fixed number of players, while others can be played with as many or as few people as you wish.
Before a game begins, the players must shuffle the dominoes. This process is usually done by hand, but some players prefer to use a mechanical device. It’s important to be careful not to flip over any of the dominoes.
Each player draws one domino from the stock of shuffled tiles. The player holding the heaviest tile has first choice of seats, and his seat is to the left if the game is played with three or more players. If there is a tie, it will be broken by drawing new dominoes from stock and reshuffled.
After the tiles have been shuffled, players are allowed to buy or bye more tiles from the stock if they are permitted by the rules of the game. If the player has a tile that is already being played, he should bye it rather than buy it.
Once all the players have drawn their tiles, the players begin to set up the table by placing them in a way that makes the chain of dominoes grow longer as they move clockwise around the table. In most games, dominoes are placed cross-ways across the end of the chain, but some games allow for lengthwise placement as well.
The first player to set the table is called the setter. He is referred to as the downer or leader in other games. He should place his tile face up in the center of the table.
Next, the player to his left adds a tile with the matching number of pips to one of the free ends of the tile chain, going clockwise around the table. The player to his right then adds another tile with the matching number of pips, and so on, until all the players have added a tile.
A common variation on the scoring method used for most games is to take the loser’s total number of pips from the tiles he or she still has in their hands at the end of the game or hand. This method may be a more effective strategy in losing situations than counting the entire number of pips on each tile.