Domino is a popular game that is played all over the world. It has many versions, but the goal is to build a tower to fall on the other players. The player who reaches his or her target score wins the game. Most domino games are adaptations of card games. However, there are also trick-taking domino games and solitaire domino games.

To begin the game, a platform of three or four dominoes is laid out on the table. Each player takes turns placing a domino on the platform. Traditionally, European-style dominoes are made of dark hardwood such as ebony, but they are also made from silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell. In addition, some models have blank faces, and other models are manufactured using Urea, a plastic material that does not have an odor.

A set of dominoes is divided into two squares called ends. There are usually two tiles per end. When playing the first tile, the player should place it so that both matching ends are next to each other.

Before starting the game, the players must agree on a target score. Usually, the first player will determine the number of spots by drawing lots. He or she will then have a heaviest hand. If there are more tiles than spots on the platform, the second player will have to chip out. For example, if there are only six spots, the second player must chip out all six of his or her tiles.

Once the second player has placed the third tile, the fourth player can now play it. This is the most common form of play in dominoes, but it is possible to play in other ways.

Other forms of domino play include the Concentration variant, in which the total pip count must be 12 for the game to be successful. In this version, the double-six set is used.

When playing a double-six set, the first tile on the table is typically a double-six, followed by a five-five, and a four-four. The second and third tiles are vertically, while the fourth is a 5-5.

One of the most popular games of dominoes is All Fives. This is a variant of the Western Dominoes. Play begins with the first player selecting the heaviest hand. They then draw nine tiles. During the course of the game, the first and third players take turns playing their own tiles.

While the game may have originated in China, it is believed that it came to Europe in the late 1700s. It is thought that the game may have reached England by French prisoners of war. Later, it would spread to France and Austria in the mid-18th century. Some writers claim that the name domino is derived from the Latin dominus, which means a “mask.”

There are many different types of dominoes. Double-nine and double-twelve sets have 55 and 91 tiles, respectively, while the double-18 set has 190 tiles. Chinese dominoes are available in a 32-piece set. These sets have no duplicates, and each one represents every possible face of a thrown die.