Domino, also known as dominoes or tiles, is a game where players try to score points by matching pieces. This popular game is played in many countries worldwide and consists of a set of small, rectangular, rigid blocks used as playing pieces.

The rules of domino are simple: Each player has a hand of tiles, and the goal is to lay them end to end in such a way that each end of each tile matches its end. The player who has matched the most tiles is declared the winner and awarded the highest number of points.

A set of dominoes is normally made up of a fixed number of identically patterned tiles, each marked with an arrangement of spots or “pips,” which resemble the numbers on a die. The number of pips on each side of the tile is called its rank. A “heavier” tile has fewer pips than a “lighter” one.

Some sets of dominoes are designed to be used with multiple players. The common sets in practice are double-nine (55 tiles), double-12 (91 tiles) and double-15 (136 tiles). Larger sets are available, but they are not typically used for games with more than eight players.

Most domino sets have a central line or ridge, which divides the face of each tile into two squares, called ends. Each of the ends has a value, which is usually six to nine pips in the most common set, but can be blank or no pips.

These values are often printed on the back of each domino, but sometimes a set may use Arabic numerals for its numbers instead of pips. This allows a greater range of combinations of ends that can be played with the same set of dominoes.

There are a variety of ways to play dominoes, including blocking games and scoring games. In most domino games, the objective is to block the other players’ tiles from reaching any of the exposed ends. A blocking game is usually played with a specific number of tiles, such as seven or five; the first player to reach this number is the winner.

In many countries, dominoes are a form of table games and are widely played in pubs, restaurants, and social clubs. A popular British pub game is 5s-and-3s, which is played in pairs or fours and requires players to connect a domino with the open end of an existing tile so that the total of pips on both ends is exactly divisible by five or three.

Another common variant of domino is 42, which is similar to card game spades. In Texas, this game is played in teams of four and involves drawing seven dominoes from a draw box and then playing them into tricks. Each trick counts as a point and is added to the player’s hand.

While dominoing is a fun and exciting pastime, it’s also a powerful tool for fostering teamwork and leadership skills. The ability to create and execute plans is a crucial skill for domino builders, as is identifying the impact that each domino has on the overall plan.