Originally known as dotted cards, Chinese dominoes are used to play a variety of games. Traditional Chinese domino games include Tien Gow, Che Deng and Pai Gow.

A domino is a black and white rectangular tile. There are 0 to 6 pips, or spots, on each tile. The number of pips on each tile is usually referred to as its weight. There are usually twenty-eight pieces on a standard domino. There are also variations with fewer or more pips. The most common domino set is the double nine with 55 tiles. Traditional European-style dominoes are traditionally made of mother of pearl oyster shell, dark hardwood such as ebony or bone.

In some versions, dominoes are laid out in rows. In others, they are stacked on end in long lines. The idea is to knock them down. The first domino in the line to fall will cause the rest to fall. This is known as the domino effect. Dominoes were first recorded in Italy, France, and Austria in the mid-18th century. They began to spread to England in the mid-19th century, when French prisoners of war brought them to England. They were originally used for trick-taking games, but later became popular for other types of games.

The term domino is also used to describe other games based on tiles. In many games, the player will use a domino to determine the outcome. For example, a domino that has the number 7 at one end can be used to determine whether the player will win. Another example is the Concentration variant. In this game, the player must use a domino that has the total pip count of 12 to determine the outcome.

When a domino is laid out, it has a line down the middle. This line separates the ends into two squares. The number of pips on each end is usually marked on the domino. In some versions, the domino is blank on one side, while the other side is marked with a specific number of pips. There are also variations where the player can chip out a domino instead of laying it out.

In a domino game, the player has to lay out tiles in such a way that two matching ends are adjacent. This can be done in a row, or in an irregular pattern. Often, the tiles are laid out in a long line. This method is popular in games where a player will have a limited number of dominoes to begin with. It also allows for more elaborate patterns to be created.

There are several variations of the game, depending on the number of players and rules. One of the most popular types of games is the scoring game. The goal of this game is to take as few dominoes as possible before the opponent takes too many. Other popular games are the solitaire game and the Block game. Some versions of the game require both players to chip out, while other versions have the player take less dominoes at the beginning.