What are dominoes?
Western double-six tiles, and a different Chinese set, with a history that good sources do not tell in quite the same way.
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Dominoes, checked.
A set of tiles, two basic Western games, and a history that good sources do not tell in quite the same way. Sourced from pagat.com and Britannica Kids, and written for people who want the wording to hold up.
Western dominoes of this type appeared in Europe in the 18th century and are now familiar in most parts of the world, most often as a double-six set in which each end of each tile has from zero to six spots. pagat.com The set contains 28 tiles, one from each pairing of the numbers 0 to 6. pagat.com
Two basic forms of the game, in that Students article, are block and draw. Britannica Kids Block is the simplest and probably the most common domino game, in Pagat's wording. Most of the tiles are dealt to the players, and the tiles that remain in the boneyard are not used. pagat.com
The set
28 tiles in a standard Western set: every pairing of 0 to 6, including the double blank.
The block game
The simplest, and probably the most common, Western game: if you cannot play, you pass.
The draw game
Similar, except that you may draw from the boneyard — usually leaving the last two tiles alone.
History
China, then Italy and France, then Britain. The exact relationship is still debated.
Myths
Seven tiles each, an independent European invention, one scoring system, one origin for the name: none of those is the whole story.
A few things worth knowing
- Although domino tiles are clearly of Chinese inheritance, Pagat notes a debate over whether the European tile set came from China to Europe in the fourteenth century or later, or was invented independently. pagat.com
- The last two tiles of the boneyard are not drawn, and when the boneyard has only two tiles a player who cannot play simply passes his turn. pagat.com
- Unlike Western dominoes, there are no blank tiles in Chinese dominoes. The Western set has 28 tiles in the standard double-six set; the Chinese set has 32 tiles. pagat.com
- The game arrived in Britain in the late 18th century from France (possibly via French prisoners of war) and quickly seems to have become popular in inns and taverns at the time. pagat.com
Dominoes printables
Fact-checked PDFs in A4 and US Letter, sold as instant downloads from the ReallyByte store: our own drawings, a guide, and worksheets with answers. Prices in US dollars.
The Dominoes Reference Guide
A fact-checked guide to the Western double-six set, the block and draw games, and where dominoes came from, with our own drawings.
The Dominoes Activity Pack
A quiz, myth-or-fact cards and worksheets with answers, following the sourced wording used on dominoes.learntoplay.im.
Block and Draw: the two basic games
A short sourced companion to the two basic Western games, including notes where good sources give different deals and scoring.
The Complete Dominoes Printables Bundle
All three packs, A4 and US Letter, at a bundle price.