Domino is an ancient game in which a series of tiles are arranged to form a pattern. They are made with pips, or spots, that represent numbers ranging from 0 to 6 on each side. These pips are matched to create the pattern, which looks impressive when a domino falls.

Dominoes can be made from a wide range of materials and have many different games that can be played with them. Some are made of natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony. Others are made of plastic or metal.

The most common domino set is the double-six version, which comprises 28 tiles. There are also double-nine and double-twelve sets.

They can be played in a variety of ways, from the standard block game to more complex variations such as draw. They are a popular party game and can be found in English pubs as well as Chinese and Thai restaurants.

In a traditional Western game called the “Block” (or “Standard”), two players place seven tiles on the table in a straight line. One player starts the line and alternately extends it with a matching tile at each of its two ends, while the other player does not play any tiles until all seven have been played. When one player has played all of his or her tiles, the game ends.

A common variant of this game is the “Draw” game, in which each player draws from a separate pile of seven tiles, and then extends the line with another matching tile at one of its two ends. The player who draws the last tile is the winner.

There are many other types of domino games, including a number of traditional Chinese versions. These include Tien Gow, Pai Gow and Che Deng. In China, there are even puzzles made using dominoes.

The earliest written reference to dominoes is in the Song dynasty of China. In the text Former Events in Wulin, a statesman is described as having presented them to Emperor Hui Tsung and having distributed them abroad by imperial order during the reign of Kao-Tsung.

In the West, the most common set of dominoes is the double-six set. However, there are also other sets, and a wide range of games can be played with them.

Some games are played with a single player and others involve multiple players in teams. These can be played with a single domino set or with a combination of different domino sets and can be very competitive.

For example, a team can play against each other, or they can play against a computer. The rules vary depending on the game, but most involve matching the pips of the first tile with the pips of the other to form a line.

A good way to play a game is by focusing on the right dominoes, or tasks that contribute to a larger goal. These can be hard to do and take up a lot of time, but they are usually important in the long run.