Dominoes - Block Game

Dominoes are pieces of ivory or bone, usually with ebony backs. On the face of each piece there are two compartments, in each of which there is found either a blank, or black pips or spots from one to six.

The dominoes are thus named: Double-Six; Six-Five; Six-Four; Six-Three; Six-Two; Six-One; Six-Blank; Double-Five; Five- Four; Five-Three; Five-Two; Five-One; Five-Blank; Double- Four ; Four-Three; Four-Two; Four-One; Four-Blank; Double- Three; Three-Two; Three-One; Three-Blank; Double-Two; Two- One; Two-Blank; Double-One; One-Blank; Double-Blank.

To Shuffle And Determine The First Pose.

Shuffling the dominoes (also called making) is done by turning them face downwards on the table, and mixing them about with the fingers in such manner as to prevent the position of any given domino being known. Each player has a right to perform this operation.

The right to the first pose, or turn to play (also known as the "down"), has next to be decided, and this is usually done by each player drawing and turning up one domino, and the holder of the lowest number of points having the preference. The dominoes thus used are returned to the pack, and again shuffled with the rest. Each player then takes randomly from the dominoes nearest to him the number appropriate to the game to be played, and these constitute his "hand". The remaining dominoes are called the stock.

BLOCK GAME

Each player draws seven pieces. The highest double, leads in the first hand, and after that each player leads alternately until the end of the game. There is no drawing. A player unable to match says, "Go," when his opponent plays again, and so on until a number is posed which the player who passed can match.

If any one is able to play his last piece while his opponent still holds one or more of his, he yells, "Domino," and wins the hand.

If domino is made, the opponent scores all the pips on the pieces in his opponent's hand. If the game is blocked, the unplayed pieces in hand are shown, and the player holding the fewest pips scores the number held by both added together. Thus: If A remains with Six-Five, and B remains with Four-Blank, Five-One, and the game is blocked, B scores twenty-one.

The pieces are then re-mixed, and a fresh hand is taken.

The player who first scores one hundred or more wins the game.

The Block game is sometimes played by four persons, two being partners against the other two, as at Whist. When played with partners, each takes six pieces, four remaining undrawn. When the game is blocked, the pips on the unplayed pieces of the partners are added together, and the lowest pair score against their adversaries as at the two-handed game.