PUERTO RICAN DOMINO GAME Cameron, Max, and Lauren

FACTS ABOUT THE GAME The game, easy enough for children, yet challenging for adults, is an important thread in the social fabric of many Latin American countries. Some men gamble on the outcome of the games, women socialize between rounds, and children compete in tournaments after years of playing dominoes with family and friends. A set of 28 tiles, the most popular in Puerto Rico, can be used to play any number of games, including Double Six, Chicken foot, Mexican Train and Spinner. Each presents its own challenges, combining competition with camaraderie. Another word for dominoes is bones. In a serious match, looking away from the game can mean missing a play or failing to catch opponents cheating by passing subtle signals across the table indicating which tile to place. Whistling, or tapping the left or right foot are some common "trucos," or tricks, of cheaters. Smiling tells your partner you have the double six tile, which sports a full set of dots much as a smile shows off a mouthful of teeth.

There are many games that can be played with domino sets, and the rules vary from one country to the next, or even from one group of players to the next. But here are some basics on how to play Double Six, the most common form of the game: A set of 28 domino tiles are placed in the center of a table, face down. Four players sit around the table, partnering with the person across from him or her to make two teams of two players each. One player shuffles the tiles by mixing them up with his or her hands. Each player takes seven tiles, placing them in his or her 'hand' on edge, facing so that the other players cannot see them. Some domino tables have special ledges on the edges to help keep the 'hand' upright and hidden. There are different ways to determine who will play first. One way is to have each player draw a tile and agree that whoever has the highest number tile starts the round. Once the first tile is placed in the center of the table, each person plays one domino in turn. Each player must match the number of dots on an end of a tile in his or her hand to the open end of a domino already played. If the player cannot make a match, he or she must pass. Double tiles are traditionally placed on the table perpendicular to the tiles they match, forming a "T" shape. Play continues until one player runs out of dominoes, calling out, "domino," or none of the players can make a match. Each player counts the value of the remaining tiles in his or her hand. The team with the low score wins. The losing team counts the value of their remaining tiles and that total is awarded to the winning team. A game continues until one team reaches a pre-determined score, usually 100 or 500 points.

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