Enquire within upon everything by Robert Kemp Philp

At the commencement of the game the dominoes are well mixed together, with their faces upon the table. Each player draws one, and if four play, those who choose the two highest are partners against these who take the two lowest. Drawing the latter also serves to determine who is to lay down the first piece--a great advantage. Afterwards each player takes seven pieces at random. The eldest hand having laid down one, the next must pair him at either end of the piece he may choose, according to the number of pips, or the blank in the compartment of the piece; but whenever any one cannot match the part, either of the domino last put down, or of that unpaired at the other end of the row, then he says, "_Go_;" and the next is at liberty to play. Thus they play alternately, either until one party has played all his pieces, and thereby won the game, or till the game be _blocked_; that is, when neither party can play, by matching the pieces where unpaired at either end; then that player wins who has the smallest number of pips on the pieces remaining in his hand. It is to the advantage of every player to dispossess himself as early as possible of the heavy pieces, such as a double-six, five, four, &c. Sometimes, when two persons play, they take each only three or five pieces, and agree to _play_ or _draw_, i.e., when one cannot come in, or pair the pieces upon the board at the end unmatched, he draws from the pieces in stock till he finds one to suit. There are various other ways of playing dominoes, but they are all dependent on the matching of the pips.