If you’re age 50 or older and you enjoy dominoes, the Lutz Senior Center, is a great place to go.
One recent day, the winners were clearly enjoying their victories — but even those who didn’t win seemed to be having fun.
The center, at 112 First Ave., N.W., in Lutz, draws quite a few competitors to the dominoes games it offers on weekdays.
Accounts vary over the origin of dominoes.
Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica say that dominoes originated in China and can be traced back to as early as the 10th century.
An article posted on Kidzworld.com, puts the beginning of dominoes a bit later — in around 1100 A.D.
The Kidzworld story also said the game eventually arrived in Europe sometime during the 18th century.
But, the article also notes that a game similar to dominoes was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt, which dates back to 1355 B.C.
Whenever and wherever dominoes began, it remains a popular game.
Each set of dominoes has 28 tiles.
In the most basic game, the dominoes are laid face down and mixed up.
Each player then draws seven dominoes and arranges them so opponents cannot see them.
Each player plays one domino in turn by matching one of their dominoes with the open end of a domino that has already been played. If one player cannot play, the opponent goes on until a domino is placed that the blocked player can match.
The game ends when one player has played all their dominoes or when both players can no longer make a play.
The player who goes out first, or who has the fewest spots on his or her remaining pieces wins the game.
Dominoes is just one of many activities offered at The Lutz Senior Center, which is open with no membership fees to Hillsborough County adults age 50 and older.
Other amenities at the center include computers, classes, Internet access, nutritional services, public parking and Wi-Fi.
Meal services are available to registered participants who are 60 and older.
The center’s hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
To find out more, call (813) 264-3804.
Published June 28, 2017
