Dominoes were introduced into Europe in the mid eighteenth century and by the end of that century the game had reached England. Early dominoes were made of thin pieces of bone which were later glued onto ebony backings. This enabled them to stand on their edges. Later sets were wooden with cheaper versions being made of plastic. There are generally twenty-eight dominoes in a set and the usual number of players is four, giving each player seven dominoes at the start of each game.