Dominoes, a game played with a set of small blocks with the face of a domino marked by dots resembling those on dice, is one of the most popular games worldwide. The word domino, used in several senses, can be applied to a number of different situations and settings:
Domino is also an adjective, meaning “dominant,” or more generally, something that controls or influences other things. Hence the expression “domino effect,” which refers to a chain reaction or series of events that start with one thing and then trigger others. The phrase is often used in business to describe how one change can have a ripple effect, causing several other changes.
The term is used in a wide variety of activities and disciplines, including sports, politics, business, and music. For example, a musician who performs well in one concert may inspire other musicians to do better, leading to an improved performance the next time. In business, a domino effect is when a company’s success spawns more businesses in the same field. It’s also sometimes used to refer to a political situation where one country triggers another, causing a chain reaction that has far-reaching consequences.
A domino is also a piece of artwork or furniture made from a large number of pieces, each slightly smaller than the other, that are arranged in a circular pattern and then carefully toppled over so that they all fall on top of each other. The result is a beautiful, elaborate arrangement that takes many nail-biting minutes to complete. Dominoes have been popular for centuries, and the art form continues to grow in popularity. In addition to being a great way to pass time and relax, dominoes can also be an excellent teaching tool for children.
There are a number of different types of domino games, and the rules of each game may differ from one to the next. Some of the most popular games are positioning or blocking games, where a player places a domino edge to edge against another so that the adjacent faces match in some way. Other types of domino games are scoring or combinational games.
The most common domino sets contain 28 tiles, although larger sets exist for games with more than four players or for those who want to play longer dominoes. Most dominoes are made from materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or ebony with contrasting black or white dots. Some sets are even crafted from metals such as brass or pewter, which can add a unique look to the dominoes and a heavier weight to the pieces.
When playing a domino game, a player starts by placing his or her first tile on the table. The first domino to be played must be either a double or a spinner, which means that it has more than one pips on both sides. Each subsequent domino placed in the line of play must be a matching double or a spinner. The order of play may be determined by the rules of the specific game being played or by the position of other tiles on the table, such as a “set,” a “down” or a “lead.”