Domino is a tile game in which players place dominoes end to end or side to side, forming lines of dots that total some number. The most common domino sets contain 28 tiles, but larger ones exist for more elaborate games or to enable several players to play. Each domino has a unique combination of pips, or numbers, that are used to identify it in the set. Each domino also belongs to one or more suits, which determine the order in which it may be played. The most commonly used suits are threes, fours, and fives, but specialized suits, such as the nines or 0s, can also be found in some sets.
Dominoes are a great way to develop skills of hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and planning. They can also be used to create works of art, including curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and 3D structures like towers or pyramids.
You may have seen videos of long chains of dominoes toppling over each other in a satisfying cascade of rhythmic motion. This phenomenon, called the domino effect, is created by tipping one domino just so that it contacts another. This causes the first domino to fall, which in turn triggers all the others.
Many different types of domino games are played, but the most popular are the blocking and scoring games. In these games, each player takes turns placing a domino on the table such that its exposed ends match, or “dot,” with an adjacent domino. If the resulting combination is either identical or forms some specified number, the player wins that round.
In addition to the common domino sets made of polymer, a variety of natural materials have been used for dominoes, including bone (especially silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell or mother of pearl), ivory, and dark hardwoods such as ebony; metals, particularly brass or pewter; ceramic clay; and even crystal. These sets have a more distinctive look than the polymer ones and often feel heavier.
Many of us have heard the phrase, “A domino in motion is a force to be reckoned with.” The same could be said of any behavior that starts off small but can quickly spiral out of control. Whether it’s a financial crisis or an international conflict, a domino effect can cause unintended consequences that have wide-reaching impacts.