What Is Domino?
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Domino is a game of chance and skill. Players place domino pieces in rows on a flat surface so that they touch each other. A player then draws a domino from his or her hand and, depending on the rules, either places it down or knocks over an existing piece. The person who lays the last tile wins. Domino is a popular game with kids and adults of all ages. It is possible to make up many different variations on the game, so it can be a fun activity for groups of friends and families.
The term “domino” also refers to the pizza restaurant chain named Domino’s, which was founded by Tom Monaghan in 1965. Monaghan bought the business from his father, James, and changed the name from DeVarti’s to Domino’s. The company has since expanded to more than 8,000 locations worldwide.
Dominoes are made out of clay or plastic, and have a small circular piece that is used to mark the spot where the domino will fall when it is set down. Each domino has a number of small dots or pips on each end, and may have a pattern on its face that differs from one set to the next. Most modern domino sets are made from polymer materials, such as styrene and vinyl. These materials are easy to work with, and can be molded into many shapes to create various designs.
The most common type of domino set has a total of twenty-six tiles, including double-sixes, double-twelves, and double-nine. There are also extended sets with additional pips on each end; these allow more players to play at the same time. Some sets also have a domino-sized die to help players determine who can start a new turn.
Traditionally, the first player begins a domino game by drawing a random tile from his or her hand and placing it on the table. Other methods for determining the starting player include using a drawing of lots or having each player place his or her heaviest tile in front of him or her. Once the dominoes are drawn, a domino chain develops as each player plays a tile to match it with an adjacent piece with matching numbers of pips.
A player can only lay a domino with a matching number of pips on one or both sides. The two matching ends must also touch fully. Doubles are placed across the ends of a domino chain, and a tile played to a double must be square.
The resulting chain of dominoes may form a snake-like shape or, if the chain is made up of just doubles, a straight line. A domino artist is able to create more elaborate chains by planning out the layout on paper and then letting gravity take its course. Dominoes can be arranged in straight lines, curved lines that form pictures, grids that build walls, and even 3D structures such as towers or pyramids. Hevesh, a domino artist who has created incredible displays involving hundreds of thousands of dominoes, credits the law of gravity with making her creations possible.