In the game of dominoes, players try to score pairs by exposing the faces of two of the tiles in their hand. If the four values of the two tiles add up to twelve, they take the pair and score a point. If they tally any other number, the tiles are turned face down again and the player’s turn is over.
In some variants of the game, players attempt to collect more points by scoring a series of “ends” that accumulate towards a total score. In British public houses and social clubs, a scoring version of this is commonly played by the name “5s-and-3s”: it involves attaching one tile to the other to divide each end by five or three, each of which scores a point.
The most common commercially available sets are double-six (28 tiles) and double-nine (55 tiles). Each tile features a number from 0 to 6; each is also a member of the suit of that number, meaning the tile can be matched with any other tile on the grid.
Dominoes are used in a variety of games, most of which involve laying down or blocking a line of tiles. Some are more elaborate than others, involving intricate patterns that look pretty impressive when the first tile is knocked down.
As with many other kinds of games, different rules are in place for each variation. Most common are layout games, where the goal is to match tiles in a row or column, and scoring games, where the aim is to make a certain number of “ends” by attaching tiles to one end of those already played.
Other types of domino games are more specialized, such as solitaire or trick-taking variants. Most of these are adaptations of card games and were once popular in countries where playing cards were banned or restricted by religion.
There are also a large number of other forms of domino-like games, some of which use proprietary tiles, and some that use a combination of standard and nonstandard ones. Some are even adaptations of other games, such as a transportation-themed version called “Domino Express” developed by Thierry Denoual.
Another example is the “Domino Draw” game, which was developed by Thierry Denoual and uses a double-six set of dominoes bent into 120-degree curves. This allows the line of play to branch and get blocked in one or more directions, depending on how the curved tiles are laid out.
When it comes to personal development, the Domino Effect is a useful strategy for keeping new habits on track and getting more accomplished in life. It works by focusing on the activities that you’re most excited about and trying to get them to “knock over” more of your other interests.
According to Ivy Lee and Charles Schwab, the idea behind this strategy is that if you concentrate your energy on something that moves other areas forward, that will help you succeed in the long run. Often, it will be hard to find that one activity that really gets you moving forward, but finding a habit that fits with your personal goals is a good way to start.