Domino is an elegantly simple toy that can be used to create complex, imaginative domino effects and reactions. But a lot of people just use it to play a few games. What makes a domino effect so interesting is that one event can cause a long chain reaction that takes time to complete.
A domino effect is also a metaphor for the way events can influence each other in a very indirect way. For example, when you are a successful business leader, your leadership may inspire others to follow suit. But, unlike the physical domino that falls over when a small force pushes it to its tipping point, the effect of your leadership is not directly visible to everyone. Rather, the effects of your leadership are felt by the people who work for you.
In the west, the word domino usually refers to a set of 28 rectangular tiles with a number on each end and blank or identically patterned on both sides: each tile has a series of pips, dots or numbers that add up to seven. Traditionally, the numbered dominoes were painted in black and white to make them easy to identify. More recently, many large domino sets have been made in a range of colors and with more readable Arabic numerals.
The most common domino games are the Block Game and Draw Game. These can be played with a standard set or with the more elaborate double-eight dominoes. The rules of the game specify that all players must occupy the same area of the table. Then, each player draws a hand of dominoes and lays them out in front of him, touching the ends of the exposed ones together (one’s touch one’s, two’s touch two’s). If the exposed ends of the dominoes total any multiple of five, the player earns a score.
Once the dominoes are arranged, a player takes his turn in playing a domino to the table. The player then scores points by forming a line of dominoes that touch each other with the exposed ends of the dominoes matching (one’s touch one’s, or two’s touch two’s). He also earns points for scoring adjacent squares of the same color.
If he can’t lay down a domino for some reason, the player passes his turn and then the next person plays. When all the players have played all their dominoes, the winner is the first player to earn a full scoring hand of seven dominoes. The score is tracked and recorded by the presiding judge. In some countries, the winner of the game is awarded a prize. In other countries, the winner is simply declared to be the best. The game is popular in the United States and around the world. It has even been adapted into a television show and movie. The popularity of the game has encouraged other manufacturers to produce more elaborate and sophisticated versions. In addition to the deluxe wood blocks, there are now plastic, electronic and even 3D dominoes available.