Dominoes are a game of chance in which players try to make a sequence of tiles that connect at both ends. It is similar to the game of Bridge, but the dominoes are laid out on a table instead of a board.
Several different types of dominoes exist, including those with blank ends, which have no spots or pips. These are known as “unique” dominoes. They are popular for domino games involving multiple players or for those who want to play long dominoes.
The most common type of domino is the “double six” set, which contains 28 pieces (also called tiles). Each piece in the set has one unique end and a number of spots from six to none.
Many other sets are also available. Some are extended by introducing ends with more spots, and others by removing spots entirely. Larger sets such as double-21 (253 tiles) are theoretically possible, but they seem to be very rare.
Most dominoes are about twice as wide as they are tall, making it easier to stack them together after use. Some are made from solid wood, and others are carved out of other materials such as ivory or ebony.
Some dominoes have a line in the middle that divides them into two squares, called ends. A domino’s value is determined by the number of pips on each end. The highest-value piece has six pips on each end, but can have none or a blank end, depending on the game.
It is common for the game to be played in pairs or a group of friends, where everyone chooses seven dominoes each, but not all dominoes have to be from the same set. It is possible to have a domino from each player’s set, and it is even sometimes possible for a player to have the same tile from multiple sets.
There are two main ways to play a game of dominoes: the Block game and the Draw game. In the Block game, the first domino is placed next to the last domino in a row. It is then the responsibility of the other player to take a domino from the same row and play it against the first domino. When this is done, the next dominoes in that row are played against the first domino and so on until all the rows are filled.
The draw game is a variant of the Block game in which the first domino is not the last domino in a row. This first domino is called a “doublet”. The next four dominoes must be played against the first doublet so that they form a cross, which allows all of them to be played against the rest of the tiles. The draw game is much more popular in some parts of the world than the block game, and it is typically played by two players with a “double six” set.
While the domino effect is often associated with the game of dominoes, it also applies to other aspects of life. For example, Jennifer Dukes Lee learned that making her bed each day helped her become more organized in other areas of her life.