Domino is a game of skill and strategy. A player places a domino, or tile, on the table and then lays other dominoes around it to create chains of points. A chain may be straight or curved and can be as short or long as the player wishes. The end of a domino has a number of spots, or pips, that identify it. Each pips represents one unit of the total value of the domino, which can range from six to none or blank. The number of pips on each end of a domino is also known as its rank or weight.
The first domino to fall is said to set the pace, or lead, of a chain. Then, every other domino that comes into play must touch either the first or another domino on the same side as that first domino. The result is a chain that can spread outward or become a spiral.
A spiral domino pattern can be especially effective when played in a circle, and it is often used in the construction of large, complex displays for films, movies and events. Dominoes also are used to demonstrate physics and other scientific concepts.
Lily Hevesh, who builds domino displays for events and movies and helped set a Guinness record, says that before she begins an installation, she thinks about the theme or purpose of the display. She brainstorms images or words that she wants to use and then plans out how she will arrange the dominoes.
Hevesh uses fractions to help her determine how many dominoes she needs for a project and how they will be arranged. She then omits a few dominoes here and there until she is nearly finished. This helps her to prevent a small accidental topple that might bring down the entire installation. “I’m pretty good at preventing big accidental topples, but they happen in just about every project,” she says.
Dominoes can be made from plastic, wood or other materials and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Most sets contain 91 tiles. Some have extra pieces for re-stacking after use. The smallest set has a single-line double-six, while others have several sets in a box with different numbers of pips on the ends of the dominoes.
A game of domino can be played alone or with up to four players. In some games, a player wins by accumulating the most total points. When the game reaches a point that no one can continue playing, the winner is determined by the player who has the most combined total of spots on his remaining tiles. Other scoring methods are possible, including calculating the total points of all losing players. This method counts the pips on all the dominoes left in a loser’s hands at the end of a hand or a game, but only counts one end of a double (for example, 4-4 would count as only four points). Many players agree to employ a rule that allows players to make an additional play on any double after making their initial play.