A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block that has one side with numbers and the other with blank or dotted surfaces. Dominos are usually painted and can come in many different colors. A domino is played with other players or against the computer in a variety of games. They can also be used as toys to create a number of intricate designs.
In the game of domino, each player has a hand of dominoes and the goal is to lay them out in long lines that eventually topple over. Each time a domino is tipped, it affects the next domino in the line, which in turn causes more and more to tip until all of them are overturned. The resulting chain effect is what gives the game its name, and it is this that led to the popular expression “the domino effect,” meaning that one event can cause a series of events with much greater (and sometimes catastrophic) consequences.
Dominoes are often used to create patterns that can be used for art projects, including paintings, mosaics, or 3D structures like towers and pyramids. They can be arranged to form straight or curved lines, grids that make pictures when they fall, and even stacked walls. One of the most well known artists working with dominoes is Hevesh, a 20-year-old who has over 2 million YouTube subscribers. She has created elaborate domino setups that take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
A more serious use of domino is in strategic play, where the objective is to knock over all the opponents’ dominoes before they are able to make any moves. The first person to do this wins the hand. There are countless games that can be played with dominoes, but most require the use of an entire set, which generally consists of 28 dominoes: seven doubles (same number on both ends from a double blank to a double six) and 21 singles (different numbers on each end or a number and a blank).
Some of the more popular strategy games include chess, backgammon, poker, and checkers. Each of these has its own rules and variations on the basic game. The most common strategy is to place your pieces around the edge of a board in order to make it difficult for your opponents to reach the center. Once all of the pieces are in place, the game starts, and each player takes turns placing a domino in front of him. He then scores based on the total number of dots in the opponents’ hands. For each multiple of five above a multiple of five, the winner earns an additional point. There is no limit to the total score that a player can win, and it is not uncommon for players to add extra points for blocking other players from making plays. This is why some people prefer to play in teams rather than alone.