Domino is the term used to describe a series of events that begins with one simple action and ultimately leads to much greater, often catastrophic consequences. This is the concept behind the popular domino shows, where builders set up hundreds or thousands of dominoes in careful sequence to be tipped over by the nudge of just one. There are also many domino games that use the same basic principles to achieve mind-blowing results.
The word domino comes from the Latin “domino,” meaning “little emperor.” Both the word and the game have evolved significantly over time, from the early days of a long, hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season to the black ebony domino pieces contrasted against white surplices used in church services.
Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide, making them easy to re-stack after play. Each side of a domino has a number of dots, called pips, that vary in value from six to none or blank. The sum of the pips on a domino is called its rank or weight. A heavier domino is considered to have more power than a lighter one.
A domino may be played on any of the four sides; however, it is usually set on its longest edge. The heaviest domino starts the first turn of the game, with other players following in order of seating arrangement or, as in some games, by drawing lots to determine who will start. The winner of the last game also may open the first turn.
When a player makes his or her play, the open end of the domino is placed in contact with the left or right hand of the player sitting next to him or her. This arrangement is known as the line of play and varies depending on the game being played. Some games require that the line of play extend to all four edges of the table; others limit the line of play to a specified number of tiles.
During the course of a game, some tiles are passed and discarded (see “Passing and Byeing” below). Other tiles remain face down in the stock, to be drawn as needed and played as permitted by the rules of the game being played. In some games, the players buy tiles from the stock and add them to their playing hands.
There are also several games that do not use the line of play, such as solitaire domino and trick-taking games. These are more like card games and were once popular as a way of circumventing religious proscriptions against playing cards. There are even domino versions of some board games, such as Chess and Checkers. Some people also enjoy creating artistic designs with dominoes, ranging from straight lines to curved lines to grids that form pictures or 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. The resulting artwork is usually referred to as domino art. When planning a domino design, it is important to consider the overall effect that you want the completed art to have, as well as how large your domino track will be and what kind of force will be required to cause all the dominoes to fall in the desired way.