The Basics of Domino

Domino is a game that’s easy to learn, played with wooden tiles and a board or table. The object is to place your tiles so that they touch either end of a domino chain and then gradually increase in length. It’s a fun way to pass the time, and can be a competitive sport or a relaxing hobby.

How Domino Works

Before a game begins, the pieces are shuffled so that no one knows where they’re located. Then, players draw seven dominoes for their hand and begin playing.

The first domino falls, and the potential energy it stores is released as kinetic energy, or the energy of motion (see Converting Energy). It’s transmitted to the next domino, which then knocks over its own. Then the energy travels back to the first domino, and so on, until the last domino is knocked over.

It’s also a great example of the principle known as the “domino effect,” which describes how a single change to one behavior can cause a cascade of other changes. The domino effect was used in the political world to explain Communism’s spread from one country to another, but it can be applied to any situation in which one action leads to a chain of related actions.

Some people call the domino effect “the law of symmetry.” When you make a change to one thing, it often causes a similar shift in another area. This is why changing your weight can cause a drop in your blood pressure, and how reducing sedentary activities can reduce your daily calorie intake.

In addition to the traditional hardwoods like ebony, some domino sets are made from stone or ceramic clay. These are more expensive than wood and less common, but they have a unique look that’s different from the traditional polymer-based dominos.

They’re also more durable and are easier to keep clean. And they’re more attractive to young children, who like to play with them.

There are several variations of the game, but the basic rules are:

The Rules of Domino Play

In a standard or “block” game, each player chooses six tiles. Then, the player who drew the highest double or the highest domino plays first. Then the other three players take turns choosing six more tiles, until everyone has picked seven.

The player with the highest total score wins the game. The winning tile can be a single, a double, or a triple.

A double has two ends and is always open; a single has one end and is not open. The rule is that if a double has any other tile connected to it, no additional tile can be placed.

Many other games can be played with dominoes, including Spanish-style “Patron”, which is often a four-player game; Portuguese-style “Club” and “Horde”; and British pub versions of the “Block” and “Draw” games. In a “Draw” game, the player with the highest score draws the tiles from a special deck of cards that are used for this purpose.