Domino is a two or more player game played with dominoes. Each domino features a number on one end and the goal of this game is to create chains of dominoes with that number on both ends – this typically results in one person winning; although certain rules allow for multiple winners who achieve this by creating chains with total numbers displayed across their dominoes being added up into an aggregate score totaling to certain sum.
Dominoes is an enjoyable game for children and adults of all ages, being simple to pick up yet offering hours of enjoyment for players. While often used for traditional blocking and scoring games, dominoes can also be modified into numerous other strategies; many adaptations of other games contribute to its long-lasting popularity.
Start out a game of dominoes by placing all the dominoes on the table in an orderly line, drawing from a stock, then drawing one from your hand – beginning play by the player with the heaviest domino (either single or double). Tiebreakers may include drawing new dominoes from stock; some games require that first play must involve drawing double dominoes while others require picking out one that weighs the heaviest single domino first.
Once a player makes his or her initial play, each must place his or her domino so it touches one or more matching dominoes in the line of play. If one cannot do this successfully, that player “chips out”, placing a matching piece onto another domino in the line. Other players then continue play until either another player “chips out”, or until all possible plays have been exhausted in that particular round of dominos.
During the Cold War, America employed what became known as the Domino Theory to promote an idea that any isolated nation can easily be taken over by other countries looking for natural resources or strategic materials. Many credit this tactic with helping bring down Soviet Russia and bring an end to the Cold War.
The term domino was once associated with long hooded cloaks worn at carnival season or at masquerades, and this connection could have had an influence on its development. French speakers may recall it for another purpose – denoting capes worn over priest surplices; possibly domino pieces once composed of ebony black and ivory faces were enough to remind some players of such garments.
Lily Hevesh utilizes this same strategy when planning for her domino installation; she divides fractions into smaller units to determine how many and where dominoes should be arranged on a table, in order to prevent accidentally knocking over large blocks that could disrupt construction altogether. When writing books, each plot point should be seen as potential dominoes that could topple over and change its course altogether.
