Domino, a game of skill and strategy using rectangular tiles, has fascinated people around the world for centuries. From simple block games to more complex ones such as Mexican Train and Matador, there are many different ways to play domino, each with its own rules and strategies. The versatility of this game has contributed to its enduring popularity and widespread appeal.
Although domino can be played by one person, it is most often a game of competition between two players. To start, each player draws a number of dominoes from the stock according to the rules of the specific game being played. Then, each player places a domino on the table so that its matching ends touch, forming a chain that continues to grow. Some domino chains are very simple while others take several nail-biting minutes to fall, making the creation of these chains a major part of the entertainment that domino provides.
In some games, a particular tile is designated as the “heaviest.” This tile may be a double, which can match with itself on all four sides, or a simple single. Depending on the rules of the particular game being played, the heaviest tile may determine which player begins play. Alternatively, the player who has drawn the most tiles from the stock (see “Passing and Byeing” below) may make the first move.
Some domino games allow the players to “buy” tiles from the stock by putting them down in place of existing dominoes on the table. The rules of the specific game will determine whether or not a player can buy tiles and how much the player must pay for them.
As a result of the variety of rules and possibilities for buying and selling tiles, domino sets are available in a range of sizes. The most common are double-twelve and double-nine, which contain 91 and 55 dominoes respectively. In addition, larger sets are also available with more and less dominoes.
Domino art is the practice of using dominoes to create artistic designs or patterns. Often, these designs are based on a particular theme or idea. They can be as simple or as elaborate as a grid that forms pictures when it falls, or as intricate as 3-D structures like towers and pyramids. When creating a design, the artist must decide what kind of track to use and calculate how many dominoes are needed for the desired shape. This information can be found in the rulebook for a particular game or on a website dedicated to domino art. Then, the artist must sketch a plan on paper to help him or her determine how to arrange the dominoes. Once the plan is complete, the artist can begin to build the actual design. When the design is completed, it can be photographed for publication or displayed in a public space. This type of domino art is popular in museums and at special events such as weddings and birthday parties.