Domino (sometimes spelled dominoe) is a small, flat block used to play games of chance and skill. It is generally twice as long as it is wide, and has a line across the middle that divides it visually into two square ends with values marked in Arabic numerals. The value of each end may vary from six pips to none or blank. The total value of all pips on a domino is its rank or weight. Domino is a popular game among young children, and adults can set up elaborate domino art that is admired by many.
Those who have ever watched a line of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dominoes being set up in a careful sequence and then toppled with just one small nudge know the power of the domino effect. It can be spectacular and mind-blowing, a visual demonstration of how one thing can cause another to happen, or it can simply show how something that seems so simple can lead to the complex, the unexpected, and the awe-inspiring.
A domino is so powerful because it has inertia, a tendency to stand still or resist motion until something pushes on it. A nudge, a rap on the table, or a domino effect can change everything, causing a cascade that is not only exciting to watch but also causes the listener to wonder what it will take for that next domino to tip over, leading to the even more impressive one after that.
In a domino game for two players, the pieces are shuffled and placed face down on the table, then each player draws seven tiles from the stock, or boneyard, choosing the heaviest domino. A player then plays the first tile, and after each additional tile is played, the remaining ones fall in a row, one after the other. The player who reaches the end of the row wins.
There are several variations of the domino game, and some sets have more than 28 pieces. The most common Western domino set has double-six pips, and a traditional 32-piece Chinese domino set is designed to represent all possible combinations of two thrown dice. Some Chinese dominoes have blank faces, while others have pips that are duplicated.
In addition to being fun for children and their parents, dominoes are useful tools for learning and experimenting with math and engineering. They help children develop an understanding of number and order, as well as proportions, scale, and ratio. They can be arranged in straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some people create intricate domino art, such as the 15-color rainbow spiral that Lily Hevesh built in 2017 using 12,000 dominoes. Others build them for the thrill of seeing just how far a single domino can go. Whether they are playing with family or in competitions at domino shows, builders strive for the greatest length of a domino line or the most elaborately constructed and imaginative reaction before an audience of fans.