The Basics of Domino

Domino is a game of chance that involves placing domino tiles on the table to create chains of numbers. A player scores points by forming these chains. There are many different types of domino games, but most of them fall into one of four categories: bidding, blocking, scoring, and round games. The rules of a particular game are decided upon by the players before the game begins, and these rules will determine how each domino is played.

A domino is a rectangular tile bearing an arrangement of dots, known as pips, on its face. Each domino has an identifying mark on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. The identifying mark is usually a line or a ridge that runs parallel to the long edge of the tile. The term domino also refers to a set of such tiles or to the entire collection of them, regardless of whether they are marked on all sides or only one.

Most domino games are based on a combination of strategy and luck. A player must plan ahead in order to score as many points as possible. He must also consider the value of each tile in his hand when he makes a play. In some games, the player who plays the first tile scores the least amount of points. In others, the winner is determined by counting the number of pips in the losing players’ hands at the end of the game.

During the course of a game, the players will build a chain of dominoes by playing tiles in turn. Each time a tile is played, the resulting chain of dominoes grows longer and more complex. The chains may be either horizontal or vertical, and the number of tiles in each chain depends on the rules of the particular game.

When a player plays a domino, it must touch the end of a preexisting chain. This allows a player to continue adding dominoes to the chain. If a player plays out of turn, he must recall the misplayed domino before the next play. In some games, a player can “buy” tiles from the stock to add to his own collection of tiles in play.

In some cases, a player may be able to knock over an entire domino chain with just a single domino. This is called the Domino Effect, and it was demonstrated in a 1983 study by University of British Columbia physicist Lorne Whitehead.

The word “domino” derives from the Latin word for mountain, reflecting the rocky, mountainous appearance of some of the domino pieces. The word was in use in English by 1750 and in French soon thereafter, although it had an earlier sense referring to a hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade.

Lily Hevesh, who builds mind-blowing domino installations, follows a version of the engineering design process when planning out an installation. She will start with a general theme and brainstorm images or words that she might want to incorporate in the final setup. Then she will calculate how many dominoes will be needed to make her vision a reality. She will also draw arrows to indicate the direction in which she wants the dominoes to fall, assuming that she has a specific goal in mind for each track.