Dominoes is a family of games played with small rectangular blocks of wood or plastic. The domino set is usually 28 pieces in number, but it may be larger or smaller. Each domino has an identity-bearing face on one side, and blank or identically patterned faces on the other side. The identity-bearing side is marked with an arrangement of dots, like those on a die, while the blank or patterned side is known as the “pips.” Dominoes are also referred to as bones, men, pieces, or tiles.
When one domino is toppled, it initiates a chain reaction that propagates down the line. Each successive domino adds its weight to the one that came before it, causing an increase in force or momentum. This phenomenon is called a “domino effect,” and it’s the same as the way nerve impulses travel down your spinal cord and brain to control every movement you make.
While most people know the domino game as a pastime for adults, it can also be used to teach children fundamentals of math and geometry, and to help them develop motor skills. For example, children can learn about the relationships between fractions and decimals by combining dominoes to make whole numbers. They can also learn about fractions by dividing one domino into multiple parts and then matching the parts to each other.
A domino game is played between two or more players. The first player draws a domino from the stock and places it on the table. The next player draws a domino from the stock, and places it on top of the previous domino. A player may also draw a single tile without an end, or a double, which is placed cross-ways across the previous tile. The next player then plays a tile on that double. This creates a domino chain, which develops snake-like as it moves across the playing surface.
The order in which the players make their plays is determined by the rules of the specific domino game. Some games require the first player to make a play, while others have no such requirement. If a player cannot make another play, the domino is discarded and the game ends. Occasionally, players will discover that they have drawn more dominoes for their hands than they are entitled to. If this happens, the player to their right takes the excess dominoes and returns them to the stock before any other players draw.
When a player makes a play, they may knock the table, or “rap” it, to signal that they can proceed. The opposing players will then take turns attempting to lay their own dominoes on the chain, and if they succeed, they win the game.