Domino is a popular table game that consists of an arrangement of small square tiles marked with spots, or “pips,” that are identically patterned on one face and blank on the other. Like playing cards, dominoes can be used to play games of chance and skill. The first player to complete a line of matching dots or pips wins the hand. In some games, the players compete against each other, with each player trying to win as many hands as possible by laying down all of their dominoes before their opponents do.
The history of dominoes dates back to the 12th century, when they were most likely invented in China. Since then, they have become a beloved pastime for people of all ages around the world. They can be found in many different forms, from simple sets of plastic dominoes to large sets with intricate motifs and wood carvings.
A typical set of dominoes includes a large double-sided domino board and matching plastic troughs for each player, as well as a set of domino tiles with numbered spots. The troughs are a convenient way for players to place their dominoes during a game. The domino tiles are typically made of ivory, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), or a dark hardwood such as ebony. They are often painted with contrasting black or white pips.
In most domino games, each player takes turns placing a domino, or “chipping,” on the edge of an existing tile. Generally, each domino must be placed so that its two matching ends are adjacent to each other unless it is a double, in which case it must be played across the end of another domino. When the dominoes reach a point at which none of the players can proceed, play ends. The winner is the player who has a total of the most matching pairs of dominoes in his or her hand, including the two dominoes in the troughs.
If you want to learn more about the rules of domino games, there are many books available. The most extensive is “The Great Book of Domino Games,” by Jennifer A. Kelley, which contains rules and examples for more than 75 games.
If you want to use the domino effect in your writing, consider how it would apply to a narrative. Each scene domino might represent a character’s reaction to an event, while the whole chain of scenes might be considered the overall plot. Whether you compose your story spontaneously or follow a careful outline, using domino effects can help to strengthen the overall narrative structure. In fiction, the domino effect can also be used to advance a theme or argument.