Domino is a game in which players place dominoes on a table and then knock them over in sequence. It has long held a place in various cultures across the world, serving as a unifying force that transcends linguistic and geographic boundaries. The game is a testament to humanity’s innate desire for connection and companionship, demonstrating our shared humanity in the way that it brings people together in bustling city squares or quiet village homes.
The first domino that is pushed, also known as the set or the down, establishes the direction of play for the rest of the game. The player who makes the first play is referred to as the leader. Several rules exist for determining which domino is played first. Some games have the player who draws a double take the lead, while others require the player who holds the heaviest tile to begin play. Still other games specify that a player may bye any tile in the stock and then add it to his hand.
A domino has two matching ends, which are marked with pips (small dots that indicate values of one to six). These pips are arranged in a specific pattern. The number of pips on a particular end gives the domino its rank or “weight”; for example, a double-six is more weighty than a single-six because it has more pips. The rank of a domino may be determined by counting the number of pips in the two matching ends or by placing the domino on a board with a chart that shows the rank for each type of domino.
When a domino is placed, it must be touching its neighbor in at least one spot—a contact point called the base—and it must be perpendicular to any adjacent dominoes. If the domino is a double, it must touch both the base and the contact point on its other side. This allows the formation of a chain of dominoes, which can then be pushed by another player’s tile.
When a domino falls, it converts its potential energy to kinetic energy and begins a chain reaction that continues until the last domino is knocked over. This is similar to the transfer of energy in nerve impulses from the brain to the body, as a domino’s kinetic energy pushes on its neighbors, eventually sending them over. When the final domino falls, it triggers a cascade of events that leads to the climax of the story. The key to creating a successful Domino Effect is proper timing: the scenes must flow smoothly without hiccups as the hero moves closer to or farther from his goal.