How to Play Dominoes
A domino is a small rectangular block, either wood or plastic, that has one face blank or marked with dots resembling those on dice. These blocks are stacked on end to form long lines and, if they’re correctly spaced, can be tipped over so that the whole line falls. People who stack and play with dominoes have created amazing designs, and they’re known as domino artists. They can make straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, or even towers and pyramids. This activity is so popular that there are even YouTube videos showing these artists in action. It’s a fun pastime that can be enjoyed by the whole family, and it helps to develop visual spatial awareness.
Dominoes are also used to play a variety of games. Typical domino games include draw and domino cross. In draw, players take turns picking a domino from the tiles on the table and playing it against other dominos. This is usually done by placing the tile atop the first one in the line, or else it’s placed cross-ways on the line with its open ends facing up and down. If a player plays a domino that produces an even number on both ends, it’s said to be “stitched up,” meaning the other end is open to be played.
In domino cross, the first player starts with a doublet and then plays a tile adjacent to it on its long side. This sets up a chain that must be completed before other tiles can be played. The next two tiles in the chain must be played on their short sides, and so on. The first two players to complete the chain win.
Both of these games are played with a set of dominoes that are numbered from 1 to 28. Some sets are a little larger than others, but the basic principle remains the same: as one domino is played, the other ones in its line must be played on top of it. The result is that a line of dominoes is gradually built up that reaches its maximum length.
The domino effect is a term that refers to the way in which a single event can have wide-ranging consequences, causing other events to be influenced by it. It’s a common phenomenon that can affect people, businesses, and entire countries. When a company loses its competitive edge, it can have a domino effect on the rest of its industry. For example, a credit union that doesn’t invest in new technology could lose its market share and be swept up by rivals.