Domino, also known as dominoes, is a game played with a set of small blocks shaped like dice with flat ends and marked with dots resembling those on a die. The game can be played on the floor, a table, or any other flat surface. People who enjoy domino use their imagination and skill to create layouts and patterns, and can even design 3-D structures like towers and pyramids. In addition to playing the game for fun, many players enjoy competing against others to see who can build the most complex layouts or create a chain of dominoes that cannot be broken.
In some domino games, the player with the most tiles in his hand makes the first play. If there is a tie, the player draws additional dominoes from the stock and the winner of that round is determined. In some cases, the winning player must buy all the remaining tiles in the losers’ hands. Often, however, the winner is determined by counting the total number of pips on the dominoes that were left in the losing players’ hands at the end of their hand or the game and adding that number to the winning player’s score.
While domino is primarily played by individuals, it is also popular in schools and youth groups as a team-building activity. The game can be played with as few as two people, but it is most enjoyable when more than one person is involved. The game is also a good way to practice math skills and motor coordination. The ability to keep track of multiple digits is essential for those who want to play the most complex domino games.
The name of the game derives from the Latin word domino, which means “I dominate.” The earliest known domino was made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with black or white inlaid or painted pips. Today, dominoes are most commonly made of polymer or wood composite. They are available in a wide variety of colors, styles and finishes. Some sets are decorated with intricate designs and graphics, while others are molded in the shape of animals, cars or buildings.
A well-known feature of the game is the domino effect, wherein a single change in behavior triggers a chain reaction that causes other related changes. For example, people who reduce the amount of time they spend watching television and eating mindlessly will likely also reduce their fat intake. The physics of the game are similar to the physics of nerve cells, or neurons: when one domino is triggered, it sends a pulse that travels down the line without loss of energy.
The most common dominoes are double-nine, which has 55 tiles, and double-12, which has 91 tiles. There are also a few extended sets, such as double-18, which has 190 tiles. The maximum number of pips on an end is 15, but it is possible to extend the set by adding more sets, increasing the number of unique combinations of ends.