The Basics of Domino

domino

Domino, a game of skill and strategy played with rectangular tiles, has fascinated people for centuries. Its simplicity and versatility make it suitable for all ages and skill levels. From the basic block games to the more complex Mexican Train and Matador, domino has a wide variety of games that can be played by one or many players, with different rules and strategies.

During a game of domino, the player draws a number of tiles from the stock according to the rules of that particular game. The player who makes the first play is referred to as the setter, downer, or leader. Once a player has drawn the amount of tiles he is permitted to take, he places them in his hand. He then plays those tiles that can be used to advance the game and he passes the remaining ones to the opponent.

The word domino is actually a contraction of the Latin dominium, meaning “dominant,” and English word denoting a long hooded cloak worn over a priest’s surplice during carnival season or at a masquerade. Its modern usage dates from after 1750. The word also has a French sense referring to the hooded cloak itself, as well as the playing pieces that contrasted with the white of the surplice.

When a domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, the energy of motion, and some of that energy is transferred to the next domino. Then that domino, in turn, provides the push that causes the next domino to fall. This chain reaction continues until the last domino has fallen.

A domino, also called a bone, card, men, or piece, is normally twice as long as it is wide. It features a line, or ridge, down the middle to divide it visually into two squares, each of which is marked with an arrangement of spots, or pips, similar to those on a die, except that some of the pips are blank. The value of each side varies from six to none or, in some cases, a combination of both.

In most games of domino, a line of dominoes is formed as players place their tiles on the table, matching up their pips with the open ends of adjacent dominoes. The resulting formation is then played according to the rules of that particular game. There are some exceptions, however.

Hevesh tests out the biggest sections of her domino installations by putting them up in front of her camera. This way, she can see how they will look in slow motion, and make precise corrections if needed. Once she’s confident that the largest 3-D sections are working properly, Hevesh begins connecting them using lines of dominoes.

Hevesh is careful to omit the final few dominoes in her final layouts until she’s sure they will all work together. This helps ensure that even a small accidental knockover won’t bring the entire project crashing down.