Dominos are small, rectangular blocks of wood or plastic used in various games. They are typically marked on one side with a line and arrangement of spots. Some are blank on the other side. The purpose of the game is to place dominoes in a row and try to score points.
Dominoes are also commonly used as playing cards. While the game has a different character, most of its rules are the same. In the most basic version, a player draws seven tiles from stock. Each piece is then placed edge-to-edge against each other. One tile may be replaced by another, but the total number of pips on the two pieces must be the same.
Traditionally, European-style dominoes were made from ivory, bone, and dark hardwood. Some dominoes use Arabic numerals instead of pips.
Although there are many variants of the game, the most popular variant is the scoring game. Players try to get the most points by getting rid of all of their opponents’ tiles. If there are a certain number of pips left, the player with the fewest pips wins the game.
Dominoes are also played online. A game can be set up to be played with more than one player, or it can be played alone. When a domino falls down, it starts a chain reaction that can cause the other dominoes in the line to fall down as well.
Many children prefer to play with dominoes as toys. It can be fun to line them up and make interesting shapes. Also, if you do not have dominoes, you can create your own course with other objects.
Originally, the term domino meant a masquerade mask or long hooded cloak. However, by the 1860s, it was being used to describe the pieces of a card game. Before the game spread, it was mainly used in certain areas of England to circumvent religious proscriptions against playing cards.
Most dominoes are double-six sets with 28 tiles. This is a good size for most dominoes games. There are also other sets, such as a double-18 with 190 tiles, or a double-15 with 136 tiles.
There are also traditional Chinese dominoes, which are known as Tien Gow. Unlike Western dominoes, these have no pips. Instead, each tile belongs to a suit, and each face of a thrown die is represented by a tile in the dominoes.
Traditional Chinese dominoes are known to have been around for about a hundred years. During this time, they were primarily used for positional games. But, they have also been used in trick-taking games.
In the mid-18th century, dominoes began to spread in Europe. By the late 1700s, they had been introduced to England. Soon after, they started appearing in literature in America.
As with any new technology, there is often a domino effect. A domino effect occurs when a small change creates a cascade of similar changes in other parts of an organization. These changes are often linked to personal beliefs. Sometimes, a change can even be caused by a merger or downsizing.