The Basics of Domino

Domino, also known as dominoes or bones, is a game in which players place tiles edge to edge to build up a line of matching dominoes. The player who first places a domino that makes a match wins the round. There are many different domino games and a number of rules that govern them. When playing, it is important to know the rules and strategies of each. This will help ensure a fair and enjoyable experience for all players.

A domino is a rectangular tile marked with an arrangement of spots or pips on one side and blank or identically patterned on the other. The pips may have numerical values, or they may be arranged in a circle to indicate that the domino is a spinner. The value of a domino is determined by the sum of all the pips on one side. A domino with a higher number of pips is referred to as being “heavier” than a domino with fewer pips.

The most common use of dominoes is for positional games, where each player in turn places a domino edge to edge against another, either to form an exact total or to make an incomplete or partial matching set. After a set is complete, the player who made that play then plays a domino of his own from his hand to add to the line of play. This continues until the end of the line is reached or the game ends.

In some games, the entire set of tiles is shuffled and forms a stock or boneyard from which the players draw to fill their hands. When a player draws more than the number of tiles allowed for his hand, these extra tiles remain face down and may be used later in the game (see “Passing and Byeing” below).

Each domino has two sides, each with an equal value. The value of each domino is indicated by the sum of all the pips in one side of the domino and the number of dots on the other. The domino that has the highest value is called the lead. The leader is the first domino played in the line of play and decides what kind of domino to play next.

After a domino has been played, it joins the line of play, which is sometimes referred to as the layout, string or chain of play. The next domino in the line must match it in number or type, and is placed on the open end of the preceding domino. Doubles are played crosswise and singles lengthwise.

When a domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy and pushes the next domino over. This process, called the domino effect, can be applied to a number of other areas of human activity. For example, a change in an organization can trigger a series of events that affect other organizations and the surrounding community. For example, a domino effect is what led to the collapse of the financial industry and triggered the financial crisis of 2008. Similarly, changing the name of a product at a company can have a domino effect on its sales and on other companies in the same industry.