Dominoes – A Game of Chance and Skill
Domino is a game of chance and skill, where players arrange dominoes in lines or columns on the edge of a flat table and then play them so that their ends match up. The end values of the dominoes are indicated by a number of dots or pips on each side. The more pips, the higher the value of the domino. Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide and feature a line in the middle to divide them visually into two squares, called ends.
The most common dominoes have a single-pip face with either black or white pips, but more elaborate sets can contain a variety of other colors and combinations of pips. The pips are used to mark the dominoes’ values and also indicate which type of tile can be played on each end.
There are many different games that can be played with a domino set, and each has its own rules. For example, one popular game involves forming chains of dominoes by laying down tiles with matching ends. The chain continues until all the dominoes are out of play, at which point a player must “chip out” with their last remaining domino to end the turn. The players then proceed to the next round.
A more sophisticated variation of this game involves a grid of dominoes on which players must place tiles based on the arithmetic properties of the pips. This type of domino puzzle can be very challenging and requires a high level of concentration.
Dominoes have been used for centuries in a variety of different games around the world and the game has become very popular in recent times. In addition to the traditional games, people have used dominoes for art, science and technology, and as components in Rube Goldberg machines.
The domino phenomenon has even had some practical relevance in the form of electronic amplifiers. In a scientific experiment, scientists found that adding dominoes to an electric circuit could increase the power output of an amplifier.
When playing domino, the first player in each hand begins by choosing a domino from the stock and then placing it on the edge of the table so that its matching end touches another domino with its own matching end. This is sometimes referred to as setting, leading, or posing the first bone. After each player has laid a domino, the next player takes their turn by picking a domino from the stock and then playing it.
The word domino may be derived from the Latin for lead (domino) or from the French word domination, which refers to the position of a priest’s cape over his surplice at church services. The domino piece’s contrasting black and white coloration may also be an allusion to the clergyman’s cape.
Domino’s Pizza, which was started in Ypsilanti, Michigan by Jim Monaghan in 1967, has become a major global franchise that offers delivery and carryout services for pizzas, salads, wings and other foods. The company’s success has been attributed to its focus on locating restaurants in college towns, where it can take advantage of a captive audience of young people who are eager for fast food options.