Dominoes are a type of flat, double-sided tile that can be used to form chains of numbered dominoes. They have a number of pips on each side and are traditionally white, but can also be colored black or another color. There are many games that can be played with domino, and the rules vary from one game to the next. Some of the most popular include domino block, double-blind draw, and twenty-one.
In a typical game, each player places a domino on the table positioning it so that its edge touches one end of a line of previously played tiles. The player then plays a second domino so that its edge touches the other end of the line, and so on. The players continue to play dominoes until either the entire chain is complete or someone cannot play anymore. The winner is the player who has the most points.
The word “domino” comes from the Latin dominium, meaning “power.” This can be a reference to the ability of the dominant piece to crush or wipe out all the other pieces. The domino has a similar power of its own, however, in that it can be set up to create amazing displays and structures. Domino artist Hevesh takes this idea to the next level, creating elaborate domino installations for movies, TV shows, and events–including an album launch for Katy Perry. She has worked on projects involving 300,000 dominoes and helped to set the Guinness World Record for the most dominoes toppled in a circular arrangement: 76,017.
Hevesh starts each project by brainstorming images or words that she wants to use for the display. She then creates a plan for how to arrange the dominoes. Depending on the project, this might involve placing them to form pictures, walls, or 3-D structures like towers and pyramids. She may even create a grid that spells out a word or phrase.
Typically, a domino game is played with a double-six set. The 28 tiles are shuffled and formed into the stock, or boneyard, from which each player draws seven. After each player draws, the player who has the highest domino makes the first play. If there is a tie, the tie is broken by drawing new tiles from the stock.
In some games, a player’s score is determined by the number of pips on the dominoes left in their opponents’ hands at the end of the hand or game. This scoring method is often more difficult to track, though, because the winning player must count every spot on each domino in the losers’ hands.
Some games use a “spinner” domino, which has a number on all four sides. Those dominoes are usually played crosswise, while other doubles (if they do not have a spinner) are played lengthwise in the line of play. In some games, the first double played is a spinner, while in others, each new double that is added must be a spinner.