Domino, a cousin to playing cards and dice, are small wood or plastic blocks with a numbered surface on one side and blank or identically patterned surfaces on the other. Dominoes are used to play a variety of games and can be used in education and as a fun way to pass the time. They also serve as a way to hone math and strategic thinking skills.

Dominoes can be set up in any number of ways and can form lines, shapes, grids that create pictures, stacked walls, or even 3D structures like pyramids. Some people choose to create a domino art by simply arranging the tiles as desired, while others take it a step further and add a theme to their designs. Then, they draw arrows on a piece of paper to show the way they want the dominoes to fall, making sure to include the starting point and the ending point of their paths.

One of the most popular games to play with dominoes is a drawing game in which players place the first tile in the center and then follow the arrows on the paper. The player then places the next tile adjacent to that first one and continues to place tiles until all four sides of the domino are covered. The last tile is then played and the winner is determined by counting the number of pips (spots) in the winning player’s hand.

In addition to drawing games, there are many other types of domino play including blocking and scoring games. A blocking game, such as bergen or muggins, requires players to play all of their own dominoes before the opponent can play a single tile. Other types of domino games include a Mexican train, where the winning tile is played on either end of the first doubled tile.

The most common domino sets contain 28 tiles, although larger ones exist. Dominoes can be made from a variety of materials, including polymer (a type of plastic) and wood. Some players prefer to use natural materials, such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or ebony with pips (spots) in contrasting colors. These sets tend to feel heavier and look more authentic than those made from polymer or other manmade materials.

Writing Tip for Today

The word “domino” has several meanings, but the most common is a term referring to a sequence of events that cascade in a rhythmic manner. This is often seen in fiction, where a scene is triggered by another scene that reaches its climax and then leads to the resolution of the story. In business, a similar effect can be seen when a strong leader inspires and motivates employees to work harder, creating more success for the organization. Domino’s Pizza has a great example of this, with its CEO Don Meij appearing on the Undercover Boss reality TV series and working in one of their busiest restaurants and delivery services to observe how employees handle their responsibilities and how customers respond to their service.