How Domino Creates a Chain Reaction
Domino is a game that involves matching the ends of dominoes and then laying them down in lines or angular patterns. It is also a metaphor for building something that has a positive impact on other things. One of the most common domino analogies is to create a chain reaction, where one thing leads to the next and eventually results in a significant outcome. A domino effect is often referred to in business settings, where a company implements changes in its processes that cause a ripple effect among employees and customers.
The game of domino is played by two or more players on a tabletop with a set of dominoes. The tiles are arranged in a stack called the stock, and each player draws a number of dominoes specified by the rules for the particular game being played. The player who draws the heaviest tile makes the first play. If there is a tie, the tie is broken by drawing new dominoes from the stock.
A domino is a flat thumb-sized rectangular block with either a blank or a surface bearing from one to six pips or dots. A complete set of dominoes contains 28 such tiles. When played with, the dominoes are set up in a line of play and each player takes turns playing a tile. The player who plays a tile has the option to place it at an open end of the line of play or on top of another domino that matches in a specified way, such as a double or a single.
There are many different types of domino games. Some are blocking games such as bergen and muggins, where the goal is to prevent opponents from scoring. Others involve scoring, where the points are determined by counting the pips (spots on a domino) in the losing player’s hands. Still other domino games are duplicate card games, where a player must match the numbers of her cards to those of an opponent in order to win.
Once all the tiles are matched and laid, a line is formed called the layout or string of play. Then each player in turn places a domino in the layout so that its open end is joined to the open end of the last tile played or to an edge of another domino that matches the color, number, or shape of the domino being placed. If a player cannot make a play, she “knocks” or raps the table and play passes to the other player.
The winner of a game of domino is the person who has the most total points after all the tiles have been played, including any bonuses. Some games have additional rules that determine the total points such as buying a certain amount of dominoes from the stock at the beginning of the game, or adding to a score by the number of pips left in the stock after all the tiles have been played.