Variations of Dominoes

The game of dominoes is a family of tile-based games. Often called “gaming pieces”, dominoes are rectangular tiles with two square ends and a specific number of spots on each end. Players take turns forming sets of nine or more dominoes, building towers to score points. If the towers reach the top, the player wins. There are many variations of the game, including European-style dominoes and Variations of the Draw Game.

European-style dominoes

European-style dominoes are a game with a rich history. Originating in China in the early eighteenth century, the game spread to Europe and other parts of the world, including North America. Today, it is one of the most popular board games, and has many variations.

The European-style dominoes traditionally come in ivory and bone, and some have contrasting black and white pips. Modern-day domino sets are available in a wide variety of materials, including plastic and stone.

Variations of the Draw Game

In the game of domino, the Draw Game is more common than the Block Game. In this game, players take fewer dominoes at the beginning of the game. When a player is unable to place a domino, he or she must pick a sleeping domino to play. If the player has the highest double, they lead. If neither player leads, the remaining dominos are placed in the boneyard. Two players would start with seven dominoes. Three players would have five tiles, four players would take four, and five players would take one tile.

In another variation, the Draw game is played with no spinners. In this game, the player with the highest double places the first domino. From that point, play moves to the left (clockwise). Each player adds a domino to the open end of the layout. An example is the diagram above. In some variations, the layout is in a crosswise direction, while in others it is inline.

Organizational domino effect

In the business world, the term “organizational domino effect” can refer to the ripple effect created when a company introduces a new technology or downsizes its workforce. In any organization, any change or disruption must be handled carefully. Unfortunately, most businesses don’t approach these changes with a systemic focus.

When making decisions, proactive, collaborative, and transparent leaders should consider the Domino Effect. In addition to measuring the impact of each decision, they should also consider where the first domino falls in order to avoid an unplanned cascade of negative effects. They also understand that their decisions are only as effective as their team’s collaboration and trust.

Falling domino theory

The Falling Domino theory is an old concept that describes the influence of one nation upon another. Throughout history, there have been many examples of this phenomenon, including the Vietnam War. However, in this case, the dominoes had little impact on Vietnam, but did affect other countries in the region.

This theory posits that political events in one nation will lead to similar events in neighboring countries. Originally proposed by President Eisenhower to justify the Vietnam War, it was later used to justify the US’s involvement in Southeast Asia.