Domino is a rectangular wood or plastic block, marked with dots resembling those seen on dice, that can be used for playing various domino-related games. Dominoes may be moved and placed to form chains of adjacent dominoes whose results depend on those from preceding ones; additionally, domino can refer to placing one (or several) dominoes onto a table in such a manner that begins a new game.
First time I ever saw someone set up a domino chain was in high school; I recall the event vividly because it was such an eye-catching spectacle. Over time, however, they became commonplace and I thought about using them for projects of my own.
As one can imagine, I found myself working on several projects involving dominoes. From personal experience alone, dominoes proved themselves invaluable tools for problem-solving.
There are various rules associated with different forms of domino games. While some rules may be universal or specific to a region or culture, others can differ depending on how a game is played and scored.
No matter the rules in place, timing is of utmost importance when playing dominoes. Once the first domino has been placed it sets in motion a chain reaction which continues until all pieces have fallen or the player cannot make another play – in which case his or her dominoes will be put back onto the table and new hands drawn by other players. If one is unable to continue making plays he or she may “chip out”, which means all their dominoes will be laid on it and new hands drawn by other players while his or her dominoes remain on it – he or she “chip out”, placing his or her dominoes on top of his or her dominoes on table before drawing new hands from other players and thus ending his/her turn at domino.
Players draw dominoes according to the rules of their game of choice and, should one player overdraw his/her hand by drawing more dominoes than they are entitled to, this is known as an overdraw. When this occurs, their right-hand player should remove them without looking and then reshuffle the deck prior to drawing their hand from it.
IF THERE ARE NO DOUBLES LEFT IN THE STOCK and the players have equal sums of pips left, the winner is determined by who owns the heaviest single domino and can then begin to play their dominoes.
Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza, built his business gradually over time thanks to his drive, persistence and family support – something his business still thrives today!