Dominos are small, flat thumbsized rectangular blocks that are either blank or bear from one to six pips, or dots. Twenty-eight such pieces form a complete domino set. A set of dominoes is used to play various games in which the players attempt to place tiles on the board, forming lines and angular patterns.
Dominoes are a physical example of the domino effect, the idea that one event can spark a series of events that continue until stopped or overtaken. This concept is often used in politics to describe a chain reaction that begins with a small event and eventually leads to a larger outcome, or even the collapse of an entire regime. The phrase is also sometimes used to refer to any situation in which a small trigger causes a cascade of events that continues until stopped or overtaken.
The first dominoes were made of wood, but later sets were produced in bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), ivory, and dark wood such as ebony with contrasting white or black pips. More recently, polymer materials have become more popular due to their affordability and durability.
There are several ways to play domino, with the most popular being layout games. These involve placing tiles in a line with their matching ends touching each other, usually perpendicular to a double domino. When a player can no longer add to a chain, they “knock” or rap the table to indicate that they are done. Then, the next player can begin.
Some players play blocking games in which they try to block an opponent’s play. Others play scoring games in which a total is determined by counting the pips on each domino. Most of these games end when a player can no longer play, although some allow for an optional chip-out rule.
Hevesh began playing with her grandparents’ classic 28-piece set when she was 9 years old, and by age 12, she had started posting YouTube videos of her domino setups. Now, at 20, she’s a professional domino artist, and her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. She creates spectacular domino effects and reactions for movies, TV shows, and events—including the album launch for singer Katy Perry.
Dominoes are a fun way to pass the time, but they’re also useful for teaching children motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They can be arranged to form simple shapes, such as circles or squares, or elaborate track systems that build structures like towers and pyramids. When building these, it’s important to plan out your design before beginning construction, because you can only move one domino at a time. To ensure the track system works as intended, the tops of each domino need to be perfectly aligned with those of the previous domino. This alignment requires careful work, especially when working with curved lines. In addition, if a domino falls on an uneven surface or is not perfectly balanced, it may tip over. Fortunately, Hevesh and other professional domino artists use a variety of tricks to overcome these problems and create flawless displays.
