A domino is a small, flat, rectangular block used as a gaming object. The domino is usually marked on one side with an arrangement of spots or pips (as those found on the dice) and is blank or identically patterned on the other. The pips distinguish the domino from other similar objects such as playing cards, and make it easier to identify the domino in a game of chance or to determine its position in a line of play. Other terms for the domino are bones, pieces, men, or stones. Historically, dominoes were made from ivory, silver-lip ocean pearl oyster shell, or wood, often with contrasting black or white inlaid dots. Today, many domino sets are made from polymer clay, though sets can also be produced from other materials such as bone, ebony, marble, soapstone, and granite.
Dominoes are most commonly used for positional games, where the players in turn place tiles edge to edge against each other so that the adjacent sides form an ordered total or some specified pattern. When a domino has been placed, it cannot be moved, although other tiles may be added to it by the rules of a given game. Traditionally, dominoes were numbered from zero to nine, but more recently they have been marked with a variety of other symbols and colors.
Some types of dominoes are designed to be rearranged by the player, while others are fixed in position and only removed when another tile is played on top of them. The most common dominoes are those of the double six and double nine suit, but larger sets exist for games involving several players and for players seeking to play long lines of dominoes.
In addition to positioning dominoes for a specific game, some players may also use them to score points in the course of a hand or a game. When the winning player scores, the number of pips remaining on the dominoes in the losers’ hands is calculated and added to the winner’s score. Some games involve counting the total number of pips on all the tiles that were not played, but this method is less commonly employed.
A domino effect is a sequence of events that causes a chain reaction in which each event triggers the next in a sequence. A common example occurs when a single domino is tipped over, resulting in the entire set of dominoes falling over. In a business setting, a domino effect can be seen when a company changes a policy or practice to address a customer concern. This change can have a ripple effect, leading to a domino effect in other areas of the company such as employee morale and customer satisfaction. For example, a CEO might implement a new dress code to address a domino effect of complaints about the company’s previous policy. This change can have a positive domino effect in the workplace, and other companies might follow suit in support of the CEO.
