Domino is a game played on a double-sided set of square tiles that have a line in the middle to divide them visually into two equal parts, each marked with an arrangement of spots or “pips” that are similar to those on a die. The dominoes are arranged with their matching ends touching, forming a chain that can be played to and extended from by other players’ pieces. The standard set contains 28 dominoes, but the rules for two of the most common games – the Block and Draw game – may be applied to any larger number of tiles such as a double-nine or double-twelve set.
In addition to the usual blocking and scoring games, a large number of variants exist with different rules governing when a domino can be placed, whether it can be moved or removed from a play area and how points are awarded for placing and moving a tile in a game. For example, some players count the number of pips on each end of a domino to determine its value, while others simply count the total number of pips on both sides of a domino (a 6-6 domino counts as six, and a double-blank may either count as one or two, if placed).
The game is normally played on a domino board, which is a flat tabletop with spaces for each player’s tiles. The tiles are placed on their edges and the first player, chosen either by drawing lots or by who has the heaviest hand, begins by placing a domino on the board. The next player then places a tile on the dominoes adjacent to the first, but on the other side of the line from where the domino was just placed. A second domino is then played on top of this, and so on, until each player has used all of their dominoes or reached a predetermined point total.
Aside from being an entertaining family activity, domino can also be used to create art. In particular, it can be arranged in straight or curved lines to form patterns or grids that make pictures when they fall, or to build 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Domino art can be as simple or as elaborate as the artist’s imagination allows.
Similarly, business managers can use Domino to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces, so that the task seems less daunting. For example, creating a budget can be broken down into several good dominoes, such as outlining a financial plan and then executing that plan, to achieve an overall goal of managing finances. This process can help to reduce the risk of failure or mismanagement by breaking it down into manageable steps that have positive impacts on the business.