Domino is a game with a long history. Like the ancient blocking game that inspired it, it teaches players to be cautious and look ahead. It is also a good way to relieve stress and improve concentration. Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide and feature a line in the middle to divide them visually into two squares with alternating arrangements of dots, called pips. These pips indicate the value of each domino on one side and are blank or identically patterned on the other. A domino with more pips is considered to be “heavier” than a domino with fewer or no pips.
Dominoes may be made from a variety of materials. European-style dominoes are usually made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted. More recently, dominoes have been produced from other natural and artificial materials, including stone (e.g., marble or soapstone), other woods (e.g., ash, oak or redwood), metals (e.g., brass or pewter), ceramic clay, and even frosted glass or crystal. Such sets have a more distinctive appearance and feel than those made of polymer, which tend to be less durable.
In addition to the familiar games of blocking and scoring, many other, more specialized, domino games are played. These include solitaire dominoes, adapted from card games; and trick-taking games, which were once popular as a way to circumvent religious prohibitions against the playing of cards.
Some domino games involve a line of play; the players draw a hand and then, as they lay tiles on the table, they must match the pips on each end of those tiles with the corresponding pips on the other player’s tile in their hand. The player whose tiles are the closest to matching those of the other players wins the hand.
Occasionally, it becomes possible for no player to make another play and the game ends. This is known as a blocked game and, to avoid this situation, it is important that the players keep track of the pips on their remaining tiles. It is also important to use a consistent method for determining the winner of each hand or game. For example, some people count only the total number of pips on each domino at the end of the hand or game; others add up the sum of all the pips on each domino left in the losers’ hands.
A domino effect is a chain reaction that can have serious consequences. The term comes from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord” or “master.” A domino holder keeps his eye on the potential effects of his actions and considers the consequences before making a move.
Domino is a great name for an entrepreneur who appreciates the gravity of each action and is cautious to prevent an unwanted domino effect from occurring. It’s also a great name for an innovative software company that provides a cloud-based platform to help teams collaborate and accelerate project delivery without technical hurdles.
