Domino, the set of twenty-eight tiles with an arrangement of pips on one face, is a foundational building block for many games. Known by different names in various parts of the world, domino has become a popular pastime for children and adults alike. Its appeal stems from the fact that it is easy to learn and fun to play, with little or no equipment required. The first step in playing domino is to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game. After that, you can try out some of the many variations of the game.
To begin a game of domino, 28 tiles are arranged in an area called the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven tiles for his hand. When all players have drawn, the player holding the heaviest double begins the first turn. If no player holds a double, the player with the highest single begins.
The heaviest tile is usually the highest in value, but this can vary depending on the rules of the game. It may also be the tile with the most pips or the longest side. When a player plays a tile, the pips on the adjacent sides must match to create an uninterrupted chain of tiles that gradually increases in length.
If the tile played has a double, it must be placed on the end of the chain or perpendicular to it. This way, the chain develops a snake-like shape that can grow to any length according to the player’s whim.
Once a long chain of dominoes is built, it can take several nail-biting minutes for each one to fall. This is because each domino has inertia, which means it resists motion unless a force is applied to it. However, even the smallest nudge will eventually cause it to tip over.
In the most complex and imaginative domino displays, thousands of dominoes are set up in careful sequence, all of which will finally fall with the nudge of just one. Such domino shows are often performed before a large audience of fans.
Lily Hevesh, a professional domino artist, takes steps to ensure that her massive installations don’t topple inadvertently. She builds her designs using fractions, which help her calculate how many dominoes she needs for a project and how they will be positioned on the table. This allows her to avoid accidental topplings while still achieving the intended aesthetic. She has worked on projects involving as many as 300,000 dominoes and helped set the Guinness record for the largest rounded domino configuration. She has also created domino installations for movies and events, including an album launch for pop star Katy Perry. She’s also created a YouTube channel that has more than 2 million subscribers.