Domino is a game in which domino pieces (also called bones, cards, men or tiles) are arranged on end in long lines. When the first domino is tipped over, it triggers a chain reaction wherein the rest of the dominoes fall over one after the other. The process can be used to create many different designs and games. It also inspired the popular phrase, the Domino Effect, which refers to an event that starts out small and leads to much larger–and sometimes catastrophic–consequences.
There are many types of domino games, but they all have the same basic rules. Each player draws a hand of seven dominoes. The player who has the highest double takes his turn first. After that, the players draw additional tiles for their hands. Then they place the tiles on the table so that each domino touches a matching domino in the chain, either on its side or on its opposite end. The next domino is then played, and so on. The chain continues until one or more dominoes are unable to be played or they reach the edge of the board.
Dominos are normally made from a variety of natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood like ebony, with contrasting black or white dots or pips on the two ends of the domino. Other materials include ceramic clay and frosted glass. Polymer dominoes are also widely available, although they do not feel as nice to the touch.
A domino is a rectangular tile, about half as tall as it is wide. It has a line in the center to divide it visually into two squares, with each side having a number of spots or pips (usually from six to none). The values on each end of a domino are often written as a number and a decimal point, so that the domino is easier to read.
Most modern dominoes are made from polymer, but there is still a large market for natural, wooden or metal sets of dominoes. These sets tend to be more expensive than those made from polymer. The earliest dominoes were often made from wood and had a more natural look. The word “domino” has several different meanings, including a Latin word for “tabletop,” an idea that is evident in the way that most modern domino sets are designed to sit on a tabletop.
In a business sense, the domino effect is a concept whereby the initial success of one activity will encourage other activities to move forward in a similar way. For example, a successful salesperson might find that concentrating on achieving certain goals in the sales department might help to boost other departmental quotas. As such, the domino effect is a powerful strategy for increasing the overall productivity of an organization.