How to Play Dominoes

A domino is a flat, rectangular tile or block used as a game object. Variously called bones, pieces, men, stones or cards, dominoes are made of wood, bone, plastic or ceramic clay and are twice as long as they are wide. They have a line down their middle that divides them into two squares, each of which is either blank or has spots or pips.

Dominoes can be made from many different materials and are often inlaid or painted with contrasting pips. European dominoes are typically made from silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (MOP), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips on each half.

They can also be made from frosted glass, crystal or other translucent materials. These are more aesthetically pleasing, but they tend to be heavier than the polymer materials commonly used in modern dominoes.

There are a number of different games that can be played with a domino set, the most popular being five-up. Other variants include Tien Gow, Pai Gow and Che Deng.

The most basic domino game requires a “double six” set consisting of 28 tiles, which are shuffled face down and placed in the stock or boneyard, and each player draws seven tiles. When the first player plays a domino, it must have an end that matches the same number of pips as one of the seven previous dominoes played by the other players.

Once the first player has played a domino, each other player must choose a domino that has an end that matches the number of pips on that last domino and try to play it by placing it next to their domino. This continues until the last domino is played.

Another popular variation is All Fives, where a series of five dominoes, each of which is in a different suit and has the same number of pips as all of the previous five, are drawn. The winner is the first player to play a domino that has the same number of pips as the last domino played by his or her opponent.

These games can be played by one or more players, though in practice the most common version of dominoes is for two players and is played with a double-six set. In order to keep track of the numbers of pips on each domino, a standard domino set is usually referred to as a “double six” set because the highest value domino has six pips on each end. Larger sets can also be used, but in general these are not as common.

The domino effect is a simple yet powerful concept that helps us understand the relationship between behavior and kinetic energy. In essence, it shows us how focusing on one activity can help push other related interests forward.

For example, when a person decreases his or her sedentary time, they are more likely to be more physically active. This can lead to a shift in other behaviors, such as eating less fat.