The game of domino has many variations, and can be played by one or several players. Players take turns placing a tile onto the table, aiming to align the number of the tile on one end with the number of the tile on the opposite end. The tower must remain stable enough to last the entire turn, and precarious enough to fall during the next player’s turn. If a tower falls, it’s usually met with giggling and surprise.
The word domino has an obscure origin, but the game itself first emerged in the mid-17th century in France. In fact, its name originally referred to a long cloak, a mask, or a cape that was worn by priests. At one point, domino pieces had ivory faces and ebony black bodies. Because of this, the game’s name lent itself to the expression ‘Domino Effect.’
Different types of dominoes have different rules, such as the number of pips on one end. In addition, dominoes are placed in a certain order to make sure that two matching ends are adjacent. Doubles must be placed crossways across the end of a chain, and tiles played to doubles must be perpendicular to the double’s middle. Different shapes of domino chains can develop at random, and these depend on the player’s preference. Some chains have snake-line shapes, while others have only a single or double-six.
When playing dominoes, you can also make a course out of the dominoes. You can arrange the dominoes in a row, and if the first one in line is tipped, the dominoes will follow. If you don’t have dominoes on hand, you can use other objects that resemble dominoes. In this way, you can make a course that is uniquely yours.
Historically, dominoes were made of bone, ivory, or silver lip oyster shell. Modern dominoes are made of several different materials. In addition to bone, marble, and ebony, you can also purchase inexpensive lightweight wood dominoes for domino tricks. Although these dominoes aren’t meant for playing, they’re still great for making patterns and toppling dominoes. If you’re not into using exotic materials, the basic wood dominos are cheap, but for playing the game, they’re not.
In domino games, scoring is mostly done during game play. Some scoring rules allow players to double their opponents’ tiles and award an extra tile after a double-tile. However, most scoring games use different variations of a draw game. In other variants of the game, the player who doesn’t call “domino” before a tile is laid has to pick up an extra domino. There are even variations in how the game is scored.
The theory of the domino was popularized during the Vietnam War. President Eisenhower, the first president of the United States, frequently referenced the theory when discussing the aggressive nature of communism and the need to contain the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. During the battles at Dien Bien Phu, he reaffirmed the domino theory as the rationale for his military presence. This strategy led to the escalation of U.S. military presence in Vietnam, and the phrase “domino theory” became shorthand for the importance of South Vietnam and the need to contain the spread of communism throughout the world.