Dominoes are small, flat rectangular blocks used as gaming objects. The pieces of a domino set, typically made up of 28 individual pieces or “pips,” bear identifying marks on one side and are blank or identically patterned on the other.
The pips on a domino are arranged in patterns like those of dice or playing cards, except that there is a line in the middle to divide the piece visually into two squares. The values of either side range from six pips down to none or blank (indicated in the listing below by a zero).
While the pips on a domino can be any color, each tile must have a matching number of pips on each side. Depending on the particular set, the pips may be arranged in a variety of different ways.
There are many games that use dominoes, and each game has its own unique rules and strategies. Some of these are called “draw games,” which involve drawing tiles from a stock or “boneyard.” Others are played against a set of doubles, which serve as spinners.
Some domino sets are made from natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (MOP), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony. These sets often have a more sophisticated look and feel, although they are usually more expensive than their polymer counterparts.
Another popular way to play dominoes is a “blocking” game, where the player must place a tile in front of another tile with matching values. The second player must then lay down a tile with the same value as the first, and so on, until each player has played a tile with the same value as the last one.
Eventually, the first domino will tip and fall, which then tips and falls to the next one, and so on until the entire chain of dominoes collapses. This is known as the “domino effect.”
The domino effect can be an interesting source of inspiration for writers, as it demonstrates an extremely simple principle: what begins with a single action can have exponentially bigger consequences. Using this principle in a novel can help readers understand how a story progresses from beginning to end, and even why the end result is the way it is.
What’s more, the domino effect is a powerful metaphor for identity-based habits and how they can build over time. For example, once Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed every morning, she noticed that other areas of her home were becoming more organized. This led to a new belief in her own ability to maintain cleanliness and order, which created a domino effect of its own.
A similar phenomenon can occur in your own life and business. The Domino Effect can be a powerful tool for building new habits, as long as you don’t overextend yourself and try to change too much at once.