How to Play Dominoes
Dominoes are a generic gaming device similar to playing cards or dice, in that they can be used for a wide variety of games. They are distinguished from other flat gaming items by their arrangement of spots, or “pips,” on the two sides. Generally, the dominoes have a distinct pattern on one side, and blank or identically patterned on the other. This distinct pattern is important in determining how to play the game.
Like the other elements of a deck of cards or a set of dice, dominoes can be arranged to form shapes, such as circles and squares. They can also be lined up to create a maze or other geometric configurations. The games are usually played on a flat surface, such as a table or board. The player who successfully plays a tile in its correct place on the board takes another turn, and so on. The first player to play all of his tiles wins the game.
Many domino games involve blocking the opposing player by laying out pieces in such a way that they cover his territory, and then scoring points by identifying matching pips on adjacent dominoes. For example, a domino with three pips on one side and two pips on the other may be played to match an existing domino whose pips total six (or some other number). A number of different games can be played using this basic system; however, the number of players affects how the games are played.
The game of domino is popular with people who are blind, partially sighted, or physically disabled. This is due in part to the fact that, unlike chess, domino requires no complex moves or calculations and has no time limit. It is also possible to play with a computer, although this requires an additional program.
Hevesh first began creating large domino setups when she was about 9. She would build lines of curved or straight dominoes and flick them with her finger to watch them fall, one after the other. By her teens, she had started a YouTube channel with videos of her creations and was being hired to make domino setups for movies and events.
She works with her brother and father in their garage-based woodshop, where a drill press, radial arm saw, scroll saw, belt sander, and welder crowd the small space. Hevesh makes test versions of her sets before putting them together to ensure they work. She often films the process in slow motion, allowing her to pinpoint exactly what needs to be corrected.
A domino set typically consists of 24 or more rectangular dominoes, which are normally printed with a pattern of dots on one face and a blank or identically patterned face on the other. The larger the set, the more dominoes it contains; the largest known set contains double-nine dominoes. A more limited number of specialized dominoes have been made for specific games, such as the game of domino poker.