A domino is a small tile with one or more pips that’s designed to be played so that its open end touches another tile’s open end, creating an ever-lengthening chain of dominoes until eventually it snakes across the table like snakeskin. There are countless games in which dominoes can be utilized and all players must abide by some basic rules that all participants must abide by when using dominoes.
Before beginning any domino game, the first step should always be sifting and shuffling of tiles. Each player then draws out his set according to the rules of that specific domino game being played. Some players may prefer having alternate shufflers shuffle each game while others prefer having just one do so consistently; regardless of who does the shuffling though, ensure the tiles are thoroughly mixed by moving both hands during this process.
Once a player has drawn their hand, he begins the game by placing one tile onto the table so that its open end touches that of another tile in line – this arrangement of tiles is known as its line or layout. Partnership games pair two players up opposite one another while some variants give the highest number pips player first choice of seating locations.
As each player makes his or her move, dominoes start piling up on the table in an ever-lengthening line called the string or layout. Each tile must be played so that its open end matches that of its predecessor; otherwise it would not qualify as legal play.
At times, it may be beneficial for two open ends of a double tile to touch, with its center touching both sides of an adjacent single domino; this ensures that no domino can be placed directly above itself in the chain. Double tiles may be played either horizontally or diagonally – typically, diagonal double tiles should be perpendicular to their companion dominos.
Lily Hevesh, 20, has made herself known through posting videos of her large-scale domino installations on YouTube. She works on projects for movies, TV shows and events; has broken a Guinness record for most dominoes toppled at once in circular displays; uses fractions to calculate how many dominoes will be necessary; creates spectacular displays.