Domino is a game of skill and chance that has become one of the world’s most popular. The name comes from the fact that if a domino is tipped over, it causes other dominoes to tip over—and so on and so forth. The domino effect is a common phenomenon, but what’s less known is how it can be used in the workplace.
Domino is played by placing tiles on the edge of a table, with one side of each tile bearing an arrangement of dots, or “pips,” like those found on dice. Each player draws his or her own set of dominoes. The first player to play a matching pair of tiles (one’s touching the other’s, or doubles straddling each other) wins the round and scores points. Depending on the game, these points may be awarded as either totals or fractions of a certain amount; for example, a 6-6 count might score six points, and an 8-8 count might score eight. The player who earns the most points over a given number of rounds wins the game.
Like playing cards, of which they are a variant, dominoes can be used to form a wide variety of games. Block and scoring games are the most well-known, but other types of domino play exist as well. For instance, domino games of a more solitaire nature can be played, often to circumvent religious prohibitions against the use of playing cards.
For the most part, dominoes are stacked end to end in long lines to create a layout for gameplay. The open ends of a domino—those not facing each other—are considered to be available for adding additional tiles to the layout, although rules vary from game to game.
To begin a domino setup, the player chooses a domino from his or her hand and places it on the table, with its pips facing up. Then, he or she picks up a matching domino from the table and places it adjacent to the previous tile—or “pile”—to continue the line. The player continues this process until the dominoes are completely arranged and ready for play.
In most domino games, additional tiles are placed only on the open ends of a layout. For this reason, the long sides of a double domino are often left blank.
Nick, a self-taught woodworker, wanted to build a domino that was both simple and eye-catching, a piece that would make people respect his craftsmanship. He began by using the tools in his grandmother’s garage, which included a drill press, radial arm saw, scroll saw, belt sander, and welder. He created a unique method of construction that involved using a sander to shape the edges of each domino. This made his creations uniquely his own, and it also enabled him to work with a limited budget. He used this approach in his business, and it has proven to be a successful strategy for building a domino company that focuses on craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.