When a domino is slid along its side, it exposes a number of dots or pips. A domino with the same number of pips on both ends is called a double. The number of pips on the exposed ends of a domino determines its suit. Dominoes with different numbers of pips are called singles. A complete set of dominoes consists of 28 tiles.
A domino is a small, thumb-sized rectangular block, typically blank on one side and bearing from one to six pips (or dots) on the other. The pips give it a distinctive appearance, distinguishing it from similar game pieces like poker chips or dice. A domino is also the name of various games played with these pieces.
Hevesh has been building with dominoes since she was a child, but her passion for the game turned into a career when she began to create elaborate sets and post videos of them online. Her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, now has more than 2 million subscribers. She has also created massive domino setups for films, TV shows, and events, including a recent album release party for Katy Perry. Hevesh says she can spend weeks and months planning a domino art project. But once she has the design mapped out on paper, it takes just seconds for a domino to be pushed and fall in place. She calls this the domino effect: once a domino is tipped over, it creates a chain reaction that continues until every piece has fallen.
Dominoes can be arranged in straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures, or even 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some are designed for specific games, while others are works of art in their own right. Some artists choose to build their creations on a flat surface so that they can be viewed from all angles. Others prefer to work on a canvas that allows for more intricate designs.
The most common set of dominoes contains 28 tiles, referred to as a double-six set. These tiles are shuffled and placed face down to form a stock or boneyard, from which players draw tiles to play with. Each player draws seven tiles; the remaining tiles are not used in gameplay. When a player has no more tiles to draw, he or she “chips out,” and the opponent becomes the winner.
Most domino games involve scoring points by matching the ends of adjacent dominoes. Some games allow players to block opponents, and other games involve counting the pips on a domino’s exposed ends. Each of these games has a specific set of rules. Many games also use the number of pips on a domino to identify its suit, and some have specialized tiles with more readable Arabic numerals for this purpose. This is a more accurate method for counting than using the pips themselves, which can be difficult to see when they are crowded together in a small space. Larger domino sets are often made from more durable natural materials, such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or dark hardwoods such as ebony. These sets have a more traditional look, but they can be more expensive than polymer versions.