Domino is a game of skill, strategy, and chance. The tiles, or dominoes, are rectangular in shape with one end bearing an arrangement of dots or pips (representing the numbers 1 through 9), and the other blank or identically patterned. A domino may have a textured surface to enhance gripping, or it may be smooth for easy sliding. The tiles are typically made of a material such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell, ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips. In modern times, they are often molded from polymer materials such as clay or plastic. Historically, sets were made of other natural materials such as marble, granite or soapstone; woods including ebony and other dark varieties; metals like brass and pewter; or ceramic clay.
The way in which the chains of dominoes develop is a large part of the fun for many players, and determining the path that each tile will take when played is a major consideration. A chain that develops a snake-line is usually the preferred pattern for most players, but there are several other shapes which can also be used, especially when playing with two or more players. The number of possible combinations of ends is relatively small, but a number of “extended” sets are available which increase the maximum number of pips on an end by three or more.
In most games, a player draws the number of tiles for his hand specified by the rules of the particular game. If the draw includes more than the amount permitted, he must reveal the extras without looking at them and return them to the stock. The other players may then take the extra dominoes from the player’s overdrawn hand, or he may pass, as appropriate under the rules of the particular game.
A domino’s inertia – its tendency to remain unmoved when no outside force is acting on it – can be overcome by a single nudge. It is not uncommon for a line of hundreds or even thousands of dominoes to be set up in careful sequence and to then topple with the simple nudge of one domino. This type of demonstration is commonly performed in domino shows, where builders construct magnificent structures from hundreds or even thousands of individual dominoes, sometimes spanning several feet and weighing as much as 100 pounds.
In the same way, a storyteller can use a series of scene dominoes to create the desired effect in a narrative. It is important to check each scene domino before putting it in place, though. Does the scene logically follow the previous scenes, and will the emotional beats that are supposed to occur at this point shift as they should? If not, the domino is likely to fall off the board. This can be a fatal error in a story. For this reason, writers must reread their scenes until they feel confident that each one is in its proper position.