by 
A domino is a set of small black and white rectangles that some people use to play games. Some people like to line them up in long rows and then knock them down. Others play the games with cards or dice. There are many different types of domino games. Some are competitive, while others are not. Some have special rules for scoring. In a game that is competitive, the winner is the player whose score (the number of pips on the tiles remaining) is the lowest.
A typical domino set contains 28 tiles. The tiles are sometimes called bones, cards, men, or pieces. They are normally twice as long as they are wide. Dominoes have a square cross section, and each end has a number of dots or pips. The number of pips on each end is the value of that domino. The most common sets have double-nine and double-twelve ends. There are also extended doubles, which have more than twelve pips. There are also some specialty sets, such as the tarot-style double-sixes and the jumbo or oversized double-nine sets.
Some domino games have the rule that all the tiles in the stock may be bought, meaning that any player may make a purchase in his or her turn, regardless of who made the previous play. If the purchased tile is used in the next round of play, the player who bought it gains a bonus in addition to the regular points scored for the game. In other games, the rules state that only certain tiles in the stock may be bought; if these are not bought before the end of the game, the number of pips on these tiles is added to the winner’s total.
In some domino games, players may be required to count the number of pips on the tiles in their hand after each round of play. This is a way of measuring the skill of the player and the amount of luck involved in each round. The number of pips on the tiles in each player’s hand is also a good measure of his or her current position in the game.
While some domino games are played by two or more players, most of them are played solo. Some games can be played with as few as two dominoes, while others are very complex and involve a great deal of strategy.
The word “domino” has a long history. It originally denoted a garment worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade, and it later came to refer to the game of domino. It is suggested that the domino playing piece inspired this garment because of its resemblance to a priest’s hooded cloak contrasting with his or her surplice.
Nick was able to develop his method for making dominoes using the tools in his grandmother’s garage, including a drill press, radial arm saw, scroll saw, and belt sander. He was also able to do this in a very confined space, which demonstrated his mastery of the Domino Effect.
