Domino is a tile-based game with multiple variants that allow players to build and score in a variety of ways. Like the cards and dice games that they resemble, dominoes have a unique side that bears identifying marks and a blank or identically-patterned side. Each domino also has a value, indicated by an arrangement of spots or pips. The values of the pips range from six to zero, and the sum of the pips is sometimes used as a ranking of dominoes, with a higher value domino having more pips than a lower value one.
Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide, which makes them easier to stack and re-stack after use. The dominoes are distinguished from similar tiles such as playing cards by their pips, which identify them as belonging to the Domino family. The pips are usually marked with numbers, although some sets have Arabic numerals or other symbols instead. The pips indicate the ranking of the domino, which allows players to compare and contrast their dominoes as they compete to score points in the game.
The most basic Western domino games are block-and-draw for two or more players. Each player begins the game with 28 dominoes, shuffled face down and forming a pile or stack called the stock or boneyard. The first player draws at random the number of pieces required for the game, generally seven, and then plays them in turn. Each domino placed is considered to be a new “element” that adds to the score of the current player. The player with the highest total of pips wins.
Another common domino game is domino poker, which requires a minimum of four players and can be played with as many as eight. In this variant, the first player to place a domino wins. The remainder of the players then play a round with each of the remaining dominoes contributing to the score of the player who has the most points at the end of the game. The player who scores the most points becomes the winner of the match and takes control of the next game.
A popular phrase is the Domino Effect, which describes a series of events that occur in succession, like a row of upended dominoes. This theory of causal linkages in complex systems has been used to explain everything from global financial crises to bacterial epidemics.
Founded in 1967, Domino’s Pizza is an American company that offers pizza and other fast food items through its franchises. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan and employs over 18,000 people worldwide. Its success in the early 1970s was due to a combination of factors, including the location of its stores near college campuses and the company’s focus on quality ingredients. The Domino’s chain continues to expand and innovate, with an emphasis on technology. The company has developed a number of technological tools that enable its employees to deliver orders more quickly, as well as to create and test new products.