What is Domino?

Domino is a type of tile that features an arrangement of dots, or pips, on its face. The pips indicate the domino’s value and may range from six to none. Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide and may feature a line in the middle to divide them visually into two squares. The top of each square is labelled with an identifying mark, such as a number or a letter, and the bottom is blank.

When playing domino, a player’s goal is to build a line of matching tiles. This line, also known as a string or a layout, is played either lengthwise (end to end), or crosswise (one side to the other) according to the rules of each game.

After the tiles have been shuffled, players draw a hand of dominoes and determine who will make the first play. The player who draws the heaviest domino will be given first choice of which tiles to make his first play. If there is a tie, it is broken by drawing additional tiles from the stock. Each player should keep his hand of dominoes hidden from other players while he is making his play.

Once the first domino is placed, other players must match its value and follow suit in a continuous chain of play. This process is called “byeing.” If a player cannot play any of his remaining dominoes, he may pass (also referred to as chipping) or he may choose not to make a play. In some games, a player may also buy tiles from the stock if allowed by the rules of the game.

Spectacular domino displays are made by professionals and often appear in shows where builders compete to create the most impressive domino reactions before a live audience. These elaborate domino setups demonstrate the power of the domino effect, in which a tiny nudge is enough to tip over a massive sequence of dominoes.

When used as a metaphor, the domino effect can be applied to many areas of life. For example, if one person does not want to see his colleague succeed in an endeavor, he may try to undermine the effort or sabotage the individual. Similarly, an organization can suffer when its leadership is not effective in guiding the company to success.

A successful company like Domino’s understands that the key to success is having a strategy in place to address any problem. For example, when Domino’s CEO James Doyle was hired to replace the company’s previous CEO, he knew that the biggest complaint of customers was the long wait times for delivery orders. To address this issue, Domino’s began to deliver pizzas in less than 30 minutes. This move helped resolve the issue and improve customer satisfaction. Domino’s also worked to reduce the amount of time that its delivery drivers spend waiting for an order, which has resulted in improved on-time performance. For a business, the domino effect can mean saving time and money, as well as improving customer satisfaction.