Dominoes are a type of gaming tile marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, on one face and blank or identically patterned on the other. The pips are used to identify each domino, as well as to determine scoring in some games. A domino has a maximum of six pips, though some sets have fewer. There are a variety of ways to play Domino, and the game can be challenging for beginners to master.
Domino is often used in competitive building, where builders set up lines of hundreds or even thousands of dominoes, carefully arranging them to create elaborate reactions and effects. Some of these builds are performed for live audiences at events like domino shows, where players compete to see who can build the most complex and imaginative Domino setup.
Historically, dominoes were made from materials such as bone (silver lip oyster shell, mother of pearl or ivory), horn, or wood (often dark hardwoods like ebony). More recently, dominoes have been produced from polymer, which makes the tiles easier to manufacture and less expensive. Polymer dominoes are very lightweight and more flexible than traditional wooden ones, making them ideal for use in competitive building.
There are many different domino games, but most of them fall into one of four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games and round games. The Block game, which is the simplest basic domino variant, requires a double-six set from which each player draws seven tiles; the remainder are not used in the line of play. Each player then places a tile, starting the line of play with either a single or a double. The first player to play a matching tile ends the line of play, and the game is won by a player who has all of his or her remaining tiles in hand. Counting the number of pips on each losing player’s remaining tiles is another common method for determining a game winner.
When playing a Domino game, it is customary to use only the number of pips that are visible on each domino, rather than counting all of the pips on the piece. This allows for a faster and more accurate counting of the points. It is also customary to count the pips on each end of a domino, rather than counting each individual side of the domino.
In addition to adjusting its business model, Domino’s has been working on new technology designed to improve delivery speed and efficiency. The company has been developing and deploying this cutting-edge tech largely through teams at its World Resource Center, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company is focusing on a wide range of technologies that have the potential to change the way pizzas are delivered, including self-driving cars and drones. However, Domino’s leaders have been careful not to lose sight of the values that have made the company successful in the past: delivery speed, operational transparency and customer-centricity. By putting these values at the forefront of its innovation efforts, Domino’s hopes to avoid the fate of many failed companies that have jumped on the takeout and delivery bandwagon and have failed to deliver.