Domino is a popular game worldwide. It is played with a set of small rectangular wood or plastic blocks, each marked with dots resembling those on dice. The object of the game is to be the first player to lay all of his or her dominoes on the table by matching pips end-to-end. A domino is called a “single” when it has just one number showing on it and a “double” when it has two numbers showing. The term is also applied to the resulting chain of dominoes that develops on the table – the player scores each time the exposed ends of the dominoes total any multiple of five.
Domino has a long history both in the game and as a word. It was once a slang term for a long hooded robe worn together with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. Later it denoted a costume consisting of these same elements. The term may also refer to a set of these small blocks, generally 28 in number.
The name Domino is also used to describe a country expected to react politically according to the theory that events in one region will spread like a domino effect to other regions and influence foreign policy. The domino theory was widely discredited in the 1970s and 1980s, but it has been revived recently as a popular explanation for some of the world’s current political turmoil.
The most common type of dominoes are the standard double-six dominoes that are found in travel size sets, in large tile formats from Double-6 to Double-12 and in other variants including colored dots. Many games are played with these dominoes based on matching pips end to end as in Scrabble and using house rules that include playing by colored dots or other variations.
One of the most popular domino games is a variation on the block game, known as the Draw game. The difference is that each player starts with a smaller number of dominoes and can only take a turn when a sleeping domino is available to play. If the player cannot play he or she passes to the next player until all players pass as the remaining sleeping dominoes run out.
Another popular domino game is the public Train game. The game uses a special set of dominoes that have more colorful markings and plastic trays to keep the dominoes in line but any standard double-12 set will work for the game. The game starts with each player taking a domino out of the box and placing it on the table so that one end of the domino touches either an open train or the head domino marked with a dime.
Domino’s (DOL) dominance in the fast-food delivery market is being challenged by third-party services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash which offer lower prices for similar service but operate broken business models that can quickly drive staffing shortages at Domino’s stores. This has slowed their ability to acquire new customers, and has made it more cautious about running promotions that might drive traffic. However, Domino’s extensive store network, supply chain efficiencies and best-in-class ROIC provide it with a strong competitive advantage.