Domino is a game in which players place dominoes, square tile-like blocks, on a tabletop. Each domino has an identifying mark, such as a number or an arrangement of dots, on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. Dominoes can be stacked on end to form long lines. A domino with a matching mark can be played against other dominoes in the same line, which causes them to tip over. This effect is called the domino effect. Dominoes can also be arranged to create 2D shapes such as stacked walls, 3D structures such as towers and pyramids, or a map of the world.
Domino has a wide variety of games, but there are a few common rules that all games must follow. The most important is that a domino can only be played against another domino with a matching mark. If there is no match, the next piece laid will be a wild domino and can be ascribed any value that the player chooses.
Most domino games are based on blocking, scoring, or adding to an existing chain of dominoes. However, there are a few games that are more abstract in nature such as solitaire or trick-taking. These types of games were once popular to circumvent religious prohibitions against playing cards.
In the simplest form, domino can be played by placing the tiles on the table in a random layout. Then, each player takes a turn playing a domino onto the layout. During the course of play, the chain grows in length as each tile is placed to connect to the previous domino. Usually, a domino must be played so that only the two matching ends of the domino are touching. However, if the domino is a double, it must be placed so that the tile is straddling both sides of the double.
This process can continue for some time until all the pieces are in the correct place and a chain is formed. However, it is important that the player carefully considers their move and only plays a domino that will add to the existing chain. Otherwise, the player can cause the entire chain to fall over.
The founder of Domino’s Pizza, Dominic Monaghan, was smart in the way he set up the first stores. He positioned the pizzerias near college campuses so that they were close to young people who needed food fast. This strategy worked well and the company quickly grew to 200 locations by 1978. This was just the beginning of the domino effect that would propel Domino’s to its current position as a leading international pizza brand.