Dominoes – A Guide to Buying and Playing Dominoes
Dominos are black and white rectangular tiles that can be used to create games or lines of domino art. Some people use them to make curved lines or grids that form pictures when they fall, while others line them up in long rows and knock them over. They are also often used to play scoring games, such as 5s-and-3s. Dominoes are so popular that they’re known by a variety of nicknames, including bones, cards, tiles, men, and spinners.
The most common domino set contains 28 tiles with a center line that divides each side into two squares, or ends. Each end of a tile may have a number from zero to six, or it may be blank. The number on each end of a domino is referred to as its value or rank, and the higher the rank, the more valuable a domino is.
Depending on the game, dominoes are usually scored by placing them edge to edge in a layout with the same numbers. Additional tiles are then added to the layout with matching values or numbers, forming chains that grow until the player scores by placing all of their tiles on the floor or in a specific shape.
A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide, which makes it easier to stack them together. The most common end of a domino has six dots, but some have fewer or more, and a few even have no pips at all (known as a blank). Most dominoes are rectangular, with a short side and a long side, but doubles—tiles with one end touching another—are available in round and other shapes.
As a result of this versatility, there are many different games that can be played with dominoes. Some involve blocking, in which players try to place a domino so that it touches all of the opposing player’s exposed ends, or scoring, in which a player tries to score by placing a domino so that its exposed sides total a multiple of five (for example, by connecting fours and threes).
Some games are not positional but rather involve drawing, in which each player chooses a piece from his or her own domino pile to place on the board. The first player to reach a certain target score—often 100 or 200 points—wins.
When writing a novel, there are many questions that need to be answered, such as “What happens next?” Plotting a story often involves creating a series of dominoes, or events, that connect to each other and move the plot forward. Dominoes are also useful in a writer’s toolkit because they help to clarify the big picture, and they allow writers to prioritize streams of ideas.
When Domino’s founder David Brandon became CEO of the company in 2008, he knew that a key to success was listening to customers. He established a new leadership training program, relaxed the dress code, and spoke directly with employees to learn what they wanted from their company. He also focused on promoting Domino’s core values, one of which is “Champion Our Customers.” This focus on customer needs helped Domino’s turn around its sales and reputation.