Dominoes are cousins to playing cards and have a long history. They are used in many games and even in art. Their unique shape makes them versatile. They are usually twice as long as they are wide, and their sides have a number of spots called pips. The values of the pips are important to know in order to make the right plays in domino games. The value of a domino is determined by its rank, which depends on the sum of the pips on both sides of the tile. The rank is important for strategy, as some dominoes are “heavier” than others.
A domino is a small rectangular plastic tile with a number of spots or pips. The pips range from six pips on one side down to none or blank, but most are double-sided with six pips. The pips are arranged in pairs to form two squares, each with a distinct value. The rank of a domino is the number of pips on each side of the tile, and it is this value that determines its rank in a row or line of play.
To play domino, a player sets up a row of tiles on a flat surface, such as a table or board, then places his hand on the first tile in the line and begins placing tiles to match it. Depending on the game, one or more players can take turns placing tiles. When a player can no longer add to the line, his turn is over. A player may also choose to draw new tiles from the stock and place them into play. The pips on a drawn tile determine its rank, and thus where a player sits at the table.
Most domino games involve blocking or scoring, and the basic instructions for most of these are shown here under Blocking and Scoring. However, there are also domino games with a very different character. Some of these are solitaire, such as the Concentration game. Others are adaptations of card games and were once popular in areas that had religious proscriptions against card-playing.
In most of these games, a line of dominoes is formed on the table as each player makes his or her plays. The resulting pattern of tiles is called the line of play, and some games have rules for how the line should be joined. For example, if a double is played as the lead, all subsequent tiles must be placed with their open end touching the other ends of that domino in a snake-line pattern. Depending on the game, some of these doubles may be spinners and must be played on all four sides; in this case, the count is based on the total number of pips at both ends of the line.
Domino’s suffered a series of disasters in 2004 that threatened to bankrupt the company. In response, the new CEO, Jim Doyle, reemphasized some of the company’s core values. One of these was the importance of listening to employees, and he quickly put new changes into effect, such as a more relaxed dress code and leadership training programs.