A domino is a small, flat rectangular block used as a gaming object. Dominoes are usually affixed to a base, which makes them stand up, and may be made of rigid materials such as wood, bone, or plastic. They are often referred to as bones, pieces, men, or stones and can be played in a variety of ways. The domino is normally divided visually into two parts by a line or ridge, and each part may be marked with one to six pips (or dots). These pips represent values similar to those on a dice; if all the pips are on one side, that side is called the “face” of the domino. The other side is blank or marked with a different arrangement of pips.
Some domino sets are made of natural materials like bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting pips. These sets have a more elegant look than polymer dominoes and can feel more substantial in the hand. The pips on these dominoes are sometimes inlaid or painted, and the color of the pips may be used to indicate their value.
When a player has no more dominoes to play, he or she counts the open ends of his opponents’ dominoes and scores according to the number of pips on those ends. The winner receives an equal score to the total number of dots on all the open ends of his or her opponents’ unplayed dominoes.
As more dominoes are added to a line of play, the players can create intricate designs. These designs can include straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when the dominoes fall, and 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some domino artists create elaborate displays for movies, TV shows, and events–and even help set Guinness world records.
While the current labor shortage continues to be a challenge for Domino’s, I am optimistic about their ability to overcome it. For one thing, they are leveraging digital platforms and their carryout business to make up for some of the shortfall in delivery capacity.
I also think that domino’s strategy of opening new locations in the right places will continue to pay off. As a result, I’m maintaining my Buy rating on the stock. I’m looking forward to seeing how Domino’s executes its growth strategy in the years ahead.