Dominoes are a game where players take turns drawing dominoes from a pile and laying them down on the table. The player who can place the last domino wins. The game usually ends when a player “chips out” or cannot play any more tiles. The chips are then passed to the next player who plays them. Some people like to use the dominoes to make patterns, while others like to use them to play games of chance.

The game originated in Europe and is often credited to the French. The word “domino” appears in English and French around 1750, although the term had an earlier sense as a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. It also may refer to the domino piece itself, which resembles a priest’s black domino contrasting with his white surplice.

When the game first arrived in the United States, it was known by several different names. It was commonly called “chines” or “pupai.” In the late 1700s, it was introduced to the United States by immigrants from France. Domino was quickly embraced by Americans who enjoyed its strategic elements and easy learning curve.

In 1967, Domino’s founder and first CEO, David Brandon, saw a need for change in the pizza business. The company was growing at a fast pace, but the turnover rate among employees was high. He implemented a number of new things at Domino’s including a relaxed dress code and leadership training programs. He also put a strong emphasis on listening to employees and even spoke with Domino’s customers directly through surveys.

This line of communication between Domino’s and its employees was important to the success of the company as it continued to grow. When Brian Doyle took over as CEO, he continued these practices and even made them Domino’s core values. In addition, he prioritized putting Domino’s pizza stores near college campuses where young people would be likely to find them.

Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide, which makes them easy to re-stack when not in use. Each domino has an identity-bearing face that is marked with an arrangement of dots or pips, similar to those on a die. The other side of each domino is blank or identically patterned. The value of a domino is determined by the total number of pips on both sides. A domino with more pips is considered a heavier or higher-valued tile than one with fewer pips.