Domino is a game in which players take turns placing domino pieces, called tiles, on end on a line or on the table. The first domino in a line is then tipped over, causing the next piece in the line to fall and so on, until all of the dominoes are topped. It is a simple and fun game for people of all ages, allowing them to compete and practice their skills. Dominoes have also been used to demonstrate the power of a chain reaction or the domino effect, in which one action leads to much greater – and often disastrous – consequences.

Dominoes have a long history, dating back to the 12th or 13th century. Like playing cards, dominoes feature a pattern of dots or spots on each face, known as pips. The pips originally represented the results of throwing two six-sided dice. The game of dominoes evolved from this original design, with different types of dominoes representing the various outcomes of a roll. The first dominoes were made of wood or bone, but modern sets are typically constructed of polymer, a synthetic material that is durable and waterproof.

In the modern sense of the word, domino relates to a number of games that involve placing dominoes in lines and then tipping them over. Some of these games are block or scoring games, in which each player tries to empty their hand while blocking opponents’ play. Other games involve counting the pips in a domino, such as Bergen and Muggins. These kinds of games are popular for children, as they can be very addictive and help develop basic math skills.

While most people think of a domino as a game, the word can also be applied to business and to leadership. For example, the television show Undercover Boss features a CEO of Domino’s Pizza who goes into one of the company’s restaurants and sees how employees interact with customers. He then puts new practices into place, including a relaxed dress code and improved leadership training programs. He is able to make positive changes quickly, which ultimately improves employee morale and customer satisfaction.

There are many types of domino games, ranging from the classic Draw to the multi-player game Dominoes, also called Battleships or Dominions. The game Draw is the most common, in which each player draws seven dominoes for their hand and begins play by placing a domino from his or her hand on top of a domino already on the table. The player who draws the highest double plays first. The rest of the dominoes remain in a pile on the side of the table, known as the boneyard, to be drawn later if a player is unable to continue play.

There are also a number of other types of domino games, such as the skillful game Matador, in which players try to create a line of dominoes by laying their tiles so that they touch each other. These types of games are often played in teams.