A domino is a small rectangular block of wood or another material, marked with two groups of spots on one side. The domino’s spots, called pips, are arranged in two rows and each has a different number of pips than the other. A domino has many uses and can be played in a variety of games.

The word “domino” originally denoted a long hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade ball. Earlier still, it may have referred to a black domino worn over a priest’s white surplice.

Dominoes are used for a variety of games, including the popular game of draw and discard. Each player begins the game with a hand of seven domino tiles. The remaining dominoes are placed in a pile, face down, in front of the players and form the stock or boneyard. Players draw tiles from the stock, as explained in the section “Order of Play,” to begin playing their turns. If a player draws more tiles for his hand than he is allowed, the extras remain in the stock and are not drawn again. Depending on the rules of the game, these surplus dominoes can be bought by other players later in the game.

Each player plays a domino in turn, positioning it so that a chain of dots forms from the end of his hand to the other edge of the table. When a player plays a tile that creates a new end of the chain, he “knocks” or raps the table, and play passes to the next player. Some games require that a player cannot play a second tile on his double until the other players have had an opportunity to do so.

If a player is not able to play a tile or the domino he is playing is blocked by other players’ tiles, that player forfeits his turn and the game ends. The winners are the partners whose combined total of all spots on their remaining dominoes is the lowest at the time the game ends.

In order to ensure that a complex installation works as intended, Hevesh constructs test versions of each of the individual sections of an installation, then films them in slow motion to identify and correct any errors. Once the test sections work perfectly, she begins putting them together, starting with the biggest 3-D ones and moving on to flat arrangements.

Similarly, in the business world, when a company experiences problems that seem intractable, smart leaders listen to their customers and rethink their operations. For example, in the 1960’s, Domino’s founder, Tom Monaghan, made the controversial decision to limit the type of pizza offered at his restaurants. This simple and effective strategy stopped Domino’s from losing money and allowed them to grow rapidly. As the owner of a franchise, Domino’s CEO, David Doyle, adheres to this value and frequently communicates with his employees, listening to their complaints and concerns. For instance, when he became CEO, he instituted a series of new changes to the Domino’s menu and culture, including a relaxed dress code and leadership training programs.