Domino is a word that refers to any sequence of events that lead to greater and sometimes catastrophic consequences. This concept is most popularly seen in the form of domino games, where the first piece is tipped and then the rest fall in a cascade of rhythmic motion. But the domino effect is also prevalent in other areas of life. We see it in movies when a character’s actions set off a series of consequences that ultimately lead to the big climax. And we write it in novels, where each scene is like a domino.

In most domino games, each player places a domino edge to edge against another in such a way that the adjacent faces either match or form some specified total. The other faces are blank or marked with a pattern of spots, called pips, similar to those on dice. The pips indicate the value of each side. The value of a domino is determined by counting the number of dots on one or both of its ends and adding up that number.

Many domino sets are made from wood, including hickory and oak, as well as metals, and ceramic clay. A few sets are made from other natural materials, such as stone (e.g., marble and granite) and soapstone. These sets tend to be more expensive and less common.

The domino shape — long, thin and rectangular with rounded corners — lends itself to various types of games, puzzles and art. Some popular domino games include:

Dominoes are also used to make more elaborate constructions, such as shapes and figures. They can be used in art to create geometric patterns, or they can be arranged into larger structures such as houses and castles. Some people even use them to make a chessboard, where each domino has its own square and the edges are smooth and straight to facilitate game play.

For those who want to take their creations a step further, they can make domino sculptures. They can be as simple or complex as you desire – some designs consist of just a single domino, while others may have hundreds and even thousands of dominoes.

As the labor shortage continues to hamper Domino’s ability to serve customers, it has prompted the company to be more cautious about running promotions that might drive more traffic to its stores. In the short term, this could hurt its sales and profitability. However, over the long term, I expect that the company’s store network, supply chain efficiencies and best-in-class ROIC will provide it with a strong competitive advantage in the delivery market. Especially given that third-party delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash have broken business models that will likely never achieve scale. Until they do, Domino’s delivery capabilities should remain its biggest growth driver.