A domino is a small rectangular block of wood or other rigid material, each face bearing an arrangement of spots or dots similar to those on dice. Dominoes are used to form the bases for games of chance and skill, and the game can be played in many ways, including as a form of gambling. The pieces may be arranged to create structures such as arcs, columns, or arches, and they may also be stacked horizontally. A domino set is usually shuffled before play. The pieces that remain unplayed are then placed in a collection called a boneyard.

As a child, Lily Hevesh loved lining up dominoes in straight or curved lines, and flicking the first one over to start a chain reaction. She continues to make domino art today, and her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. Hevesh says the key to her impressive installations is relying on science, especially the law of gravity.

Dominoes are a great way to teach children about numbers and colors, and they can be used to practice counting skills. They can also be arranged to form letters and shapes, and some people use them to build sculptures. Some sets come with domino stickers, which are useful for labeling different types of pieces.

Most domino sets have 28 tiles, although some have fewer or more. Each domino has a set of markings, called pips, which are usually either black or white. Each pips represents the result of throwing two six-sided dice, and the number of pips on each domino is indicative of its value.

Dominoes can be made from a variety of materials, but most commonly are made of ivory, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), or dark hardwoods such as ebony. Polymer dominoes are also available. Natural-material dominoes are more expensive than polymer ones and are generally considered to have a more premium look.

A person who plays dominoes is known as a domino player, and a group of players who play is called a domino team or a domino league. In some cases, a domino player competes against other players in a tournament to see who can knock over all of their tiles first.

Dominoes are a popular activity for parties, and the game can be used to teach basic math and counting skills. It can also be a fun way to relieve stress, as the simple act of knocking over a set of dominoes can relax the brain and lower blood pressure. In the workplace, domino can be used to teach team building and leadership skills. The game is also a good way to improve attention and memory. Some companies have even implemented domino teams to address business challenges. For example, Domino’s Pizza has used a domino strategy to respond to customer complaints and revamp its food quality. In doing so, the company stayed true to its core values and principles. These strategies have helped Domino’s become a leading restaurant brand worldwide.