How to Play Mexican Train Dominoes

What you need

A double-12 set: 91 tiles with every pair of numbers from 0 to 12, including the 13 doubles from 0-0 to 12-12. Each number appears on 13 tiles, and the whole set holds 1,092 pips. Many boxed sets also include a station (a hub with a slot in the middle for the starting double) and little train markers, but coins work just as well: one per player, plus one for the Mexican Train.

About GameLake: our dominoes game is classic two-player Draw or Block dominoes with a double-six set, played against Hop the frog, not Mexican Train. The matching and counting skills are the same, so it's a quick way to practise between family game nights.

How many dominoes each player starts with

Turn all 91 tiles face down and shuffle them. Each player draws their hand and stands the tiles on edge; the rest form the boneyard.

Setting up a round

A full game is 13 rounds, and each round starts from a different double, called the engine. Round 1 uses the 12-12, round 2 the 11-11, and so on down to the double blank in round 13.

1. Whoever holds the round's double places it in the centre (in the station, if you have one). If nobody has it, players take turns drawing from the boneyard until it turns up. Some groups simply take that double out and set it in the middle before dealing.
2. That player starts, and play moves clockwise.

Your train, their trains and the Mexican Train

Each player builds a personal train: a line of tiles leading out from the engine toward their seat. The first tile must match the engine number, and each tile after that must match the open end of the train, just like a normal line of dominoes. There's also one shared Mexican Train that anyone may start and add to.

Your own train is private: only you may play on it, until you put your marker on it.

Taking a turn

1. Play one tile on your own train, on the Mexican Train, or on any other player's train that has a marker on it.
2. If you can't play, draw one tile from the boneyard. If it fits somewhere you're allowed to play, play it.
3. If you still can't play, pass and put your marker at the end of your own train. It's now open to everyone.
4. Your marker comes off as soon as you play on your own train again.

You must play if you can, and you can't draw while you hold a tile that fits. When the boneyard is empty, a player who can't play simply passes and puts their marker out.

First turn: many groups let each player lay as many tiles as they can on their own train on their first turn, which makes the opening fast. Others play one tile at a time from the start. Both are common, so agree before you deal.

Doubles must be covered

Doubles are placed crosswise, and they come with a rule of their own. When you play a double, you must play one more tile, either on the double or anywhere else you're allowed to play. If you can't, draw; if you still can't, put your marker out.

A double left uncovered is "open", and every player in turn must cover it before playing anywhere else, even if it's on someone's private train. A player who can't cover it draws, and if that doesn't help, puts their marker out, and the duty moves on to the next player. Some rule sheets relax this, for example when the double is a player's last tile, so check yours.

Ending a round and scoring

A round ends when someone plays their last tile, or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty. Then everyone adds up the pips on the tiles still in their hand. Those are penalty points: the player who went out scores 0, and everyone else adds their own total to their score.

After all 13 rounds, the lowest total wins. Blanks count 0 in most rules, though some rule sheets make the double blank worth 50 to whoever is caught holding it. Short on time? Play fewer rounds, for example only the doubles from 12 down to 6.

That's the reverse of the classic games, where the winner collects the other players' pips and high scores win. Our guide to keeping score in dominoes covers those.

Mexican Train vs classic dominoes

Tips for your first game

• Plan your train. Before the first tile goes down, sort your hand into a chain that starts with the engine number. A long chain you can play one tile at a time keeps your marker off.
• Save the Mexican Train for emergencies. Your own train is the only one others can't use. Play on shared trains when a tile doesn't fit your chain.
• Shed heavy tiles. Anything left in your hand counts against you, and the 12s and 11s hurt most.
• Watch the markers. A marked train is a chance to dump a tile that doesn't fit your chain.
• Think before you play a double. Have a follow-up tile ready, or you'll end up with your marker out.

Many of the habits in our dominoes strategy guide, like counting tiles and remembering who couldn't play, work in Mexican Train too.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• DominoesHow to Play Dominoes: Rules for Beginners
• DominoesHow to Keep Score in Dominoes
• DominoesDominoes Strategy: How to Win More Rounds

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