How to Play Mexican Train Dominoes

Mexican Train is the domino game that fills kitchen tables at family reunions, church socials and retirement communities all over the country. Everybody builds a line of tiles, called a train, out from a double in the middle of the table. There is one extra train that belongs to everyone, and a little marker that tells the table when your train is open for business. The rules fit on an index card, and a full game of 13 rounds makes a fine afternoon. Below are the rules our free online game uses, with the spots where families often do things a little differently.

What You Need

• A double-twelve domino set: 91 tiles, from the 0–0 (double blank) up to the 12–12.
• Two to eight players. Our online game seats four: you and three computer players.
• A marker for each player. Many sets come with little plastic trains; a coin or a button works fine.
• A center piece (the "hub" or "station") to hold the engine double. It's handy but not required.
• Paper and pencil for the score. Online, the scoreboard keeps it for you.

How Many Tiles to Deal

Turn all the tiles face down and mix them. Each player draws a hand. The number depends on how many people are playing. The table below shows the most common amounts; our online game deals 12 tiles each to four players, and you can switch to 15 in the House Rules.

The tiles nobody took stay face down. This is the boneyard, and you draw from it when you can't play.

The Engine Double

Each round starts from a different double, called the engine. Round 1 uses the 12–12, round 2 the 11–11, and so on, counting down to the 0–0 in round 13. Whoever holds the engine double puts it in the middle of the table, and the player to their left takes the first turn.

If nobody has the engine double, it's still in the boneyard. Our game has players take turns drawing one tile each until someone draws it. Some families simply dig it out of the boneyard instead. Both ways are in the rule variations.

The Trains

Every train grows out from the engine. There are two kinds:

• Your own train. Each player has one. The first tile must carry the engine's number, and each tile after that must match the open end. Normally only you may play on it.
• The Mexican Train. One extra train that belongs to everyone. Any player may start it on their turn, with any tile carrying the engine's number, and any player may add to it later.

On the screen, each train is shown as its own row so you can see every open end at a glance. In a real game the trains fan out from the hub like the spokes of a wheel.

Taking a Turn

On your turn you play one tile. It can go on:

1. your own train,
2. the Mexican Train, or
3. any other player's train that has a marker on it.

The number on your tile must match the open end of the train you play on. If you have a tile that fits somewhere, you must play. Play passes to the left (clockwise).

Worked example

It's round 1, so the engine is the 12–12. You hold the 12–5, the 5–9 and the 3–3. On your first turn you play the 12–5 on your own train, leaving a 5 open. Next turn you add the 5–9, and your train now ends in a 9. The 3–3 doesn't fit anywhere yet, so you keep it for later. If the Mexican Train ends in a 3 on a later turn, that is a good home for it.

When You Can't Play: Draw, Pass and the Marker

If none of your tiles fit any train you are allowed to use, draw one tile from the boneyard. If the new tile fits, you must play it right away. If it doesn't fit, you pass, and a marker goes on your own train.

A train with a marker is open: every player may play on it. The marker stays until you play a tile on your own train again, and then you pick it up. That's why getting stuck is costly: other players may use your train to dump their tiles, and they can change the number at its end.

Doubles Must Be Covered

A double is placed crosswise at the end of a train. Whenever someone plays a double, it has to be covered: another tile with the same number must be played on it before play goes anywhere else.

• The player who played the double gets to play again right away to cover it.
• If they can't, they draw one tile. If it fits on the double, they play it.
• If they still can't, they pass and put a marker on their own train.
• Now the next player must cover the double, drawing if needed. This goes around the table until someone covers it.

Worked example

West plays the 7–7 on the Mexican Train. West has the 7–2, so West covers the double at once and the turn passes. Later North plays the 4–4 on North's own train but has no other 4. North draws the 4–10, which fits, and plays it. Then East plays the 8–8 on East's train, has no 8, draws a tile that doesn't fit, and passes. Now East's train has a marker, and it's your turn: you must cover the 8–8 if you can. If you can't, you draw; if that tile doesn't fit either, you pass and your train gets a marker too.

Ending a Round

A round ends in one of two ways:

• Someone goes out by playing their last tile. In our game, a double may be the last tile and still end the round. Some families say a final double must be covered first; that option is in the House Rules.
• The game is blocked: the boneyard is empty and every player has passed in a row.

Scoring

At the end of each round, every player adds up the dots on the tiles still in their hand. Those are penalty points, so you want as few as possible. The player who went out scores zero. The double blank is special: being caught with the 0–0 costs 50 points in most homes (you can make it worth 0 instead).

Winning the Game

A full game has 13 rounds, one for each double from the 12–12 down to the 0–0. The player with the lowest total after the last round wins. If two players tie for the lowest total, they share the win. When time is short, many families play only part of the countdown; our short game stops after 7 rounds, at the 6–6.

Rules at a Glance

• Double-twelve set, 4 players, 12 tiles each, 13 rounds.
• Each round's engine is a double, from the 12–12 down to the 0–0.
• Play one tile on your train, the Mexican Train, or any train with a marker.
• Can't play? Draw one. Still can't? Pass and put a marker on your train.
• Every double must be covered before play goes anywhere else.
• Round ends when someone goes out or nobody can play.
• Count the dots left in your hand; the 0–0 is 50. Lowest total wins.

If you enjoy matching dominoes from a center double, you'll also like Chicken Foot, which uses a double-nine set and a very different rule for doubles. For tips on playing Mexican Train well, see our strategy guide.