4 Important Mexican Train Dominoes Rules for New Player

To become the first player to play all of your dominoes, or to finish the game with the fewest points. 

The player with the lowest overall score at the end of all rounds is the winner. However, the player should understand the Mexican Train Dominoes rules first.

Players should place the dominoes on the table face down and mix them up. From those mixed dominoes, the players draw their first hand. The number of dominoes each player draws is determined by the total number of players in the game.

Each player should set up their dominoes in such a way that they can see the color dots but not the others. 

The facedown dominoes on the table that remain after all players have drawn become the “boneyard” from which players will draw dominoes during the game.

Each player chooses one train marker and places it next to their dominoes on the table in front of them. The train hub is in the middle of the table.

Mexican Train Dominoes Rules

This version of the Mexican Train rules is based on Roy & Katie Parsons’ original, “official” rules from 1994, which were copyrighted by Puremco, Inc. in 2005. They were created in 2007 by David Bauguess for ease of use. 

These rules employ a popular alternate doubles rule that adds strategic interest to the game. Mexican Train can be played with a variety of domino sets of various sizes (double-6, double-9, double-12, etc.).

1. Preparation

Find and set aside the double-12 or double-9 domino, depending on the domino set you’re using. Shuffle the remaining dominoes by turning them face down. The number of tiles shown in the chart below is then drawn by each player. 

The remaining tiles are placed in one or more “train yards” or “bone piles” that will be used for draws during the game. 

If you have one, center the starting double-12 or double-9 domino on the table between the players in a centerpiece or hub designed for holding the double and starting the trains. 

Then, each player forms a personal train out of his or her drawn tiles, which are hidden from view by the other players.

2. Starting

To begin the game, choose a player. Then, in clockwise order, rotate the starter of each round.

If you are the starter and have a domino that matches the engine tile’s denomination, you can either start your own train or start the Mexican train, which is a line of end-matching dominoes that must start with the same denomination as the engine tile.

After you’ve played a tile, the game moves on to the next player clockwise. The subsequent players begin their games in the same way.

3. Play

You are only allowed to play one playable (end-matching) tile per turn if you can, with the exception of playing doubles (see below). 

The usual “eligible” trains you can play on are your personal train, the Mexican train, or any train with a “marker,” assuming you have one or more playable tiles.

Draw a tile from the bone pile and play it if possible if you don’t have a playable tile. If you have a playable tile in your hand, you must play it, even if it means removing it from your personal train line-up. It is not an option to not play, for example, because of a strategic consideration!

4. Ending A Round

If a player does not have a playable tile when the bone pile is depleted, he must pass and then place a marker on his train.

When a player has only one tile left, he must tap it on the table to alert the other players. (You might want to require it to be announced verbally and/or indicated in some other way in addition to or instead of tapping.)

In addition, when a player has “dominoes” (played his last tile, even if it is a double), or when the bone pile is depleted and no one can play, the round ends.

Then, there are Mexican Train Dominoes rules that you should follow for the best experiences in the slot gacor game.