When can you start the Mexican Train?
This is the question that comes up at almost every new table. Everyone agrees the Mexican Train is shared and starts with a tile that matches the engine. The argument is about when.
The common versions
- Anyone can start it from the very first move. Many boxed rule sheets say this.
- Nobody can start it until every player has had a first turn.
- Some groups also say it cannot be started while a double is waiting to be covered.
What to agree on before you start
Can the Mexican Train be started on the first turn, or only after everyone has played once?
The first turn: one tile or a long run?
New players are often surprised by this one. Some tables play one tile per turn from the start. Others let you build a long line on your own train right away.
The common versions
- One tile per turn, every turn, including the first. Most publisher rule sheets use this.
- On your first turn, play as many tiles as you can in one line on your own train. Many families and several rule books play it this way.
- The long run is allowed only on the turn when you actually start your own train, even if that is not your first turn.
If you play the long run version, two details matter. If someone plays every tile on their first turn, the usual rule is that everyone else still gets a first turn before the round ends. And some groups say that if you had to draw on your first turn, you may only play one tile.
What to agree on before you start
One tile on the first turn, or as many as you can in a line?
What follows a double?
Everyone agrees that after you play a double you play one more tile. Where that tile can go is one of the most common arguments in the game.
The common versions
- The next tile can go anywhere you could legally play.
- It can go on the double or on another open train.
- It has to go on the double. You must cover your own double.
In the standard rules, an uncovered double stops the game until someone covers it, even when it sits on another player's train.
What to agree on before you start
After your own double, may your next tile go somewhere else, or must it cover the double?
How many doubles can you play in one turn?
Holding three doubles can feel like a gift or a curse, depending on your table.
The common versions
- Up to two doubles, and then a regular tile that covers one of them.
- No limit. Your turn ends when you play a tile that is not a double.
- Only one double per turn.
When several doubles are waiting, they are usually covered in the order they were played.
What to agree on before you start
How many doubles in a row, and which one gets covered first?
Can you go out on a double?
You are down to your last tile, and it is a double. Can you play it and win the round?
The common versions
- Yes. Most rule sheets let you go out on a double.
- No. Some tournament rules say your last tile cannot be a double.
What to agree on before you start
Is a double allowed as your last tile?
Who takes the marker off?
When you cannot play, you put a marker on your train and everyone may play on it. Tables disagree on how the marker comes off.
The common versions
- Only the owner can remove it, by playing a tile on their own train. This is the standard rule.
- It comes off as soon as anyone plays on that train.
- It comes off when the owner plays anywhere.
What to agree on before you start
Does anyone's tile close a train, or only the owner's?
Drawing and the blocked round
When the boneyard is empty and nobody can play, the round is blocked. It ends right there, and everyone counts the pips in their hand. Before that point, tables differ on how much you draw.
The common versions
- Draw one tile, then pass if it does not fit. This is the standard rule.
- Some groups make the player who left a double uncovered keep drawing until they find a tile for it.
- If every tile with a double's number has already been played, that double cannot be covered, so it no longer blocks the table.
What to agree on before you start
Draw one tile or keep drawing? And does anyone score zero in a blocked round? In the standard rules, nobody does.
How many tiles in each hand?
With a double-12 set, 2 to 4 players most often draw 15 tiles each, but rule sheets print different numbers. With 5 players, for example, you will find anything from 11 to 14 tiles each, depending on the box.
What to agree on before you start
Use the table in your box or the one in our Mexican Train rules, and stick with it for the whole game.
Is the double-blank worth zero?
The common versions
- Zero, because it has no pips. This is the standard rule.
- 50 points, which makes it a tile to get rid of fast.
- 25 points for each blank half.
What to agree on before you start
What does the 0-0 cost at the end of a round? Our scoring guide shows how much this can change the final result.
Announcing your last tile
Many tables expect you to tap your last tile on the table or say so out loud. For some, it is just good manners. For others, forgetting costs you.
The common versions
- A friendly tap, with no penalty.
- Forget to announce and you draw two tiles.
- Forget to announce and you draw one tile or lose a turn.
What to agree on before you start
Is there a penalty for not announcing your last tile?
Write your house rules down
Most arguments start halfway through a game, when someone says "that's not how we play." The easy fix is to agree before you deal and write it down. Our printable score sheet has a line for your house rules, so the decision travels with the scores.
The free Android app, Mexican Train: Big Dominoes, works the same way. Pick a house rule preset, and each rule comes with a plain explanation, so everyone knows what the table is playing. It also has big tiles, no timer, and a score keeper for the real table with up to 8 players.
Coming soon to iPhone and iPad
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official set of Mexican Train rules?
No. Mexican Train has no single official rule book, and even the first rule sheets printed in 1994 disagree with each other. The core of the game is the same everywhere, but details like the first turn and doubles vary from table to table.
What should we agree on before we start?
When the Mexican Train can be started, how many tiles you can play on the first turn, what follows a double, whether you can go out on a double, and what the double-blank is worth.
What if a rule question comes up in the middle of a game?
Decide it together, write the decision on the score sheet, and use it for the rest of the game. Changing a rule halfway through a game is a sure way to start an argument.