1Object of the game
Have the lowest total score after 13 rounds. Points are bad in Mexican Train: at the end of every round you score the pips on the tiles still in your hand. Going out first scores you zero for that round.
2Setup
- Take the 12-12 out of the set and place it in the center of the table (or in the hub). This is the engine for round one. In round two the engine is the 11-11, then 10-10, and so on down to the 0-0 in round 13.
- Shuffle the rest of the tiles face down. Each player draws a hand: 15 tiles each with 2 to 4 players, 12 each with 5 or 6, and 10 each with 7 or 8. The tiles left over form the boneyard.
- Give each player a marker, and set one extra marker aside for the Mexican Train. Each player's own train will run from the engine toward their seat.
- In the first round, the player holding the 12-12 places it and takes the first turn, and play goes clockwise. If nobody holds the round's engine double, players draw from the boneyard in turn until someone finds it.
3The play
- Opening turn: going around once, each player starts their own train by playing a tile that matches the engine. In pagat.com's rules you may keep adding matching tiles to your own train on this first turn. If you can't start your train, don't draw; just place your marker at your spot.
- On later turns, play exactly one tile. It can go on the end of your own train, on the Mexican Train, or on another player's train if that train has a marker on it.
- The Mexican Train can be started by any player from the second turn onward, with a tile that matches the engine. Put the extra marker on it; it is always open to everyone.
- If you can't play, draw one tile from the boneyard. If it fits, you may play it right away. If it doesn't, pass and put your marker on your own train, which opens it to everyone.
- When you play on your own train again, remove your marker. Your train is private once more.
- If you play a double, you must play a second tile. The double has to be satisfied (have a tile played on it) before anyone plays anywhere else. If you can't satisfy it, draw one tile; if that doesn't help, put your marker on your train and the next player must satisfy the double.
- When you are down to one tile, tap the table or say so, as many groups require (the "uno" rule on mexicantrain.com).
4End of a hand
The round ends as soon as one player plays their last tile. That can be a double; you may go out on a double even though it isn't satisfied. A round also ends if the boneyard is empty and nobody can play. Everyone then counts the pips left in their hand and adds them to their score. Reshuffle, set out the next lower double as the engine, and deal new hands.
5Scoring
Scores are penalty points. Add up every pip on the tiles left in your hand and add that to your running total. The player who went out scores 0 for the round.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| Going out (no tiles left) | 0 |
| Each pip left in hand | 1 penalty point |
| Double-blank (0-0) left in hand | 0 in standard rules |
| Round 1 engine | 12-12 |
| Round 13 engine | 0-0 |
| Game length | 13 rounds |
Tiles per player differ by source. Pagat.com deals 15 each for up to 4 players, 12 for 5 or 6, and 10 for 7 or 8. Dominorules.com uses 16 for 2 players, 15 for 3, 14 for 4, 12 for 5, 11 for 6, 10 for 7, and 9 for 8. Some families give the double-blank a penalty value, but pagat.com simply counts pips, so it scores 0.
6Winning
After all 13 rounds, the player with the lowest total score wins. If you are short on time, agree before you start to play fewer rounds (mexicantrain.com's beginner rules use three) and still award the win to the lowest total. Ties are shared unless your group agrees on a tiebreak, such as the most rounds gone out.
7A worked hand
It's round one, the engine is 12-12, and your own train ends in a 7. You have no marker on your train. You play 7-7 crosswise on your train, so you must play another tile, and the double must be satisfied first. You play 7-3 on the 7-7, and your turn is over. Next, Dana can't match anything on her train or the Mexican Train, so she draws one tile, the 9-2. It doesn't fit, so she places her marker on her train. Now anyone may play on Dana's train until she plays on it herself. Two turns later, Eli plays his last tile on the Mexican Train and the round ends. Eli scores 0. You still hold 12-10 and 3-0, so you add 12 + 10 + 3 + 0 = 25 penalty points. Dana holds 9-2 and 6-6, so she adds 11 + 12 = 23. If the score was You 40, Dana 52, Eli 61 before the round, it is now You 65, Dana 75, Eli 61, and Eli has moved into the lead.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Different hand sizes
- Dominorules.com deals 16, 15, 14, 12, 11, 10, and 9 tiles for 2 through 8 players. Mexicantrain.com gives 11 each for 7 or 8 players instead of pagat.com's 10.
- Double's extra tile anywhere
- In pagat.com's version, the tile you play after a double may go anywhere, and the next player is first in line to satisfy the double. Many home games require the doubler to cover their own double if they can.
- One tile on the first turn
- Pagat.com lets you play as many tiles as you like on your own train during the opening turn. Some groups, including dominorules.com, allow only one tile per turn from the very start.
- Short game
- Mexicantrain.com's beginner guide plays three rounds instead of all 13. It's a good way to teach the game before committing to a full evening.
- Announce your last tile
- Mexicantrain.com's rules have you say "uno" or double-tap the table when you're down to one tile. Many groups add their own penalty for forgetting, such as drawing a tile.
- Positive scoring
- Pagat.com mentions groups that score the pips left in opponents' hands for the player who goes out, with the highest total winning.
9Mistakes people make
- You play one tile per turn after the opening turn. The only way to play two is when the first is a double.
- An unsatisfied double blocks every other play. Nobody may play elsewhere until someone covers it.
- Your marker stays on your train until you play on your own train again. Playing on the Mexican Train or someone else's train doesn't remove it.
- If you can't play, you draw only one tile, not until you find a match. If that tile doesn't fit, you pass and mark your train.
10Playing better
- Plan your own train on the first turn. Lay your hand out as the longest chain you can build from the engine number, and play tiles off the Mexican Train and marked trains so you save your own chain for later.
- Dump high tiles early. A 12-11 left in your hand when someone goes out costs 23 points, while a 1-0 costs 1.
- Keep your marker off your train. Once it's open, other players can play on it and break your planned chain. Play on your own train when you need to clear the marker.
- Use doubles to your advantage. If you hold a double and a tile that satisfies it, you get two tiles out in one turn. Playing a double you can't satisfy can force the next player to cover it or draw.
- Watch the hand counts. When an opponent is down to one or two tiles, get rid of your highest tiles even if it spoils your train plan.
Mexican Train: questions people ask
- How many dominoes do you start with in Mexican Train?
- With a double-twelve set, pagat.com deals 15 tiles each for 2 to 4 players, 12 each for 5 or 6 players, and 10 each for 7 or 8 players. Some rule sets differ: dominorules.com gives 16 tiles for 2 players and 14 for 4, so check what your box says and agree before dealing.
- Do you have to cover a double in Mexican Train?
- Yes. Once a double is played, it must be satisfied by playing a tile on it before anyone plays anywhere else. The player who played the double plays a second tile; if they can't cover it, they draw one tile and, if still stuck, put their marker down. The next player then has to cover it.
- When can you start the Mexican Train?
- Under pagat.com's rules, any player may start the Mexican Train from the second turn onward by playing a tile that matches the engine double. It can't be started on the very first turn, when everyone is starting their own train. Once started, anyone can play on it at any time.
- What happens when you can't play in Mexican Train?
- Draw one tile from the boneyard. If it fits somewhere legal, you may play it. If not, your turn ends and you place your marker on your own train. That lets other players play on your train until you play on it yourself and take the marker off.
- Can you end Mexican Train on a double?
- Yes. If your last tile is a double and it matches a legal spot, you may play it and go out, even though nobody has satisfied it. The round ends immediately and everyone else counts the pips in their hands.
- How do you score Mexican Train?
- At the end of each round, every player adds up the pips on the tiles left in their hand and adds that to their total. The player who went out scores zero. Lower is better, and after 13 rounds the lowest total wins the game.
- How many rounds are in Mexican Train?
- A full game has 13 rounds, one for each double from 12-12 down to 0-0. Each round's engine is the next lower double. Many groups play fewer rounds when time is short, and mexicantrain.com's beginner guide uses three. Each round's starting player is whoever holds that round's double.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Mexican Train, pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.
- Mexican Train Dominoes, dominorules.com. Read September 28, 2026.
- Mexican Train rules and beginner's guide, mexicantrain.com. Read September 28, 2026.