Learn Mexican Train Dominoes: Free Tutorial
In Mexican Train everyone builds a train of dominoes from the same engine, and the first to empty their hand ends the round. In eight steps on a real board, you start your train, play on an open train and the Mexican, cover a double, draw and pass, go out and score.
Step 1 of 8
The engine and your train
Playboard deals Mexican Train from a double-twelve set: 91 tiles, with pips from 0 to 12. Each round is built on one double, the engine, set in the middle of the table. Round 1 uses the 12-12, and each round after it uses the next double down.
With two players, each gets 16 tiles, and with three or four, 15. The rest are the boneyard, here 58 tiles. Every player builds their own train out from the engine, and until yours has a tile, it is the only place you may play. Its first tile must carry the engine's number.
Your move
Start your train with a tile that carries a 12.
Open and closed trains
A train is normally closed: only its owner may play on it. When a player can't play and has to pass, their train becomes an open train. Anyone may play on it until its owner plays on it again.
This round has three players. Bot 1 passed earlier, so its train is open, ending in 9. Bot 2's train is closed, so your 8-10 can't go on its 8, even though the numbers match.
Your move
Play a tile on Bot 1's open train.
The Mexican train
The Mexican train belongs to nobody. Once your own train has started, you may play on it on any turn. It starts empty, so its first tile must carry the engine's number, like the first tile of every train.
Your own train ends in 3, and the Mexican train is still empty. The bot's train is closed, so your 6-10 can't go on its 10.
Your move
Start the Mexican train.
A double must be covered
A player who lays a double keeps the turn and must cover it with a tile of the same number. If they can't, they draw one tile, and if that doesn't help either, they pass and their train opens. Until someone covers the double, nobody may play anywhere else, not even a player whose own train hasn't started.
The bot laid the 5-5 on its own train, couldn't cover it, drew and passed, so its train is open. Your 4-8 fits your own train and your 2-11 fits the Mexican train, but the double comes first.
Your move
Cover the double.
Draw, then pass
Nothing in your hand fits your own train's 6, the bot's open train's 3 or the Mexican train's 2. When you can't play, you draw one tile from the boneyard and play it if it fits. If it doesn't, you pass, and passing opens your train. You get one draw per turn, and with the boneyard empty you pass straight away.
Your move
Draw, pass, then close your train again after the bot has played.
Go out
This is round 4 of 4, so the engine is the 9-9. Playing your last tile is called going out, and it ends the round. Going out costs you nothing. Every other player adds up the pips left in their hand and adds that to their score.
Your last tile, the 4-9, fits both your own train and the Mexican train.
Your move
Play your last tile.
Lowest score wins
In Mexican Train the lowest total wins the match. If a round blocks, with the boneyard empty and nobody able to play, every player adds their own pips, the lightest hand included.
Before this last round you had 61 points and the bot had 40. The board shows what the round added. How does the match end?
Play a double you can cover
A double you can cover yourself gets rid of two tiles in one turn: you lay the double, keep the turn, and cover it. A double you can't cover leaves you drawing, and if the draw doesn't help, passing with your train open.
Your train ends in 8, and you hold the 8-8 and the 3-8.
Your move
Get rid of two tiles this turn.
What you learned
- Each round is built on one double, the engine, and every train's first tile carries its number.
- Your first tile must start your own train, unless a double is waiting to be covered.
- Your train is closed to the others until you pass. Then it is open to everyone until you play on it again.
- Anyone whose own train has started may play on the Mexican train.
- A double must be covered before anyone plays anywhere else.
- With nothing to play, draw one tile. If it doesn't fit, pass, and your train opens.
- Going out costs nothing, and everyone else adds the pips in their hand. The lowest total wins.
- A double you can cover yourself gets rid of two tiles in one turn.
Take it to the table.
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