Mexican Train is a domino game for a full table or for two. Everyone builds a personal “train” of dominoes out from a central hub, a shared Mexican Train runs alongside, and the round ends when someone plays their last tile. Low score wins.
Before the first round, agree on one thing: how doubles work. The rule sheet in your box, the reference rules on Pagat and the rules on mexicantrain.com all treat doubles differently, and most table arguments come from mixing them. This guide gives you the shared core first, then the three versions of the doubles rule side by side so you can pick one.
The rules here are compiled from the Spin Master rule insert that ships with its double-twelve set, the Pagat reference by John McLeod, Joe Celko’s variant notes on Pagat and the rules published on mexicantrain.com. We have not run a measured test session yet; where the sources disagree, we say so rather than choose for you.
What you need
- A double-twelve domino set: every pair of numbers from blank to 12, 91 tiles. Smaller sets work for smaller groups; see the two-player section and our set guide.
- A hub (also called the station) with a slot for the starting double and sidings for each train. Coins or a printed sheet work if your set has none.
- One marker per player, plus one for the Mexican Train. Pennies, buttons or the little plastic trains from the box.
How many dominoes each player draws
Shuffle all tiles face down. Each player draws a hand; the rest stay face down as the boneyard. The count depends on the number of players and, annoyingly, on which rule sheet you follow:
| Players | Spin Master insert (double-12) | Pagat reference (double-12) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 | 15 each | 15 each |
| 5 or 6 | 12 each | 12 each |
| 7 or 8 | 11 each | 10 each |
| 9 or 10 | not covered | 8 each |
Either table works as long as a few tiles remain in the boneyard. Pick one and keep it for the whole session.
Opening the station
The round starts with a double in the center of the hub, the engine. Two conventions exist:
- Descending doubles (Pagat, mexicantrain.com): the first round starts with the 12-12, the second with the 11-11, down to the double blank. That makes 13 rounds with a double-twelve set. Whoever holds the round’s double places it and starts.
- Highest double (Spin Master insert): the first player places their highest double. If nobody has a double, players draw in turn until one appears. Rounds continue for “an agreed number,” with a new starting player each round.
Every train in the round must begin with a tile matching the engine’s number.
Your first turn: build your train
On your first turn you may lay as many tiles as you can chain in one line, matching end to end, starting from the engine on your own siding. This is the only turn on which you play more than one tile (doubles aside). Plan the longest chain you can find; what you cannot connect stays in your hand. If you have no tile matching the engine, you do not draw; your train simply has not left the station yet, and under most rules you place your marker so others can start it for you.
Every turn after that
Play one tile per turn, in one of three places:
- Your own train. Always allowed, matching the open end.
- The Mexican Train. A shared train any player may start from the engine, from the second turn onward under Pagat’s rules, and add to on any later turn. Once started it stays open to everyone.
- Another player’s train that carries a marker. A marker means that train is open. Playing on it is allowed but usually helps its owner.
Play passes to the left.
Markers: when a train goes public
If you cannot play anywhere, draw one tile from the boneyard. If you can play it, do so; the turn ends normally. If you still cannot play, place your marker on the end of your train. From then on anyone may add to your train. You remove the marker the next time you play a tile on your own train. While marked, you may still play elsewhere.
Under the Spin Master insert, a train that never left the station gets its marker the same way.
Doubles: the rule to agree on
A double is laid crosswise. What happens next is where the sources part ways:
| Source | After you play a double | If it stays unsatisfied | Limits and exceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spin Master insert | You must play another tile on that double if you can. If not, draw one; play it on the double if possible. | Place a marker on your train. The next player must play on the double, drawing once if needed, and so on until someone satisfies it. | No need to satisfy: if it is the last tile of that number, if you played it to remove your own marker, or if it was your last tile (round ends). |
| Pagat reference | You must play an extra tile, which may go anywhere. | The next player must satisfy the double or draw and place a marker; it stays a priority until satisfied. | Variants listed include a one-double-per-turn limit and not requiring satisfaction at all. |
| mexicantrain.com | You may play as many doubles as you like as long as you finish the turn with a non-double that covers the last double. | If you cannot cover after drawing, you pass and the next player must cover it. | None stated beyond the covering rule. |
A workable house rule that matches all three in spirit: one double per turn, then one more tile to satisfy it if you can; if nobody can, the double blocks that train until it is satisfied. Whatever you pick, say it out loud before the first draw.
Ending the round and scoring
The round ends when a player plays their last tile, or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty. Everyone else counts the pips on the tiles left in hand; that total is their penalty score for the round. The player who went out scores zero. After the agreed number of rounds, the lowest total wins.
Two details differ by table: whether the double blank counts 0 or a penalty of 50 (Pagat lists 50 as a common variant), and whether you must announce your last tile. Celko’s rules add a two-tile penalty for failing to say so. Decide both before you start.
Can you play Mexican Train with two people?
Yes, and it plays well. The sources handle it three ways:
| Approach | Set | Tiles per player | Other changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spin Master insert | Double-12 | 15 each | None; same rules as a bigger table |
| Celko on Pagat | Double-6 to double-15, by choice | 9 each | Recommends a double-6 set for four or fewer players |
| mexicantrain.com | Double-9 | 8 each | Mexican Train may start on the third turn; a round can end with two tiles left in the boneyard |
With two players, the Mexican Train becomes the main battleground: it is the only train you can both use every turn. Playing on your opponent’s open train helps them; playing on the Mexican Train helps whoever needs it more. A double-nine set with a small hand keeps rounds short; the full double-twelve set with 15 tiles each makes each round a longer race with fewer blocks.
Quick reference
- Engine in the hub; every train starts with a tile matching it.
- First turn: as many tiles as you can chain. Afterwards: one tile per turn.
- Play on your train, the Mexican Train, or any train with a marker.
- No play: draw one. Still no play: marker on your train, your train is open.
- Doubles: agree on your version. Satisfy them before other play.
- Round ends when someone is out; count leftover pips; lowest total after the agreed rounds wins.
Sources
- Mexican Train, Pagat, John McLeod: reference rules, draw table, descending doubles, scoring and variants.
- Mexican Train, variant notes, Joe Celko on Pagat: hand sizes by set and player count, set recommendations, last-tile announcement.
- Rules and two-player guide, mexicantrain.com: covering rule for doubles, double-9 two-player setup.
- Spin Master domino rule insert, Mexican Train section (draw table 15/12/11 for 2 to 8 players, highest-double opening, doubles procedure, marker rules), read from the manufacturer’s PDF supplied with the double-twelve set.
Choosing a set? Our set guide explains double-9 against double-12, what a hub is and what to check in a listing before you buy.