Mexican Train is a game played with dominoes. The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from his or her hand onto one or more chains, or trains, emanating from a central hub or "station". The game's most popular name comes from a special optional train that belongs to all players. However, the game can be played without the Mexican train; such variants are generally called "private trains" or "domino trains". It is related to the game Chicken Foot.

Equipment

A double-twelve set of dominoes is marketed as the standard for Mexican Train, and accommodates up to eight players, but there are many sets that are commonly used. The following sets are common, depending on the number of people playing:

• Double-six (2 players, 28 tiles in total)^[1]
• Double-nine (2-7 players, 55 tiles)
• Double-twelve (2-8 players, 91 tiles)
• Double-fifteen (9-12 players, 136 tiles)
• Double-eighteen (13 players, 190 tiles)

In addition to dominoes, the game also requires:

• One token or marker for each player
• A special spacer, known as the "station" or "hub", used to evenly space the trains around the central domino (optional).
• Pencil and paper to keep score

Many sets of dominoes include a station and special train-shaped tokens for markers, and packaged games with a central "station" and custom tokens are available. However, the station piece is not strictly needed, and anything from coins to poker chips to even pieces of candy or slips of paper can be used as markers.

Objective

The objective of all train games is to be the first to place all your dominoes. Dominoes may be placed onto the player's train, onto the Mexican train if available, or on the trains of other players under special circumstances.^[2] The middle tile counts as the start of a player's multiple tile train.

Gameplay

Setup and start

At the start of each round, the dominoes are placed face-side down, shuffled, and each player draws an equal number to form their hands. The actual number drawn depends on the number of players, domino set in use, and rule variation. For example, in a 3-player game using the double-twelve set of 91 dominoes, each player draws 15 tiles for their hand, under the 1994 Galt rules.^[2] Dominoes held in a player's hand are kept hidden from the other players.^[3]

Any remaining dominoes are placed to one side, forming the "boneyard". For example, under the 1994 Galt rules, in a 3-player game using the double-twelve set of 91 dominoes, the players collectively hold 45 tiles, leaving 46 tiles in the "boneyard".

Opening the station

The highest double tile is set aside and placed to "open the station" and start the game; e.g., with a standard double-twelve set the double twelve is separated before shuffling and placed in the center of the station hub.^[3] In each successive round the next lower double is used until all doubles are used. The double-blank is used for the final round;^[3] however, players may agree to play fewer hands for a complete game, especially when sets larger than double-nine are used.^[4]

Alternatively, in the 1994 rules written by David Galt, the player who is designated to take the first turn places their highest double in the station to start the game. If the first player does not have a double, the next player opens the station with a double. If no players have a double, each player takes a turn drawing one tile from the boneyard until a double is drawn and used to "open the station".^[2]

The player designated to go first should change with each hand. Galt suggests the first player role should rotate so that each player has an equal number of chances to go first.^[2] Other rule variants suggest the first player can be selected by having each player draw a tile from the boneyard, with the first player being the one who selected the highest total pip count;^[6] or the first player for the first hand can be selected by age, then rotate;^[11] or the first player is the one who drew the double-12 domino.^[8][9]

Basic rules

1. A legal play is made by matching pip values, i.e., the domino being placed is oriented so the pip value on one end of that domino matches the pip value on a domino which is already on the table.^[8] Single and double blanks are considered wild cards.
2. A player may choose to play their domino(es) on their private train, any marked public train, or the Mexican Train, which is a common train which remains public throughout the game.^[2][3]
3. There is no option to pass a turn. When the player holds one or more dominoes that can be played legally, at least one domino must be played from their hand.^[2][3]
4. When the player holds no dominoes which can be played, that player must draw one domino from the boneyard and play it if the drawn domino can be played. If the drawn domino cannot be played, or if the boneyard is empty, that player must designate their private train or the side of the station facing them, if no private train has been started, as public, by placing a marker.^[2][3][11]
5. After a double domino, i.e., a domino with identical values on both ends, is played legally, that double must be covered by the player who placed it, meaning that player must immediately play another domino legally next to the double. Responsibility to cover the double passes to each player in turn until the double is covered.^[2][3]

Opening phase

The first player then starts a private train, sometimes known as a personal train, by placing a tile that legally starts from the station by matching pip values to the engine in the station hub, in a direction leading towards their seat. Each player takes a turn, mirroring the first player's first move by playing one tile starting from the station hub in a direction that leads toward their seat.^[8]

In some rule variations, during the opening phase, players may build their private trains by using multiple dominoes from their hand, radiating out from the station hub towards their seats, instead of placing a single domino. Once each player has built their private trains, players then take turns, placing one or two tiles per turn using their remaining tiles, until one player has emptied their hand.^[2][3]

Train building

After the initial opening phase, players take turns placing one or two of their remaining tiles legally on a train, which can be either their private train, any public train, or the always-public Mexican Train.^{Basic Rule (BR) 2[2]} Two dominoes may be played only when the first domino played is a double.^{BR 5} Play continues from the first player to the left (clockwise).^[12][13] A player may not pass their turn,^{BR 3} as the boneyard-draw rule^{BR 4} or double covering rule^{BR 5} may require that player to redesignate their train from private to public.

A train can be as long as the players can make it; it ends only when all dominoes that could match its endpoint have already been played. As a result, trains can become quite long, especially with an extended domino set. It is acceptable to "bend" the train 90° or 180° to keep the train on the playing surface, as long as it does not interfere with the endpoints of other trains.

The hand ends once one player has placed all their dominoes.^[12][13]

Public and private status

During their turn, each player may choose to play a domino on any train currently marked public, regardless of whether it is possible to play on their own private train.^{BR 2}

When a player is unable to place a domino, they must mark their private train as public by placing a marker on their train.^{BR 3,4[3][12]} After a player legally plays a domino on the public train with their marker, it reverts to being private and may not be played on except by the train's owner, unless it is forced to become public again.^[2][3][13]

A player may not hold more than one private train at a time, i.e., playing a domino on a public train with another player's marker does not force that train to become private. If a player is deemed to have made a strategic error the highest score of that round is added to theirs.

Mexican Train

The Mexican Train is an additional train that remains public throughout the game: anyone may play on this train during their turn. It is metaphorically on a siding, physically represented by disconnecting it from the station hub.

Any player may start the Mexican Train by playing one domino matching the engine (i.e., the double in the station hub at the beginning of the round); subsequent players may add to the train.

Playing doubles

When a double is played, it is placed perpendicular to the train. After a double has been played, another domino must be played, which is known as finishing, satisfying, or covering the double. If a double remains unfinished after it has been played, the same basic rules are followed as if the player was unable to make a legal placement:^{BR 3,4}

• In general, the second (non-double) domino must be played on the double,^[2][3] but some rules state the second domino may go on any eligible train instead.^[13]
• The double may be covered either by a domino already held, or by the domino that is drawn, if no suitable domino is held.^[2][3]
• If the drawn domino is unable to cover the double, that player ends their turn and play passes to the next player, who then becomes responsible to cover the double, again either with a domino already held, or with the domino that is drawn.^[2][3]
• For any player who is unable to cover the double during their turn, that player's private train is marked as public.^[2][3]
  • This includes the private train of the player who initially played the double, if that player could not cover the double, regardless of where the double was played.^[2][3]
  • In addition, the train on which the double was played becomes public, if it was private before the double was played, or it remains public.
• No other trains may be played on until someone "finishes the double", i.e., normal play may not resume until a domino is played against the double to cover it.^[3]

For example, if player A placed a double, player A must cover the double by legally playing a second domino on the double, or player A's private train becomes public; the next player (Player B) is then responsible for covering the double, and if player B is unable to cover, their train becomes public and the following player (Player C) is then responsible for covering the double. Responsibility to cover the double passes repeatedly in this manner to the next player (Players D, E, F, etc.) and more trains may become public until one player can cover the double.^[13]

In some variations, a player may place multiple doubles on more than one train during a single turn; they are required to cover only the first double played, and the next player is responsible for covering the second double, etc.^[3]

There are three exceptions to the double-covering requirement:^[2]

1. The double that was played is the last unplaced domino with its pip value
2. The double was played to take a public train back to private, removing that player's marker
3. The double was the last domino played out of that player's hand, ending the hand

Mexican train dominoes can end on a double.^[14]

Branching on doubles as in Chicken Foot is allowed as an option (see Variations below).^[13]

If a player does not hold a suitable domino to play when it is their turn, they must draw one domino from the boneyard. If the drawn domino can be played, that player's turn ends; however, if it cannot, the player must mark their train as public, then end their turn.^[2]

Two dominoes must be played in a single turn when the first domino played is a double; another domino must be played immediately against the double. Similarly, if the player is unable to "finish the double", they must draw one domino from the boneyard. Again, if they are able to lay the drawn domino, they must do so immediately. Otherwise, their turn is over and that player must mark their train as public.^[2][12]

Scoring

At the end of each round, the player going out receives 0 points, while all other players receive the sum of all pips (dots) on their dominoes. The person with the fewest points after all thirteen rounds have been played is the winner. In the case of a tie, the person with the most 0-point rounds is the winner. (If this is still a tie, the person with the lowest round total other than 0 is the winner).

Elements of strategy

• It is generally in a player's best interest to keep their train private. By making a train public, the player allows other players to break an impasse in extending the train, but the player loses all other options except to attempt to play on the endpoint of their own train.
• While public trains offer additional options, the player's own private train should be considered first. Trains are usually public because their owners cannot play on them; if that train's endpoint does not change, its owner has no options until they draw a domino they can play on it.
• A player may choose to dump unmatched tiles on public trains first, before starting their own train, to trick the other players into believing that the player cannot start a train.
• If one or more players played on a public train and the endpoint value has changed, play another tile that will change the endpoint value back to its original value or to a value the player is thought not to have.
• Players must always play if they have an eligible tile. They cannot at any time hold back and pass and/or draw for some strategic reason.^[14]
• Because a player playing an unfinished double on someone else's train does not have to mark their own train as public, it is recommended that players play doubles on public trains whenever possible. Not only does this remove a major disadvantage to playing an unfinished double, it does not change the endpoint value of the train meaning its owner probably will not be able to play, and other players do have to mark their trains if they cannot finish the double. However double on another player's train gives that player and everyone else (if public) more options.

Variations

There are a number of other versions of the rules for Mexican Train, varying the number of dominoes drawn by each player, the rules for playing doubles, or the number of tiles that can be played during one turn. For example:

Partnerships

With four, six or eight players, the game can be played in teams of two, with partners sitting opposite each other. Rules are identical except that a player's train and their partner's train are considered to be a single train, as they will usually extend from opposite sides of the station, and thus a player can play on their own end or their partner's, and neither end becomes public until neither partner can play a tile. Scoring is also handled in pairs, with the player who went out scoring zero for their team (even though their partner will have dominoes remaining) and other teams summing their scores for a team score.

Fast game

After the starting double has been placed, an opening phase occurs where each player simultaneously makes their own train as long as possible. Once everyone has made their train as long as possible using only the dominoes in their hand, play reverts to turns, using the rules listed above.^[2] This speeds up the game, but eliminates some of the strategies resulting from the requirement to cover doubles.

Delayed first turn

Similar to the fast game variation listed above, instead of simultaneously, each person takes turns playing as many dominoes on their train as possible. Any player that is unable to play on their first turn draws a domino, and may then begin their first turn or pass. When a player who has passed finally starts their train, they may play as many dominoes as they can string together. After starting their train, players are only permitted to play one domino at a time as usual, unless playing a double. This version allows a player to save their "first turn" string of dominoes for when they have a chance, instead of being stuck with all dominoes from the beginning.

Branching doubles

Once a double has been satisfied, players may continue to branch off of the double in two more directions, meaning the double will have a matching endpoint on all four sides. Often, players like to angle these branches at a 45-degree angle to accommodate for more room. This variant gives players more choice and speeds up the game.

Swan drive

A player who can play on their own train may also play one tile on each subsequent public train in clockwise order. Each public train must be played on in order to continue in this manner, and only one tile per train may be played (unless a double must be finished). Once a player cannot play on the next public train, or has looped around to their own train, their turn ends. While playing on each public train, the player may choose to play on the Mexican train or skip it when he comes to it, making the placement of the train somewhat strategical. This version makes for a much faster game.

Bullet Train

As the name implies this makes the game move faster.

During a players turn if they are able to finish out their hand by playing all of their remaining dominoes on their private train, they can declare a "Bullet Train". Once the Bullet Train is verified, the other players finish out their private train by playing as many of their remaining dominoes as possible.

History

"Mexican Train" is a name typically used only in the United States. It is believed that American games using dominoes are descended from the Chinese game Pai gow, which means "make nine" and uses a variant of the double-six domino set, with some duplicated dominoes and omitting blank values. Chinese laborers brought the game to Latin America once they began working in sugar fields in the mid to late 1800s.

Cubans and other Latin American players adopted the game's equipment for other games, including "Domino Cubano". It later arrived in the United States around the 1860s once Cuban laborers began working on U.S. railroads. Americans began referring to the game as "Mexican Train Dominoes" because of its growing popularity among Cuban, Mexican, and other Latin American laborers brought to the United States.^[15]

A trademark application was filed for the name Cardinal Mexican Train by Cardinal Industries in 1994, but the application was dismissed and abandoned in 1996.^[16] A subsequent trademark application for just "Mexican Train" was filed in 2017 and also dismissed and abandoned.^[17]