Infographic: Explaining a Mexican Train Dominoes layout
When you play Mexican Train Dominoes in our free online game, the dominoes are laid out in stacked rows. This layout works well on a computer screen or iPad because the device is rectangular and fits more dominoes on the screen.
The origins of Mexican Train Dominoes involve players sitting around a round or square table. To enable people to reach their “train” and configure the “hub,” a radial layout works well.
Here’s how a layout might look involving 6 players using a standard double-12 domino set:
Preparing the layout for Mexican Train Dominoes
When you start a game of Mexican Train Dominoes everyone draws from the boneyard. The number of dominoes each player starts with depends on the number of players and the type of domino set used. Here are the typical starting numbers for a double-12 set:
- 2–4 players: 15 dominoes each
- 5–6 players: 12 dominoes each
- 7–8 players: 10 dominoes each
We have more details on how to play Mexican train Dominoes with two players.
Each player also draws a single tile from the boneyard to determine who goes first. Whoever draws the highest double domino wins. This tile becomes the “engine” and is placed in the center of the table. Play moves clockwise.
Start the game with Player 1 at the 3 o’clock position
The first tile placed is the engine. In our infographic it’s the 4|4 double. This means every tile placed starting with Player 1, at the 3 o’clock position in our example, must “connect” one side to the 4.
- Player 1 places a 4|11.
- Player 2 places a 4|6
- Player 3 places a 4|9 and so on
Round two exposes the cover-the-double rule
In the second round, things proceed normally until Player 3, who played the double-12|12. When you lay a double you must immediately play again to “cover the double.” But Player 3 couldn’t cover the double, so Player 4 had to. This means his train is now shorter, but he still unloaded a tile. However, he might have needed that 12|9 for a strategy on his train!
Round 3 opens an opportunity for Player 6 and an open train for Player 3
As the game proceeds and trains open and close, the “public Mexican Train” is available. It can go off to the side or snake around the edge of the gameplay area. Whatever is easiest or most convenient for people to reach.
Like everyone else, the Mexican Train has to start with the exact pip count as the engine, in this case a 4|8. Doubles on the Mexican Train must also be closed.
The shared Mexican Train is a useful strategy to unload tiles that aren’t useful to your train. You can tell when a domino isn’t useful to you if you can’t line up your playable tiles in a way that matches what’s already on your train. Remember: connecting a series of doubles is a useful way to play multiple tiles in the same turn.
Player 3 could not play any tile anywhere on their turn, so their train is now “Open.” In our free online game we label the train as “Open,” but in a physical real-world game people traditionally use a coin. Any small physical marker will do.
Player 6 has options on their third turn. They can play an 8|x, or a 5|x on the Mexican Train. They could also play on Player 3’s open train.
Strategies build and collapse as play continues around the Mexican Trains
As play moves from person to person, the strategies they build up all focus on playing a string of tiles, usually on their own train so they can control it. Player 4, for instance, might have a 10|10 • 10|7 • 7|7 • 7|1 all lined up, allowing him to play four tiles in one play. This works so long as no one else lays a double they can’t cover.
A similar strategy is playing out in Player 5’s mind, where she’s noticing few 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s have been played, indicating they’re either all in the boneyard or in player’s hands. She has a few to play, but is intent to hold them until they appear on the public train.
Player 2 doesn’t have any moves on her fourth turn, so she’s playing on the public train out of sheer luck. She could play on Player 3’s, but when another player’s train is “open” it’s a sort of “distress” where it becomes hard to make a strategy, and you know they can’t play a 9|x tile otherwise they’d have closed it already. Keeping player’s trains open is a useful way to ensure some chaos in their planning. Similarly, you can close it for a player to build up a little friendship!
Keep high-pip count dominoes out of your hand
The early rounds of Mexican Train are all about stringing your dominoes together. Ultimately, everyone is going to have to draw unless they’re incredibly lucky, but whoever is first to unload all their tiles wins — even if there are still dominoes in the boneyard.
But as gameplay moves on and the boneyard dwindles, a player could stumble into a string of open tiles that enables a quick streak of 3, 4, or 5 dominoes in one turn. Once they’re out, everyone else is penalized by the number of pips left in their hand. This is why you should unload high-pip count dominoes like 8s, 9s, 10s, 11s, and 12s as quickly as possible. It's better to be holding a bunch of 1s, 2s, and 3s to keep your penalty score low. Like golf, the winner in Mexican Train is whoever has the lowest score over 12 rounds, with 0 points going to whoever wins a round.