Independent rules summary
Mexican Train Dominoes Rules
A practical table reference for common play. Groups use different house rules, so settle the details before the first round.
Objective
Play all dominoes from your hand while leaving as few pips as possible. After the agreed number of rounds, the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.
Setup
- Choose a domino set and shuffle the tiles face down.
- Each player draws the agreed hand size. The rest form the boneyard.
- Start the first round with the highest double in the set. Later rounds step down one double at a time.
- Each player may build a personal train from the central double. A shared Mexican Train may also be opened according to your table's rules.
Taking a turn
Play a domino whose end matches an open end on a legal train. If you cannot play, draw from the boneyard. Depending on the agreed rules, you may play the drawn tile immediately when it fits. If you still cannot play, mark your personal train open so other players may use it.
Doubles
A double is normally placed crosswise. Many groups require it to be “satisfied” with a matching tile before normal play continues. Decide whether the player who placed it must satisfy it immediately and what happens when the boneyard is empty.
Ending and scoring a round
The round usually ends when a player uses their last domino, or when play is blocked and nobody can move. Each player totals the pips remaining in their hand. The player who went out records zero. Add these points to the running score.
Keep your next game score with Tile Tally.
Source and independence
This summary is rewritten from commonly documented play, including Pagat's independent Mexican Train reference. It does not reproduce a commercial rulebook. Tile Tally is not affiliated with any domino manufacturer or publisher.