Mexican Train Dominoes

How to Play Mexican Train

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Mexican Train is a variation of the classic game of Dominoes where the objective of the game is to be the first player to play all of their dominoes.

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Setup

The first round starts with the highest double in the set (ie double-twelve set would be the double twelve domino). This tile is placed in the centerpiece and called the 'Main Train Engine.' Then, the rest of the dominoes are shuffled face down and each player draws a specific number of dominoes, depending on the number of players (see 'Variations'). Any remaining dominoes are left as a draw pile in the 'boneyard.'.

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Start

Determine the first player. You could choose the oldest player, or the youngest, or it could be perfectly random.

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The first player must play a tile that matches the first double on the 'Main Train Engine' or start their Personal Train (also called 'Mexican Trains") in front of them. Each player's Personal Train must start with the same engine number (ie if the engine in the train hub is a double 12, the train must begin with a 12 on the starting end).

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The Main Train and the Personal Train can be any amount of dominoes so long as each domino in the train has a matching end to the adjacent domino. Each player can only have one Personal Train.

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In subsequent plays, players can either play a domino that matches the end of any open train, including their own. 

 

Public and Private Mexican Trains

If the player cannot play, they must draw a tile and see if they can play it. If they cannot, they must pass their turn and mark their train "Public," then it is the next player's turn.

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A train that is marked with a token is Public, and any player can add to that train. A train that is not marked is “Private” and only the player who started that train can add to it. A player who has marked their train Public may change their train back to Private and remove the marker in subsequent turns if they are able to play a matching end on their train.

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Doubles

If there is a “double” (a tile with an equal amount of dots or same number on both ends) on any train, it must be 'satisfied' before any further play. If the player with the double plays, they can play an additional tile to 'satisfy' it. If they do not have one, they must draw a tile. If the drawn tile cannot satisfy, then the player marks their train "Public" and the next play must satisfy the double. This continues until the double is satisfied, then the normal play continues.

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Round Scoring
The round ends when a player plays their last domino or when no player can make a play. Each player’s score is tallied by adding up all the dots or numbers on his remaining tiles. A double-blank tile is worth 50 points.

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Note: A round cannot end in a double. If it does, the player who played a double as their last move gets 50 points. 

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Game Ending

The subsequent rounds of play begin with the next highest double (ie for the double-twelve set, the next would be the double-eleven, then the double-ten) all the way to double 0. A double-twelve set would have a total of 13 rounds. The starting player will rotate clockwise as well each round.

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When all rounds have been played, the player with the least amount of total points is the winner!