About Free Printable Mexican Train Dominoes Rules
With a double-12 set of 91 tiles, 2 to 4 players draw 15 tiles each, 5 to 6 players draw 12 each, and 7 to 8 players draw 10 each. The rest stay face down as the boneyard.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Mexican Train is a dominoes game for 2 to 8 players, played with a double-12 set of 91 tiles, a train marker for each player and one extra marker for the shared Mexican Train. Each round you race to play every tile from your hand onto your own train, other players' open trains or the public Mexican Train, and anyone left holding tiles scores their pips as penalty points. A full session is 13 rounds and the lowest total wins, which takes about 60 to 90 minutes. The full printable rules sheet with diagrams is on this page.
How to play Mexican Train
- Draw hands: shuffle all 91 dominoes face down to form the boneyard. With 2 to 4 players each draws 15 tiles, with 5 to 6 players 12 each, and with 7 to 8 players 10 each. Stand your tiles on edge so only you can see them.
- Place the engine: in round 1 the player holding the 12-12 puts it in the centre hub. If no one has it, everyone draws one tile at a time until someone does. Each later round starts one double lower (11-11, 10-10 and so on, down to 0-0 in round 13).
- First turn: going clockwise from the player who placed the engine, each player builds their own train out from the engine, laying as many matching tiles as they can in one go. If you can't play a single tile, you don't draw: put your marker on your train to show it is open.
- Later turns: play exactly one tile per turn, matching the open end of your own train, any other player's train that has a marker on it, or the Mexican Train. From the second turn on, anyone may start the Mexican Train by laying a tile that matches the engine in its slot.
- Can't play: draw one tile from the boneyard. Play it if you can; if not, keep it and put your marker on your own train, which lets everyone play on it. When you next play on your own train, take your marker off.
- Doubles: when you lay a double you must play one more tile right away. If you can't, draw once, and if you still can't, mark your train. Until that double is covered, every player must play on it if they can.
- End the round: the round ends when a player plays their last tile, or when the boneyard is empty and nobody can play (a block). Everyone else adds up the pips on their remaining tiles.
- Win the session: going out scores 0 for the round. Add up all 13 round scores; the lowest cumulative total wins.
Mexican Train scoring and deal sizes
| Item | Value | Example |
|---|
| Deal, 2 to 4 players | 15 tiles each | Double-12 set, 91 tiles |
|---|
| Deal, 5 to 6 players | 12 tiles each | Double-12 set, 91 tiles |
|---|
| Deal, 7 to 8 players | 10 tiles each | Double-12 set, 91 tiles |
|---|
| Tiles left in hand | Sum of pips on every tile | A 9-6 left in hand scores 15 |
|---|
| Going out | 0 points for the round | Play your last tile and record 0 |
|---|
| Double left in hand | Both ends count | A 12-12 left in hand costs 24 |
|---|
| 0-0 left in hand | 0 at face value | 50 under the double-blank house rule |
|---|
| Session total | Sum of 13 rounds | Lowest cumulative score wins |
|---|
Examples
Strategy tips
- Before your first turn, sort your hand into the longest chain you can build from the engine. Laying a long train on turn one gets the most tiles out while it is still allowed.
- Keep your own train closed when you can. Once your marker is on it, opponents can dump tiles there and block the numbers you were saving.
- Get rid of high tiles like 12-11 or 11-10 early. If someone goes out while you hold them, they cost you far more than low tiles.
- Play a double when you can also cover it with your next tile. A double you can't satisfy forces you to draw and opens your train.
- Use the Mexican Train and other open trains for tiles that don't fit your own chain, so your own train stays a reliable outlet.
- Watch players who are down to one or two tiles and avoid opening your train or leaving a number they can obviously play.
Example: counting a round
Maria plays her last tile and goes out, scoring 0. Dev is left holding 9-6 and 3-2, so he adds 15 + 5 = 20 to his total. Lee still has a 12-12, which is not the engine this round, so it costs 24. After 13 rounds of this, the player with the lowest running total wins.
Frequently asked questions
How many dominoes do you start with in Mexican Train?
With a double-12 set of 91 tiles, 2 to 4 players draw 15 tiles each, 5 to 6 players draw 12 each, and 7 to 8 players draw 10 each. The rest stay face down as the boneyard.
Do you draw a tile if you can't play on your first turn?
No. On the very first turn of a round, a player who can't lay any tile matching the engine does not draw. They simply put their marker on their train to show it is open. Drawing only applies from the second turn on.
When can the Mexican Train be started?
Not on the first turn. From the second turn onward, any player may start it by laying a tile that matches the engine in the Mexican Train slot and placing the special marker on it. It is always open to everyone, and there is only one per round.
What happens when someone plays a double?
A double must be satisfied: the player who laid it plays one more tile immediately, and if that tile is also a double, another one after that. If they can't, they draw once, and if still stuck they mark their train. Until the double is covered, every following player must play on it if they can, even if it sits on a closed train.
Can you play on another player's train?
Only if that train has their marker on it. A train becomes open when its owner couldn't play, left a double unsatisfied, or passed on their first turn. Once the owner plays on it again, they remove the marker and it is closed to everyone else.
What if no one has the engine double?
Each player draws one tile at a time from the boneyard until someone draws the double needed for that round, and that player places it as the engine.
Can you play Mexican Train with a double-9 set?
Yes. A 55-tile double-9 set works for 2 to 4 players, and a full session is then 10 rounds (engines 9-9 down to 0-0). Deal sizes vary by set, commonly 11 tiles for 2 players, 9 for 3 and 8 for 4, so check the sheet that came with your set.
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