Mexican Train House Rules

Ask three families how they play Mexican Train and you'll get three answers. The box rule sheets disagree too. This page explains the variations people argue about most, and how each one changes the game.

Every option below is a switch in the Roundhouse app: when you set up a game, pick a starting set of rules and then open Table rules to change anything. You can save the result as your own house rules. New to the game? Start with the standard rules.

Starting points

Roundhouse has four ready-made rule sets. Each one is only a starting point: every rule stays changeable.

Classic follows the most widely used write-up of the rules (Pagat) and is the default. Box rules follows the rule sheet packed with many boxed domino sets. Family Relaxed is shorter and more forgiving. Club plays the way many organized groups do.

First turn: build a train, or one tile at a time

Build your whole train on turn 1 (Classic)

On the first turn of each round, each player lays as many matching tiles as they can on their own train. Nobody plays on the Mexican Train or other trains yet. Rounds move faster, and planning a long first train is a skill of its own.

One tile per turn

Everyone plays one tile per turn from the very start, the way many box rule sheets describe it. Rounds last longer and the start feels like any other turn.

Doubles must be covered

On (Classic)

An uncovered double must be covered before anyone plays anywhere else. Players who can't cover it draw, and if they still can't, they pass and put their marker out. This is where most of the drama comes from: a well-timed double can make the whole table draw.

Off ("open doubles")

A double is just another tile. Nobody is forced to cover it, and play goes on as normal. Gentler, and good for learning.

Play again after a double

On (standard)

After you play a double, you play one more tile. It can cover your own double or go anywhere else you're allowed to play. If you can't, you draw one tile and play it if you can.

Off

Your turn ends after the double, and the next player faces it.

Maximum doubles per turn

With "play again" on, a lucky player can chain several doubles in one turn. Some tables allow that without limit (standard). Others cap it, often at one or two doubles per turn. In Roundhouse, choose no limit or a number.

When the marker comes off

Your marker goes on your train when you can't play, and it lets everyone play there. Tables disagree on when it comes off:

When you play on your own train (standard)

Your train stays open to everyone until you add to it yourself.

When anyone adds a tile to your train

One player gets to use your open train, and then it closes again.

When you play anywhere

As soon as you play a tile on any train, your marker comes off.

Your own train before the Mexican Train

Off (standard)

After the first turn, anyone may start or play on the Mexican Train.

On

You may not use the Mexican Train until your own train has at least one tile. This is mostly relevant with "one tile per turn", when some players haven't started their trains yet.

Double blank: 0 or 50 points

By the standard count, 0|0 has no dots, so it scores 0. Many groups make it a 50-point penalty for anyone still holding it when a round ends, so it's worth getting rid of early. The same switch exists in "Score my table" for real games.

Number of rounds

A full game has 13 rounds, one for each double from 12|12 down to 0|0. That takes a while, so Roundhouse also offers 7, 5 or 3 rounds. Shorter games still count down from 12|12: a 5-round game uses 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8.

Hand sizes

How many tiles each player starts with changes everything: more tiles in hand means more choices but a smaller boneyard. Rule sheets disagree, so Roundhouse lets you set this too (under the advanced options). The starting points use:

Variations Roundhouse doesn't include

Some house rules aren't in the app yet. If your table plays one of these and you'd like to see it, tell us about it.

• Drawing until you can play, instead of drawing one tile.
• Having to announce your last tile, with a penalty if you forget.
• Sets other than double-12 for games against the computer. ("Score my table" handles double-15 and double-18 for real games.)