How to keep score in Mexican Train

Mexican Train is scored at the end of each round. Whoever plays their last domino scores 0, and everyone else scores the pips left in their hand. After 13 rounds, from double 12 down to double blank, the lowest total wins.

At a glance

• Players: 2 to 10 with a double-12 set

• Who wins: Lowest total after 13 rounds

• Rounds: 13, from double 12 down to double blank

• Each round: The pips left in your hand count against you

What each round scores

When a round ends, everyone turns up the dominoes still in their hand and adds up the pips, the dots on both halves.

Count both halves of every domino: a 6 and 4 is 10, and the double 12 is 24. Write each round under the player, then keep a running total.

Thirteen rounds, from double 12 down

With a double-12 set, the first round starts from the double 12 in the middle of the table, the second from the double 11, and so on down to the double blank in round 13. That's why a full game has 13 rounds.

With a double-9 set, it's 10 rounds, from double 9 down to double blank.

How many dominoes you start with depends on how many play: up to 4 players take 15 each, 5 or 6 take 12, 7 or 8 take 10, and 9 or 10 take 8.

When a round ends, and ties

A round ends as soon as someone plays their last domino, or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty. Everyone then adds up the pips left in their hand.

There's one exception: if someone plays their whole hand on their very first turn, everyone else still gets a first turn before the round ends.

If two players finish level on the lowest total, one way to settle it is whoever had more rounds of 0.

Variants that change the score

• A costly double blank: some tables count the double blank as 50 instead of 0, so getting stuck with it hurts.

• Positive scoring: whoever goes out scores the pips left in everyone else's hands, and the highest total wins.

• A shorter game: stop part of the way down, for example after the double 6 round.

A scoring example

Four players, the first three rounds. A 0 means that player went out.

In the double 11 round, Dev was caught with the double 12 and a 6 and 5 in his hand: 24 + 11 = 35. Ana leads with 26, and there are ten rounds to go, ending with the double blank.

Keep score in Tallynight

Mexican Train is set up for you: 13 rounds, lowest total wins. Type everyone's pips for the round on one keypad, and the table keeps the totals, who's in front and who deals next.

With Tallynight Pro, each round shows the double it starts from, so nobody has to remember whether you're on the double 8 or the double 7.

• The starting double each round, from 12 down to blank (Pro)

• Offers to end the game after the 13th round

• Tap any round to fix a miscount

• A winner card and a race chart at the end

• Get Tallynight on the App Store: free, no ads.

• Print a Mexican Train score sheet if you'd rather keep score on paper.

Questions

How do you keep score in Mexican Train dominoes?

At the end of each round, add up the pips on the dominoes left in your hand. Whoever went out scores 0. After 13 rounds, the lowest total wins.

What is the double blank worth in Mexican Train?

0 in the standard rules, because a blank has no pips. Some tables count it as 50 to make it costly to hold, so agree before you start.

Does the lowest score win in Mexican Train?

Yes. Every pip left in your hand counts against you, so the lowest total after the last round wins.

How many rounds are in Mexican Train?

13 with a double-12 set, one for each double from 12 down to blank. With a double-9 set, it's 10.

How many dominoes do you start with in Mexican Train?

With a double-12 set: 15 each for up to 4 players, 12 for 5 or 6, 10 for 7 or 8, and 8 for 9 or 10.

What happens if nobody can play in Mexican Train?

If the boneyard is empty and nobody can play, the round is over. Everyone counts the pips in their hand as usual.

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