Mexican Train Dominoes Rules Setup, Gameplay and Strategy Guide

Each player draws their starting hand, and the player with the double-nine goes first by playing it face-up in the center. Chicken Foot shares the same basic turn structure but plays out on the table in a very different way. If it cannot be played, you pass your turn and your private train becomes open for other players to use. Once the station is open, each player starts their own personal train extending from the hub.

If they can satisfy the double they must do so – even though it may be in a private train where they could not normally have played. After everyone has had one turn, in which they started their train if possible, the rules of play change. They must simply place a marker (penny) in the position where their train would have started.

It’s a game that brings people together and creates lasting memories. Another strategy is to block your opponents. Sometimes, if you can’t play by the normal rules, you might end up starting your own personal train. You take turns placing your dominoes on any open train. One factor that has sustained the popularity of the games is that they are easily played and enjoyed by men, women, boys, and girls…people of all ages.

The highest double in the set (double-nine for a standard set) is placed in the center of the table. After all thirteen rounds have been played (from double-twelve down to double-blank), the player with the lowest total score wins. You get a plastic station hub that sits in the center of the table and serves as the starting point for all the trains. The Mexican Train or Caboose can be started by any player from the second turn onwards, beginning with a single domino which matches the starting double at one end. The second game will be started by the and so on downwards to the double blank for the 13th game.

The player must then call out, “Chickie number” (e.g., “Chickie Fives” if placing a double-5). If the chicken yard is empty and chicken train game download the player cannot play, they simply say “Pass.” If a player cannot make a legal move, they must draw one tile from the chicken yard. This process continues until all sides of the centerpiece double are filled.

The player with the lowest total score wins! The game ends after all 10 rounds have been played — starting with double-9 and ending with double-0. Once the chickenfoot is completed with three matching tiles, normal play resumes from any exposed end. If a player cannot play on the double, they must draw from the chicken yard and play if possible.

The number of bones pulled by each player depends on the number of players. Dominoes are also often referred to as bones and tiles. Chicken Foot is played in “rounds,” one round for each double domino in the set. As in most Train domino games there are several variations depending on the part of the country in which you live and the individual strategies that develop over a period of time playing. Chicken Foot is most commonly played with a double 9 set of 55 tiles, or sometimes with a double 12 set of 91.

How Mexican Train Dominoes Gameplay Works

It is a version of Maltese Cross that is played with a double set of 6. Once the tiles run out from the chicken yard, players will only have the option to play or pass. You can play a “double,” which means that your domino has 2 like-sides, and you must play it perpendicular to the matching domino on the table. If a player does not have a playable domino, they must draw from the chicken yard and play it right away if possible. All players try to play a nine stemming from the original domino; however, they must draw from the chicken yard if they do not have a nine.

Basics

• The hand ends when one player dominoes or the hand blocks (the chicken yard is empty and no one has a tile that can be played).
• You have newer players at the table who might find the branching rules of Chicken Foot confusing at first.
• As in most Train domino games there are several variations depending on the part of the country in which you live and the individual strategies that develop over a period of time playing.
• During their turn, a player may choose to play a domino on any train currently marked public, regardless of whether it is possible to play on their own private train.BR 2

The game typically runs for ten rounds if using a double-nine set, starting with the double-nine and working down to the double-blank. Unlike Mexican Train, there is no penalty of an “open train” because there are no private trains in Chicken Foot. If you cannot play a tile on your turn, you draw from the chicken yard. Just like Mexican Train has a boneyard, Chicken Foot has a draw pile called the chicken yard.

• Mexican Train is usually played over multiple rounds, descending from the highest double to the lowest double in the set.
• These can be anything but coins are commonly used – say a penny for each player’s train and a 20 pence coin or a ‘nickel’ for the Mexican Train.
• It is a version of Maltese Cross that is played with a double set of 6.
• You take turns placing your dominoes on any open train.

How to play Block dominoes

There are six rounds in two-player games and 12 in three or four-player games. From the top of the tile line to the bottom, each player now takes turns placing their domino of choice, then choosing a domino from the new line of tiles. You’ll each take it in turns to choose a tile that you want in your kingdom by placing your tiny king on top. The game generally ends when all the doubles in the domino set are used as the starting double for a round. If at any point you play a domino on your own personal train, you can remove the marker if the train was public, stopping other players from adding to it.

This continues until there is at least one train per player at the table. If they are unable to match, they draw from the chicken yard. On each player’s first turn, they must be able to match the starting double. Place the double nine tile in the center of the playing space. This is called the chicken yard, and it is used as a draw pile during the game.

Say, for example, that there are four exposed ends in your line of play – the initial domino played, two ends on a spinner, and the end of the main line of dominoes. By ‘exposed ends’, we mean any half of a domino that isn’t touching another domino. In this variant, you score points if, at the end of your turn, all the dominoes with exposed ends add up to a multiple of five. Block dominoes is one of the most basic games you can play with double six dominoes, and it can be played with two to four people. If you want to try out a classic domino game that’s tons of fun and easy to learn, Chicken Foot is a great option.

Second, if no one at the table is able to play a domino, the round is over. If a player cannot play a tile, they must draw one from the chicken yard. Once all of the trains have been started, each player will play one domino at a time on any train they wish. For example, a four player game can require 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 trains to be started before play continues. Now every player at the table may play on any train that they wish.

How to Play Step by Step

When the first player takes their second turn, they will have to satisfy the first exposed double, as explained under doubles. Mexican Train is a domino game, played mainly in the USA. Some people play a match by starting the first game with the Double 12, the second game with the Double 11 and thence on to the final 13th game of the match that starts with the Double blank domino.Some variations do not have the special first turn and players are allowed to put down only a single tile in their first turn as for their other turns. These can be anything but coins are commonly used – say a penny for each player’s train and a 20 pence coin or a ‘nickel’ for the Mexican Train. Firstly, a special hub is used that has a slot in the middle for the starting double and 8 slots around its edge to start each domino train.

Starting off Rounds

Mexican Train Dominoes is a popular domino variant focused on strategy, timing, and a bit of luck. The player with the lowest total score wins the game! After all 10 rounds are completed (starting from double-9 down to double-0), players total their scores.

You do want to rid yourself of the double blank since it counts as 25 points. Once you know that there are no longer three free bones to complete the chickie, you control when the round ends by playing the chickie. Since the object of the game is to have the lowest score, it is in your best interest to get rid of your high value bones and, at the same time, prevent your opponents from playing theirs. The game ends when one player plays his last bone or when all players have consecutively passed or the chicken yard is empty.

Played in 10 rounds, players take turns building domino trains by matching the number of pips between connecting domino tiles. Chicken Foot Dominoes is lively, unpredictable, and perfect for relaxed group play. If you’re looking for a more structured game with personal trains, Mexican Train Dominoes Rules may be a better fit. Chicken Foot is a multiplayer domino game where players build a branching layout instead of individual trains. It shares some similarities with Mexican Train Dominoes, but the gameplay feels more chaotic and playful — especially once doubles start hitting the table.

Chicken Foot Dominoes Scoring

The engine tile is placed in the center hub at the start of the round. The leftover tiles form what Chicken Foot players call the chicken yard instead of the boneyard. In Mexican Train with a double-twelve set, the number of tiles each player draws depends on how many people are playing. A double-nine set works for Mexican Train, but you are limited to shorter rounds and fewer players. This is one of the most common questions I see on domino forums, and the answer is straightforward. This smaller set works well for the branching tree mechanic because it creates a more manageable layout that does not sprawl out of control on your table.

The Chicken Yard

Each of these three branches is a “chicken toe,” and every player at the table must contribute toes in clockwise order until all three are placed. As you can see, the two games share a common skeleton but differ in nearly every specific mechanic. I have played both extensively and this table captures the differences that actually matter at the table.

As in Chicken Foot dominoes, the first round of turns has players placing dominoes in a double chickenfoot shape. Each player will need some sort of marker (coins are a common choice), as well as a spare marker. Remember that you want to be the lowest scoring player, so emptying your hand is the goal. The highest double domino in the game must be laid first, so ask if anyone in your group has the double nine, or the double eight, and so on until the first domino is placed on the table. All other dominoes go face down in the ‘chicken yard’ (it’s like a boneyard, but with chickens). If the pips on each of the exposed halves added up to 25, you would score 25 points.

What are the main differences between Mexican Train and Chicken Foot?

You see, Mexican Train is not your typical domino game. Let’s talk about Mexican Train, a cool domino game with a twist. Both sets are suitable for playing Mexican Train Dominoes, so it really depends on your preference. The most common choice is a double-12 set, but a double-9 set works just as well.

Building Trains

The Mexican Train is public and any player may use it once it has been started. Once the engine is in the center, each player begins building a train that starts with a domino matching that engine number. Other groups use a “find the starting double” method where players draw or reveal tiles until someone has the required opening double. After all rounds are played, the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.

How to Play Mexican Train Dominoes

Some groups begin by placing the engine tile in the center automatically for the round. The goal is to play all of your dominoes and finish with the lowest total score after all rounds. Mexican Train is a domino game where each player builds a personal train while also being able to play on a shared public train called the Mexican Train. Learn how to play Mexican Train dominoes with simple step-by-step rules, setup instructions, scoring, doubles, common house rules, and beginner tips. Keep tiles that connect common numbers (like 6–4 or 8–7) for later rounds.

Once each player has built these private trains as long as possible, players then start to take turns, placing one or two tiles per turn using their remaining tiles, until one player has emptied their hand, ending the round. In other rule variations, during the opening phase, players may start and build their private trains by using as many dominoes as possible from their hand, radiating out from the station hub towards their seats, instead of placing a single domino. Alternatively, you could incorporate special rules from Chicken Foot, such as “wild” dominoes or unique scoring systems, into a traditional game of Mexican Train.

The Scoring

Its many forms are played around the world by millions of people. Start with Mexican Train if you are new to domino games, then introduce Chicken Foot once everyone understands the basics. It is about which game fits your group, your mood, and your table. Chicken Foot works well with 2 to 8 players, though most people find the sweet spot is 3 to 6 players. Despite concerns some people have about the name, there is nothing derogatory about it. If you are completely new to dominoes, start with Mexican Train and then try Chicken Foot once you are comfortable with the basic matching mechanic.

The object is to accumulate as few points as possible over the 13 games – the player with the lowest total score is the winner. As already explained, a complete session would consist of 13 games, the first started with the 12-12, then the 11-11, and so on down to the 0-0. Some players may prefer to play doubles crosswise on the train (as in other domino games) rather than in line. If a player leaves several doubles unsatisfied at the end of a turn, each of the exposed doubles must be satisfied by subsequent players in the order that they were played.

The “Mexican Train” is a shared train that any player can add to once it has been started. Mexican Train is a classic domino game where 2 to 8 players compete to be the first to play all of their tiles. Although the exact origin is not perfectly documented, Mexican Train became widely known in North America as a friendly, flexible multiplayer domino game. Mexican Train is a modern domino game that grew in popularity through family game nights, retirement communities, clubs, and casual home play. There are many common rules, but house rules are extremely common.