Mexican Train Rules for 2 Players
Quick answer
Mexican Train rules for 2 players are the same as for a bigger table. With a double-12 set each player takes 15 dominoes, the engine double goes in the middle, and the other 60 tiles stay face down in the boneyard.
There are 3 trains: yours, your opponent’s and the shared Mexican Train. Lowest total after 13 rounds wins.
With two players, each takes 15 tiles and 60 stay in the boneyard
Set the round’s engine double in the middle (12-12 in round 1). Shuffle the other 90 tiles face down. Each of you draws 15. Everything else is the boneyard you draw from when nothing fits.
Your hand (15 tiles)
Your opponent’s hand (15 tiles, face down)
The boneyard
Every rule stays the same
Pagat.com doesn’t give separate rules for two players; the game is played the same way at any size. In short:
- Play one matching tile a turn: on your own train, on the Mexican Train, or on your opponent’s train if it has a marker.
- Nothing fits? Draw one tile. Play it if it fits; if not, pass and put a marker on your train.
- After a double you play again, and an uncovered double must be covered first. See the double rule.
- When someone plays their last tile, the other player scores the spots left in hand. After 13 rounds the lowest total wins.
A big boneyard and only three trains change the feel
The rules don’t change, but the game feels different with two:
- More drawing. 60 tiles wait in the boneyard, twice as many as at a four-player table. Expect to draw more often, and rounds can run longer.
- Fewer places to play. There are only 3 trains. When your own train and the Mexican Train don’t fit, your only other chance is your opponent’s train, and only if it has a marker.
- Markers matter more. With one opponent, every marker on your train helps exactly one person: the one you are racing. Take it off as soon as you can by playing on your own train.
- You can plan ahead. Only one other hand is in play, so it is easier to track which numbers are gone. Our strategy page shows how to plan your train.
Pagat.com notes that Mexican Train is probably best for four or more players. Two players is still a fine way to learn the game, or to play a quick head-to-head.
With a double-6 or double-9 set, take 9 tiles each
No double-12 set at home? Joe Celko’s hand-size table on pagat.com gives 9 tiles each for two players with a double-9 set (55 tiles) or a double-6 set (28 tiles). The game is shorter: one round per double, so 10 rounds with double-9 and 7 with double-6.
Or skip the setup: play Mexican Train online against one computer player, with large tiles and the score kept for you.
If you like Mexican Train, try
Yacht Dice
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Five dice, three rolls, thirteen boxes. The classic Yahtzee-style game.
Hand and Foot
2–6 players · 90 min · Learn in a game or two
Canasta’s big-family cousin: play your hand, then pick up your foot.
Phase 10 rules
2–6 players · 60 min · Easy to learn
Rules, the list of all 10 phases and free score sheets.
Questions people ask
Can you play Mexican Train with 2 players?
Yes. The rules are the same as for a bigger table. Each player takes 15 tiles from a double-12 set, and there are 3 trains: yours, your opponent’s and the Mexican Train.
How many dominoes do you draw for 2 players in Mexican Train?
15 each with a double-12 set. That leaves 60 of the 90 tiles in the boneyard (the engine double is set aside first).
Is there still a Mexican Train with 2 players?
Yes. The shared Mexican Train is part of the standard game at any table size, and with two players it is the main place for tiles that don’t fit your own train.
How long is a 2-player game of Mexican Train?
A full game is still 13 rounds, from 12-12 down to 0-0. For a shorter evening, agree on fewer rounds before you start; the lowest total still wins.