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Mexican Train - Improve Your Play
Players are ranked according to points awarded for finishing a game ahead of someone else. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could be the number one ranked player? If, in the Options Screen, Skill Level, you have chosen the Beginner level, then all 63 opponents play at the beginner level. Some play the game better than others, but all are within the same level. If you have chosen the Advanced level, then all 63 opponents are advanced players.
So even if you are a beginner, you can still achieve number-one status if you follow these basic guidelines:
1. Use the helper options
Enable the Show Best Train option, the Best Train Stoplight option, and the Block Play W/O Best option so you can see the length of the best train and use the best train stoplight to find out if your choice of train matches the computer’s. When it doesn’t, find out why and fix it.
2. Play your spares first whenever possible
Playing a spare is your first order of business. If there is no possible play from the spares, then play from your train.
3. If you have spares, then play from the end of your train whenever possible
This is very important! Your first choice is to play from your spares, but your second choice is to play from the end (caboose) of your train. You’ll find lots of times where you play from the end of your train, and suddenly one of the spares can fit onto the end. This has the same effect as playing a spare.
If the last domino in your train is a 10-4, and one of your spares is 10-2, and you can play either on an opponent’s marked train, or on the Mexican train, play the 10-4, and move the 10-2 to the end of your train. If someone goes out before you, you have saved yourself 2 points. This is such a common occurrence, that during the course of a full game, you are likely to save yourself dozens of points.
4. If you have spares, and the Mexican (or community) train has not been started, then start it
The Mexican (or community) Train is the most common place to dump your spares. You can’t do that if it has not yet been started. So given a choice of playing on an opponents penny, or starting the Mexican train, start the Mexican train.
5. Play doubles as soon as possible – even from your train (if you are playing with the Playoff Doubles Option disabled)
You should play a double as soon as possible. Playing a double from the middle of your train does not destroy the integrity of your train. It just lowers the point total of your hand. When someone else goes out, you don’t want to be caught with a double in your hand that you could have played earlier in the hand.
6. Know when to play on your own marked train vs. another train when you have a choice.
Sometimes you will be faced with a choice of playing a domino on your own marked (penny up) train, OR on another player's marked train or the Mexican Train. You don't want to play on your own train, thus removing your penny, unless you have another domino you can play on your own train.
For example, let's say you have only one domino left, the double-6, your train is marked (a penny is on it), and it is your turn. You cannot play the double-6 so you must draw. You draw a 10-8. Let's say the end of your own train is a 10 and the end of the Mexican Train is a 10. So you have a choice. You can play the 10-8 on either your own train (removing your penny) or on the Mexican train.
The correct choice is to play the 10-8 on the Mexican Train, not on your own. This will keep your own train marked and available to the other players thus improving the chance that you might play the double-6 and go out.
7. Play Ruthlessly!
If the Mexican (community) train is stuck, i.e., nobody is playing on it, and you do not have any spares, then don’t play on the community from the end of your train. You want it to remain stuck so the other players cannot play on it either.
If you have a choice of playing a domino on one of two opponents’ marked trains, choose the opponent with the higher score.
If you do not have any spares, so you are just playing out your train, and the end of your train would fit on an opponent’s marked train, don’t play it. Why unstick an opponent? That’s something you do in a real game with friends (and spouses).