Welcome to Texas 42!

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Let’s jump right into the excitement of this trick-taking game. Here’s what you need to know:

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Objective: Be the first to reach 7 marks or score 250 points!

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Players: Gather up four players to form partnerships.

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Domino Set: Grab a double-6 set of dominoes.

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Type of Game: Get ready for a thrilling round of dominoes and trick-taking.

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Audience: This game is suitable for all ages, so everyone can join in on the fun!

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Welcome to the World of Texas 42!

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In the wonderful world of Texas 42, also known as just 42, we’ll be using a double 6 domino set to master this trick-taking game. Believe it or not, this game holds a special place in the hearts of Texans. It’s even considered the “national game of Texas”! In fact, you’ll find local tournaments held in many towns across the state.

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But how did this game come to be? Well, let me tell you an interesting tale. Back in Garner, Texas, two local boys named William Thomas and Walter Earl invented this game as a clever response to the disapproval of card games by the Protestant community. They wanted to offer an exciting alternative, just like the creators of Rummikub did.

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Getting Set Up

When my partner and I play this game, we sit across from each other at the playing table. We have to decide who will keep score, and then we can start by picking the first shaker. We do this by shuffling the dominoes on the table, face-down. Each of us draws a single domino, and the person with the domino that has the most pips or dots gets to be the first shaker. If we both have dominoes with the same value, we keep drawing until someone gets a higher value.

Let’s Get Started with the Play

This game is like other trick-taking games. It has a series of individual hands, and in each hand, there is a winner. We keep playing until one team gets 7 or more marks. Each hand has seven tricks, and a trick is when each player plays a single domino. The trick is won by the player with the domino that has the highest value.

We can win hands by doing what we said we would in our bid contracts, or we can stop the other team from doing what they said they would.

Play can be broken down into several steps: shake, draw, bid, declare trumps, play, and score.

First, you shake the dominoes by shuffling them on the table.

Next, each player draws 7 dominoes. Usually, the opponent of the dealer goes first, followed by the dealer’s partner, and finally the dealer.

Now it’s time to bid. In each hand, there are a total of 42 points to bid on. You earn one point for every trick you win. There are also special points called “five pointers” and “ten pointers.” You get 5 points for winning a trick with a count of 5-0, 4-1, or 3-2. If you win a trick with a count of 5-5 or 6-4, you get 10 points.

When it comes to bidding, it starts with the player to the left of the shaker and goes in a clockwise direction. Each player can only bid once, and they must either pass or bid higher than the previous bid. The bidding continues until all players have passed.

Once the bidding is done, the next step is to declare trumps. The player who won the bidding gets to choose the trump suit. The trump suit has a special status and can beat any other suit.

Now it’s time to play. Players take turns playing their dominoes, following the lead of the first player. The goal is to win tricks by playing higher-value dominoes than your opponents.

Lastly, it’s time to score. At the end of each hand, players tally up the points they won from bidding and tricks. The player or team with the highest score wins the game.

So, to summarize, playing dominoes involves shaking the dominoes, drawing them, bidding on points, declaring trumps, playing the game, and scoring at the end. It’s a strategic and exciting game that requires both skill and luck. Give it a try and see if you can come out on top!

If all players pass, you must bid the minimum of 30 points. Once the bidding reaches 42 or 1 mark, only marks can be bid. You can bid up to 2 marks, but any bids after that can only be 1 additional mark. If you bid marks, you must win all 7 tricks to fulfill your bid.

The player who wins the bidding (bids the highest) gets to choose the trump suit before playing. The available suits are: blanks, ones (Aces), twos (Deuces), threes (Treys), fours, fives, sixes, doubles, and lastly No-Trump or Follow-me. Trumps beat all other dominoes played, following the rules below. If no trump is declared, the first domino played becomes the trump.

The winner of the bid leads the first trick, and then play moves to the left.

When I’m playing a trick, I need to keep a few rules in mind:

• Remember the Order of Suits. Depending on the suit played, the highest domino on the opposite end determines who wins. Doubles are always the highest in their suit.
• Pay Attention to Trumps. Trump suit dominoes beat all others. Higher value trumps beat lower value trumps.
• You Can Lead with Any Domino. I have the freedom to start the trick with any domino I choose.
• Follow the Suit. If I have a domino of the same suit that was played first, I must follow suit. If I don’t have a matching domino, I can play a trump card or any domino from my hand.
• Winning the Trick. The player with the highest value trump wins the trick. If no trumps were played, the highest ranking domino from the suit that was led with wins. The player who wins the trick leads in the next one, and this repeats until all 7 tricks are played.

Stacking

When playing dominoes, each team keeps a single stack of dominoes that they have won from tricks. It’s important to keep the dominoes in the order that they were won, and make sure that the stacks are visible to the opponents.

Scoring

Scoring in dominoes is based on the team’s ability to fulfill their contract. If the bidding team satisfies their contract, they win the number of marks they bid. However, if their opponent blocks them or takes more tricks, the opponent wins the marks that were bid.

This continues until one team earns a total of 7 marks and emerges as the winner.

Variations

Nel-O

In the game variation called “Nel-O,” the goal is to win zero tricks. The player must bid at least 2 marks in order to participate. If the bid is won, the player names “Nel-O” as the “trump.” In this variation, the partner of the bid-winning player does not play the hand. Instead, the bid-winning player takes the lead. If the bid-winning player succeeds in not taking any tricks, the contract is satisfied. However, if they do take any tricks, the opposing team wins the hand.

7s

The “7s” variation follows the standard dominoes rules, but with an added twist. Players aim to win as many tricks as possible, with the goal being to win exactly 7 tricks. The team that achieves this goal earns the victory. However, if a team wins more or fewer than 7 tricks, their opponents emerge as the winners of the game.

Let me explain how to play this game. You start by adding up the pips on each domino. Then, you figure out how far away from 7 you are. For example, if you have a domino with 5 pips on each side, you are “3 away” from 7. The same goes for a domino with a 4 on one side and a blank on the other.

The minimum bid is 1 mark. The goal is for the bidding team to be closer to 7 than the opposing team. To win the contract, the bidding team needs to always play the domino that is closest to 7 on each trick. The player who played the closest domino on the previous trick gets to lead the next trick. It’s important to note that if the non-bidding team wins any trick, the hand is over and the bidding team loses.

Now, let’s talk about a variation called “Plunge.”

During the bidding phase, if a player has 4 or more doubles, that player can declare a “plunge” before anyone else bids. A plunge is a bid of 4 marks. If no other player increases the bid, then the partner of the plunging player gets to name the trump suit and start the game.

Variations courtesy of commenter Tx350z

My Experience with Texas 42

I have some thoughts about Texas 42 that I’d like to share with you. Let me begin by asking, can you start the bidding with 84? It’s an interesting question, and I’m eager to explore the answer.

Hey there, Jack! The answer is yes, you can open the bidding with 84. But here’s the catch – it would be called bidding 2 marks. As the bidding progresses and reaches 42, that’s when marks are used to represent new bids.

For example, if you bid two marks, the other players can only increase the bid by one mark each at a time. It adds an exciting twist, forcing everyone to think strategically and come up with the right moves to edge ahead.

So, when it comes to Texas 42, it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about the mind games, the tactics, and the thrill of outsmarting your opponents. It’s a game that keeps you on your toes and ensures you never have a dull moment.

My experience with Texas 42 has been an unforgettable one. It’s a game that challenges me, entertains me, and brings people together. If you’re a fan of strategy games, then you’ll definitely love Texas 42.

Now, with these thoughts in mind, go ahead and give Texas 42 a try. You won’t regret it!

Wynona Schlott

I’ve been playing Texas 42 for years. But now that our parents are older, they’ve forgotten a lot of the rules. So here’s my question: Do I have to play a trump if the opposite side is called for and it’s the only one I have? Let’s say Threes are trump. The five-six has been played, and all the other players have fives. Now it’s my turn, and I only have one five, but it’s the trump #3 on the other side. So do I have to play this domino and take the trick, even though I don’t want to take control just yet? Thanks, Wynona “Rafferty” Schlott.

Hey Wynona, here’s the deal: if you’ve got a tile that matches the suit that was called for, then you must play it. Even if it’s the only tile you have of that suit. I hope that clears things up for you!

Hey Wynona,
You don’t have to play a trump unless someone already played a trump. When trumps are called, they become their own special suit. In your example, your 5/3 isn’t just a regular five, it’s a trump three. Your question kind of confuses me, though. You mentioned that the 5-6 was played. If it was led, then it’s actually a six. When a domino is led, its value is determined by the bigger end, unless the small end is the trump suit.

Here’s another way to decide who gets the bid: if all the players pass, then the shaker has to take the bid for 30 – HOWEVER, IF THE SHAKER TAKES ALL SEVEN TRICKS, THEY GET 2 MARKS. This makes it more challenging for the other team because they need to at least bid 30 to prevent losing 2 marks. It also gives an extra incentive for the shaker’s partner to bid 30 if they have a strong enough hand.

Amber Crook

Hey there, Gus! Thanks a ton for taking the time to contribute to our rules. I always get a kick out of hearing about fresh and exciting twists on our favorite games.

Now, let’s talk about Wynona’s question. Here’s the deal: if someone starts with a 5-6 domino, then everyone else has to follow suit and play a 6. The 5-3 domino is totally safe because the highest number played on that turn determines the leading suit.

There are three variations that are worth mentioning. It’s important for players to agree on which of these, if any, will be allowed. So here we go: we’ve got “Nel-O”, “7s”, and “Plunge”.

In the “Nel-O” variation, the main objective is to win zero tricks. The player has to bid at least 2 marks. If they win the bid, their chosen “trump” is “Nel-O”. Now, here’s the twist: in Nel-O, the partner of the winning bidder doesn’t play at all. Instead, the bidder takes the lead. If the bidder manages to avoid taking any tricks, they successfully fulfill the contract. But if they end up taking tricks, the opposing team snags the win.

Next up is “7s”. This variation involves adding up the total number of pips on each domino and then determining how far away from 7 they are. For example, a 5-5 domino is “3 away” from 7, and a 4-blank domino is also “3 away”. The minimum bid for this variation is 1 mark. The ultimate goal is for the bidding team to be closer to 7 than their opponents. The contract is fulfilled if the bidding team always plays the domino closest to 7 in each trick. The lead is then passed to the player with the closest domino to 7 in the previous trick. Be aware, though, that if the non-bidding team wins any trick, the game ends because the bidding team has to win all 7 tricks.

Last but not least, we have “Plunge”. This variation comes into play during the bidding phase. If a player has four or more doubles, they can declare a “plunge” before anyone else places a bid. A plunge is a bid of 4 marks. If no one else increases the bid, the plunging player’s partner gets to pick the trump suit and starts the game.

Hey there! Thanks for reaching out and showing interest in the game. I’m glad you’re curious about playing 42 with three people. Actually, there is a special version called 3-handed 42, which is specifically designed for three players. Unfortunately, it’s not yet available on the site, but I’ll definitely look into adding it soon!

Let me walk you through how 3-handed 42 works. The main difference is that the blank ace is removed from the game, and each player is dealt a hand of nine dominos. All the rules for bidding and gameplay remain the same, so you won’t have to worry about that.

Now, onto your question about doubles being trump. When doubles are trump, they become their own suit. So, if a player doesn’t have a double, they can play any tile they want. It doesn’t have to match the double that has been led.

I hope this explanation helps! If you have any more questions or if there’s anything else you’d like to know, feel free to ask. Happy playing!