DUAL MEXICAN TRAIN

SEE ALSO WIKIPEDIAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_train

Senior Citizens/Retirees of Continental Ranch (SCRCR) further developed this game from a simpler dual Mexican Train game that was introduced to them in 1996. Eight players take about 90 minutes to complete the full game of ten rounds.
Equipment: For 6 to 10 players (best for 8), two sets of double nine [9:9] (colored alike) dominoes are mixed upside down. A "roundhouse" with one center and eight outer "engine bays" is handy (see sketch) but it can be played without a holder, radiating from the center. About a dozen suitable markers such as pennies or Bingo tokens are required.
Setup: (1) Assign an outer position in the roundhouse to each player. (2) Draw seven cars (tiles) each for 8 or more players, eight cars for 7, or nine cars for 6. (3) Announce which of the following two doublet options is to be in play:
Doublet Options: Plain “follow up” is simple, “satisfy” is more complex. (#1) Follow up: If you lay down a doublet you must play a matching tile or pick and play that one (if good). Other players need not follow up the doublet and the game continues. (#2) Satisfy: If you cannot follow up (even after a pick), any other player must do so. Play continues in sequence until someone can satisfy the doublet. Any player who cannot satisfy (even after picking) adds a marker to her train.
Markers: Any time you cannot complete a play per Moves (1) to (7) below, place a marker on your train. All marked trains and bays are open to all players. If the end of your train is already marked, put a marker on a side of your last doublet (if any). When adding to your marked train, remove the marker from the tile you played upon. If someone else plays to a marked train, slide the marker down onto the newly played tile, leaving the "open" end visible.
Starting: (a) Somebody places the [9:9] domino in the center to establish the “engine”. If it is not available [8:8] is used, etc. -- keep track and go back to the missed ones next time. (b) If satisfy applies, and that player does not have a matching tile, she picks and plays (if usable), or she marks and passes. (d) If passed, the next player uses her turn to satisfy the doublet (if possible); her own bay stays empty. (e) Otherwise, she places a matching engine in her bay to begin her train (f) Players can make no other play until their engine bay has been filled or marked. (See the illustrated example below.)
Moves: (1) In “satisfy” a doublet (even the starter) must be followed up first. Otherwise, in any order: (2) Add to the end of your own train. (3) Add to any doublet in it. (4) After your bay has been occupied, start your own (one) side train -- you can't start another player's. (5) Add to any other side or marked train. (6) Put an engine in another person's starting bay, leaving her marker down. (7) Pick and play (if usable). (End example): say only [1:1] and [0:0] are left and nobody can play either one. All players simultaneously draw tiles until one is found. If both are found in one turn [1:1] goes first.
Doublet Play: (a) Lay it cross-wise and follow up. If satisfy is not in play only you must follow up. If satisfy is in play, move #1 rule above applies. You may play a duplicate or matching tile. (b) Otherwise, if unable to follow up, even after picking, mark your train. (c) Play on a side of your own or any side train doublets or on marked sides of another player’s doublet. (d) If you play a doublet as your last tile, you do not need to follow up or satisfy. The round ends.
Side Trains: Each player may start a side train in front (but not anyone else's) with an engine matching the one in the center of the roundhouse. If you start a side train, options 1 or 2 (as applicable) still apply. Anyone can play to any side train. To avoid confusion, turn your side train engine tile over after another car has been added to it.
Going Out: Knock when you are down to one tile. If you don’t knock, and are challenged before the next person plays, pick a tile as a penalty. Play ends when someone goes out or if play is blocked (when no one can satisfy a doublet, etc)
Scoring: Count the spots (double on doublets). Blanks are zero, except [0:0] which is worth 50. Lowest count wins after the whole series of [9:9] down to [0:0] has been played. By agreement the game may be stopped after any round.
Examples of Various Options: (1) Play is clockwise. Joe had the bottom (south) engine bay. He started with the [9:9] but could not follow up, even after a pick, so his bay stayed empty and he had to lay down a marker. (His position shown here is after he had played in the next round; see step 9.)
(2) Ann had two playable dominoes [9:3] and [9:7]. She used the [9:3] to satisfy Joe’s doublet. His marker was left on top. Ann's bay had to be left empty and unmarked for this round -- the tile shown here is after she had played in the second round; see step 10.
(3) Don had no play, so he marked. He can now play on any marked train (next time).
(4) Jan played the [9:5].
(5) Sue had no play, so she marked. She can now play on any marked train (next round).
(6) Ken played the [9:1].
(7) Art had no play, so he marked. He can now play on any marked train (next round).
(8) Ina played the [9:6].
(9) In the second round, Joe did not have a #3 domino to play, even after a pick.
Note: If it had been further on in the game and Joe had doublets in his train he would have had to add a marker on his last doublet because he did not complete a play.
(10) Ann then played her [9:7] to start her own train. Note: Ann could not play on Joe’s marked tile because her own bay had not been filled or marked in round one. If she hadn’t had a playable tile she would have had to pick. Then, if she hadn’t picked a playable one she would have had to mark her bay.
(11) Don had no 9 but did have 3’s so he could play his choice on Joe's marked train. Hopefully Joe can play on that new value.

SKIP-BO,

EQUIPMENT: 1 SKIP-BO DECK
PLAYERS: 3-6
DIFFICULTY: COMPLEX
TIME: 15 MINUTES

ALSO SEE RULES IN WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Bo

SKIP-BO, 1980 Version (Page Rev: 16-Feb-03)
The 1980 game is more challenging than later versions. Later decks have 6 fewer wild cards, but 1980 rules may still be applied to them. If you want to play the later simpler version, exclude options #1 and #2 and allow play from the four stacks (see sketch below) at any time.

Deal: For up to 4 players, deal twenty cards each; 5 or 6 get fifteen; over 6 get ten; vary these to lengthen or shorten the game. This is your reserve stockpile. Place it face down in front of you; turn the top card up. Place the deck face down in the center. Declare ahead of time if any of the following two options will not be in play. Later versions deleted these and the requirement of leading up to the reserve pile - see Stacks (Leading From) below.

Option #1: Alternating: This adds the complexity! Play only one card at a time from any one stack, i.e. alternate between stacks.

Option #2: Blocking: To block a potential going-out situation, allow an exception to be made to the alternating rule. Example: Say "Blocking M's move" and mention M's name.
Play: (1) Before playing, always take enough cards from the deck to make up to five in your hand. (2) Play a #1 card to start a center build pile or discard one in front of you if you cannot play. (3) Form your discards on up to four “helper” stacks. (4) Build four piles, from #1 up to #12, around the deck in the center. When build piles are completed, remove them. (5) Mix and re-use the completed build piles when the deck gets too low.
Discard: If you cannot play, or when finished playing, place a card on any one of your four “helper” stacks, always on top, face up. Hide the underneath cards. Don’t switch cards in the stacks.
Objective: Be first to get rid of your reserve stockpile.
Skip-Bo: These are wild cards and can be used any time as any card, including as a #1 starter.
Reserve Piles and Hands: You can play from reserves and hands directly to the center build piles at any time.
Stacks (Leading From): (a) Play top helper cards, but only if they help you lead up to, and include your top reserve card. (b) Announce “building to x" – your reserve card's value. (c) Only when option #1 is in play, alternate between piles, i.e. you cannot repeat from one stack without first going to another one.
Blocking: Option #2 allows an exception to the alternate rule. Suppose an opponent is nearly going out and you don’t have a playable card in your hand to block her. If you have a playable card on a stack you may say "Blocking M's move" (mentioning M's name) and play it instead as your turn (without it leading up to your reserve card as it normally would). For instance, if Mary has very few cards left, and a playable 8 is showing on her reserve pile, you can say "blocking Mary's move" and play an 8 from the top of a stack.
Example of leading up to the 10 on the Reserve Pile:
Note: The 2-up build pile shown here below the stacks, would normally be in the center of the table. The cards are colored but this has no significance in the game. The 10-up pile is the reserve stockpile.
(a) In actual play only the top stack cards would be visible. Note that these cards are shown stacked sequentially in alternate piles to illustrate how a player could cater to option #1.
(b) Announce “building to 10”. Play a 3 or Skip-Bo from your hand (not shown) onto the 2 on the build pile, and then play the 4,5,6,7,8,9. This eliminates a stack – no problem!
(c) Now play your 10. Say you turn up an 8. If you can’t lay it off, discard a hand card to any one of your four stacks.
(d) You couldn’t follow with the 11 and 12 that are left in the stacks, unless you could lead up to your new 8 – a long reach!
(e) Exception: Suppose you had turned up a 1 or a Skip-Bo instead of the 8 that you did turn up.
(f) 10,11,12,12 were left in your stacks. Say "Building to 1" which is now on top of your reserve pile.
(g) Play 11,12 on a build pile containing a 10, remove that pile, and lay down the 1 or Skip-Bo from your reserve pile. Turn up another card and continue if possible, otherwise discard one from your hand to a stack.
Notes: (1) Draw too many cards: If you looked at their face values, put the extras under your stockpile, otherwise replace them in the deck. (2) Out of cards: Take 5 more unless you discarded your last card to one to your stacks. That ended your turn, so wait till the next round.
Scoring: Official Skip-Bo: Winner counts 25, plus 5 for each card left in all the other reserve piles; first to get 500, or whoever has highest score, wins. Easy Alternative: Players count how many cards remain in their reserve piles when someone goes out. Lowest score after a series of games wins.

YAHTZIX RULES

EQUIPMENT: 6 STANDARD DICE; 2-8 PLAYERS; 20 MIN. FOR 8 PLAYERS (EASY)

Valid in the first roll
only, in any turn.
Triple 1 = 30
Triple 2 = 20
Triple 3 = 30
Triple 4 = 40
Triple 5 = 50
Triple 6 = 60
All count = 100
2 Triplets = 150
5 straight = 1506 straight = 200

A. Start: Appoint a scorekeeper. Roll six standard dice to start the game. Premium scores may be obtained only in the first (single) roll in each turn. Triple = 10 times its face value except triple 1 which is special at 30 points. Others are as shown. “All dice count” in one roll is worth 100, but a higher value may apply (E.G. 4-of-a-kind). When counted separately, a 5 is always worth 5 points and a 1 is worth 10.

B. Opening Rules: (1) Before you can start recording your scores, you must roll at least 30 points to open. (2) If you don’t get at least a 1, a 5, or a premium in the first roll, pass. (3) Otherwise, accumulate points within 3 rolls of the dice. (4) You may roll again any time you get 1 or 5, but keep at least one scoring die back each time. Watch rule F!

C. After You Open: Rules are the same as (2) to (4) in paragraph B.

D. General Rules: (1) You can’t add to a premium roll but if you get a 1 or a 5 you may roll again. (2) Remember rule F (going bust) applies to all tries. (3) Note: The lowest score to have all six dice counted is 1,2,2,2,5,5 (worth 40). You get 20 for triple 2, plus 10 for the 1, and 10 for two 5s. The “all dice count” score for this is worth 100, but it must be in one roll! In any case, always use the highest possible score that you can count.

E. Scratch Pad: It’s best to accumulate small scores on a scratch pad rather than on separate lines of a score sheet. Enter only the total score for the turn. The printed Yahtzix score sheet provides a space for such scoring when there are multiple rolls, such as during the “Go for it” feature.

F. Bust: You are bust if you don’t roll a 1, a 5, or a premium in your first roll. In subsequent rolls you lose any scored in that turn if you don’t roll a 1 or a 5. Premiums only count in roll #1.

G. Choices: (Example): Say you rolled 1,1,2,3,5,5 on your first roll. You must keep at least one scoring die. You have five choices in this case: (1) Accept your score of 30 and pass. (2) Keep a 1 (=10 points) and roll 5 dice. (3) Keep 1,1 (= 20 points) and roll four dice. (4) Keep 1,1,5 (=25 points) and roll three dice. (4) Keep 1,1,5,5 (= 30 points) and roll two dice. Don’t forget rule F.

H. Counting: The set-aside (scored) dice are the only ones to count; rolls cannot be accumulated to make up premiums; these are valid in the first roll only. Example: If you get a 5 in roll one, two 5s in roll two, and a 5 in roll three, that is worth 4 times 5 for 20 points, not 4-of-a-kind (250).

I. Go for it: If the previous player had a good score you can “Go for it” too by risking a roll with her leftover dice (if any). She does not lose her score. Set her scoring dice aside as your first roll and announce your intention. Then roll her non-scoring die or dice and hope that a 1 or 5 turns up. If it does you can use her score, plus any extras you rolled. If you don’t get a 1 or 5 you are bust. If any dice are left after your roll (or you bust) the next player can “Go for it” too.

J. Going Out: (1) The game ends when someone totals 2,000. All others play around to her. The highest score then wins. (2)You can decide on a lesser target if desired, say 1,000 or 1,500.

K. Scoring; See examples in Counting. Use a scratch pad to keep track of accumulating single scores. Don’t count twice and don’t accumulate premiums by subsequent rolls. E.G. A large straight of 1,2,3,4,5,6 cannot also be two small straights of 1,2,3,4,5 and 2,3,4,5,6, etc.

L. Variation (optional): In “Going Out”, win with exactly 2,000 points (or your chosen total). Pass if you exceed it and try again next time. Once you get within 50 points of going out, you may roll only as many dice as you choose. The “all dice count” premium may be ignored but don’t roll any other premium scores!