Texas 42

Setup

• Players: four, in two teams. Partners sit across from each other.
• Dominoes: a double-six set: 28 dominoes, seven each.
• Dealer: moves one seat to the left each hand.
• Bidding: starting left of the dealer, each player bids once, 30 to 42, or passes. The dealer must bid 30 if everyone passes.

How to play

1. 1Bid your points. Each player bids how many of the 42 points their side will take, or passes. A bid must beat the one before.
2. 2Name trump. The high bidder names trump: a number from 0 to 6, or doubles. Every domino with that number is a trump.
3. 3Lead and follow. The bidder leads. A domino belongs to its higher end, unless it holds the trump number. Follow the suit led if you can.
4. 4Win the tricks. The highest trump wins, or else the highest domino of the suit led, with the double on top. The winner leads next.
5. 5Make your bid. Take at least the points you bid, from tricks and count together, and your team wins the mark.
6. 6Get set. Fall short and the other team wins the mark, even though they did not bid.

Winning

The first team to the target number of marks wins: 7 in a full game, 3 in our Quick game.

Scoring

Our Classic rules: bids from 30 to 42, trump is a number or doubles, and a hand with no bid is bid by the dealer at 30. Some tables add “no trump” hands and bids of two or more marks; those are house rules.

Key terms

Trick:

One domino from each player. The highest trump wins it, or else the highest of the suit led.

Trump:

The suit that beats the others: every domino with the trump number, or the doubles.

Bid:

How many of the 42 points your side says it will take.

Count:

The five dominoes worth extra points: 5-0, 4-1, 3-2 (5 each) and 6-4, 5-5 (10 each).

Mark:

What a team wins for making its bid, or for setting the bidders.

Set:

Taking fewer points than you bid. The other team wins the mark.

Suit:

The number a domino is played as: its higher end, unless it holds the trump number.