Texas Forty-Two Dominoes, Instructions for Play

When I was a child I would follow my parents to family gatherings and watch eagerly as they would open up their domino case. Even as a small child I knew that excitement and fun were located inside a box of spinner dominoes. People would pair up, sometimes husband and wives, sometimes girls against guys, and they would play for hours.

When I got married, my husband and I received his mother and father's old spinner dominoes, and we started our own tradition of playing Texas forty-two.

The game itself may appear complicated, but once a few simple rules are learned, playing is not only fun, but easy.

Set for Play:

1 package of double six dominoes, spinners are not required

1 empty sheet of paper

1 pencil

4 people

Teams:

Teams are divided into two pairs, and each partner sits across the table from the other.

Play:

Definition of Shake: to shuffle.

The dominoes are placed in the center table, face down, and whoever draws the largest domino must shake the dominoes first. Play will then continue to the shaker's left. After the dominoes are shaken, each person, excluding the one who shook the dominoes, draws seven dominoes from the pile, the remaining seven are then drawn by the person who shook the dominoes.

Domino Count and Meanings:

Each hand of four dominoes that is played is called a trick and is worth 1 point. While any domino that adds up to a multiple of 5 will also be counted as points. So, you add up the trick and the points thrown to get the total score for each trick.

Dominoes that Make Points:

0-5: 5 points

1-4: 5 points

2-3: 5 points

5-5: 10 points

6-4: 10 points

Each player may pass or bid. Bids must at least begin at 30 and can be raised to 84 (two marks), the first player may bid as high as he/she wants. Typically bids will go 30,31, 32, 42 (one mark), and 84 (two marks).

If a bid of 42 or 84 is called it means that the bidding team must catch all tricks. If no one bids, the person who shook the dominoes will be forced to take the hand. The highest bidder will name the trump suit, 0's, 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 6's, doubles, doubles and follow me or just follow me.

To Play a hand:

The winning bidder must play the first domino, generally a trump, and declare what they are bidding in, whether 5's, 2's, etc. Each player must then follow with a domino of the same suit if he/she has one. If the player has a domino of the suit played and also has trump in his/her hand, the domino that is not a trump must be played first, unless the domino led is a trump. If the player has no dominoes of the same suit, the player may then play a trump, or discard any domino into the pile.

The highest domino of the suit will win the trick unless a trump is played. Then the highest trump will win the trick. If all trumps have been played, the highest domino of the suit led is then the trick winner.

Tricks are set into two different piles (books), one near each team. Play continues until all dominoes have been played, tricks and points are then counted by each team.

To win a hand the amount of the tricks in the bidders hand is added to the multiples of five in his hand. If the bidder receives at least the amount that he bid in tricks and points, he then wins the hand. If not, the point is awarded to the other team.

Scoring:

The winning team receives one mark for each hand won until the word ALL is spelled out. The first mark makes the left diagonal line of the A.

References: http://www.domino-games.com/domino-rules/forty-two-rules.html