Texas 42 is a trick-taking domino game for four players in two partnerships. It plays much like Spades or Bridge but with a double-six domino set instead of cards. These rules reflect the way the game is played here on Texas42Game.com.
Players: 4, in two teams of 2. Partners sit across from each other.
Equipment: A standard double-six domino set — 28 bones total.
Object: Be the first team to win 7 marks (games). Each hand awards at least one mark to the winning team.
Each domino bone has two ends, each showing 0–6 pips. The bone is identified by its two values — for example, the 6-4 bone has a six end and a four end.
Count bones are the bones worth points:
There are 35 points in count bones. Each trick is worth 1 point to the team that wins it. That means 42 total points are at stake every hand — which is where the game gets its name.
The dealer shuffles the 28 bones face-down and deals 7 to each player. The deal rotates clockwise each hand. The player to the left of the dealer bids first.
Starting left of the dealer and going clockwise, each player either bids or passes. The dealer bids last. The minimum bid is 30.
A point bid is a promise that your team will score at least that many points during the hand. Since there are only 42 points available, a bid of 42 means you're claiming every single point.
A mark bid is a promise that your team will win every single trick in the hand. Mark bids are worth more — they award that many marks if made, or give that many marks to the other team if set.
These special bids are also available during regular bidding and count as 1-mark bids. See the Special Bids section below for full details.
Any player may pass. If all four players pass, the human player must choose either Low or Sevens as the bid — this is called the forced bid. The dealer does not automatically get the bid.
If you hold 4 or more doubles in your hand, you may ask your partner if they want to Plunge. If your partner agrees, the bid is set at 4 marks and your partner chooses trump (not you). Opponents may overbid before trump is selected.
Plunge is a big commitment — your team must win every single trick or lose 4 marks.
After the bidding is over, the high bidder names the trump suit. In a Plunge, the bidder's partner names trump instead.
Trump suit options: Blanks, Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes, or Doubles.
When a suit (like Fours) is named trump, every bone showing a four pip belongs to the trump suit — including the 4-4 double. The double of the trump suit ranks highest within trump. Other trump bones rank by their off-pip (the end that isn't a four).
When Doubles is named trump, all seven doubles form the trump suit. They rank by their face value — the 6-6 is highest, the 0-0 (blanks double) is lowest.
The high bidder leads the first trick. After that, the winner of each trick leads the next one.
When a bone is led, all other players must play a bone from the same suit if they have one. A bone belongs to a suit if it shows that pip value on either end (and isn't trump). If you have no bones of the led suit, you may play any bone — including trump.
At the end of 7 tricks, count the points each team has won:
If the bidding team reaches or exceeds their bid, they make the bid and win 1 mark. If they fall short, they are set and the other team wins 1 mark.
For mark bids, the bidding team must win all 7 tricks to make the bid. If they lose even one trick, they are set and the other team wins the corresponding number of marks.
You don't always have to play all 7 tricks.
These buttons only appear when the math actually supports them.
In a Sevens hand, every player must play the bone in their hand whose pip total is closest to 7. You don't get a choice — if your closest bone to 7 is the 4-3 (total = 7), that's what you play. The bone closest to 7 wins each trick. If two bones tie, the one played first wins.
The bidder must win all 7 tricks. If any trick goes to the other team, the Sevens bid is immediately set — the hand ends right there and the other team gets the mark.
In a Low hand, the bidder's partner sits out — their hand is put aside and they don't play. It's a 3-player hand: the bidder against the two opponents.
Low has no trump. Players must follow the led suit if they can. The highest bone of the led suit wins each trick — the opposite of a normal hand. The bidder's goal is to win zero tricks. If the bidder wins even one trick, the hand ends immediately and the other team gets the mark.
Before play begins in a Low hand, the bidder decides whether doubles are HIGH or LOW in their respective suits. This applies to all doubles — you can't mix. If doubles are high, the 4-4 beats every other four-suit bone. If doubles are low, the 4-4 loses to every other four-suit bone.
Choose wisely — doubles in the wrong position can force you to win tricks you don't want.
The first team to reach 7 marks wins the game. The marks-to-win target can be changed in the Settings menu (7, 9, or 11).