The rules of 42 fit on one page. The strategy fills books. Good 42 comes down to three habits: count your offs before you bid, pull trumps as soon as you have the lead, and get the count onto your side’s tricks.
This page assumes you know the Texas 42 rules and how bidding works.
Know How Suits Work When You Lead
This trips up more new players than anything else. When you lead a domino that isn’t a trump, its higher end decides the suit. The 5-2 is a five, not a two.
That means you can only lead deuces with three dominoes: the 2-2, 2-1 and 2-0. And if blanks aren’t trump, your 0-0 can only win a trick when you lead it yourself.
When you follow, though, a domino counts as either of its suits. If fives are led and your only five is the 5-2, you must play it.
Count Your Hand Before You Bid
Look for three things:
- Trumps. Pick your longest strong suit. Its double is the boss, so the double plus three or more of that suit is a solid start.
- Offs. An off is a domino likely to lose a trick. Each off is a trick the other side can win and pile count onto.
- Count. Note which of the five count dominoes (5-5, 6-4, 5-0, 4-1, 3-2) you hold, and whether they’re in your trump suit, where they’re safe.
Example hand: 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-2, 5-5, 3-3, 1-0.
- Call sixes. You hold the three highest trumps (6-6, 6-5, 6-4) plus the 6-2.
- Only three sixes are out: the 6-3, 6-1 and 6-0. Lead your top three trumps and they all have to fall.
- The 5-5 and 3-3 are the highest dominoes in their suits, so they’re winners once trumps are gone.
- Your one off is the 1-0.
- You already hold 20 points of count (6-4 and 5-5).
Most of the time this hand loses one trick and maybe a 5-count on it, about 6 points. That makes 36 a sound bid. At 37, a single 5-count on your off would set you.
Bidding Habits That Win
- Most good bids are 30, 31, 35 or 36. The numbers in between rarely match what a hand actually takes.
- Bid 36 with a strong hand. It survives losing one trick with a 5-count, and it’s hard for the other side to outbid.
- Bid low to show help. With lots of count but no trump suit, a 30 tells your partner you can support them. If your partner opens at 30 or 31 and you have a real hand, raise them.
- Watch the big suits. The 10-count dominoes live in the fours, fives and sixes. Weakness there is expensive.
- Bid for two hands. Your partner holds seven dominoes too. A modest hand plus an average partner often makes 30.
🁫 New to Bidding Games? Ease In First
If Texas 42 feels like a jump, brush up on the basics with the free dominoes cheat sheet before your first hand.
Download the Free Cheat SheetPlaying the Hand When You Won the Bid
- Pull trumps first. Lead your high trumps until the other side is out. Every trump left in their hands can steal a trick with count on it.
- Get rid of a bad off early. If your hand is all trumps and doubles plus one weak domino, some players lead the off right away, before the other side knows what to throw on it.
- Put your partner in the lead. Without the trump double, lead a small off so your partner can win it and lead back.
- Save a trump for the last trick on low bids. On bids of 30 to 35, a trump held back can catch count late in the hand.
Playing Defense
- Attack early. You often get only one or two chances to set a bid. Take them.
- Feed count to your partner. When your partner is winning a trick and the bidders can’t trump it, drop a count domino on it.
- Never give the bidders count for free. When they’re winning a trick, play your smallest non-count domino.
- Clear a suit. Running out of a suit lets you trump in later and catch count.
Texas 42 Strategy FAQ
What’s the best bid in 42?
There isn’t one, but 30, 31, 35 and 36 are the most common. 36 is the go-to for a strong hand.
Should you lead trumps first in 42?
Usually yes, when you’re the bidder. Pulling trumps protects your count.
What is an off in 42?
A domino that will probably lose a trick.
Which suit is a domino when you lead it?
Its higher end, unless it’s a trump.
Keep score with the Texas 42 scoring guide, and try the special bids once you’re comfortable.