Mexico Dice Game: Rules, Roll Order and Odds
Mexico is a fast dice game for a group, played with just two dice. You roll, read the dice as a two-digit number, and try not to have the lowest roll of the round. The best roll of all is a 2 and a 1, called Mexico. Here are the rules, the order of the rolls and the real odds of beating any score.
What You Need
- Two six-sided dice and a cup to shake them in, if you have one.
- Three or more players.
- Something to count lives: tokens, coins or an extra die for each player.
No dice? Set the Dice Roller to two dice.
How to Read Your Roll
Always read the higher die first. A 3 and a 6 is 63, not 36. Then rank the rolls like this:
| Roll (best first) | Chance on one roll |
|---|---|
| Mexico (2 and 1) | 2 in 36, about 5.6% |
| Doubles: 66, 55, 44, 33, 22, 11 | 1 in 36 each, about 2.8% |
| Other rolls, read high die first: 65, 64, 63 ... down to 31 | 2 in 36 each, about 5.6% |
So any double beats any ordinary roll, 66 beats 11, and 65 is the best roll that is not a double. Mexico beats everything.
How to Play
- Everyone starts with lives, often six. Many players keep count with an extra die, turning it down by one each time they lose a life.
- The first player rolls up to three times. Only the last roll counts, so you decide after each roll whether to stop or try again.
- The others follow the leader. Each later player may roll only as many times as the first player did. If the leader stopped after one roll, everyone gets one roll.
- Lowest roll loses a life. When everyone has rolled, the player with the lowest roll loses one life. Players tied for lowest roll off.
- Mexico raises the stakes. In many groups, each Mexico rolled in a round doubles the lives the loser has to give up.
- Last player standing wins. A player with no lives is out, and the loser of each round starts the next one.
Rules vary from table to table, especially the number of lives and what Mexico does, so agree on them before you start.
The Odds of Beating a Roll
We counted all 36 ways two dice can land. Here is how likely you are to beat a score that is already on the table, on one roll and when you may use up to three rolls and stop as soon as you are ahead:
| Score to beat | Chance on one roll | Chance within three rolls |
|---|---|---|
| 31 (the lowest) | about 94% | almost 100% |
| 43 | about 72% | about 98% |
| 54 | 50% | about 88% |
| 61 | about 44% | about 83% |
| 63 | about 33% | about 70% |
| 65 (best non-double) | about 22% | about 53% |
| 11 (lowest double) | about 19% | about 48% |
| 33 | about 14% | about 36% |
| 66 | about 6% | about 16% |
Two things stand out. A 54 is exactly a coin toss to beat on one roll. And the gap between 65 and 11 is small, because only the six doubles and Mexico sit above 65. For more on how two dice behave, see our guide to dice probability.
When to Stop as the Leader
- Keep a double or Mexico. Only about 1 roll in 5 beats even the lowest double.
- Keep 63 or better. A new roll beats 63 only one time in three. With 61 or 62 it is closer to a coin toss, so reroll if the table is large.
- Reroll anything with a 5 high or lower if you still can. Half of all rolls beat a 54.
- Stopping early limits everyone. If you are happy after one roll, the others also get just one roll to beat you.
Mexico and Mia
Mexico has a well-known bluffing cousin called Mia, played in Scandinavia and Germany, where it is known as Mäxchen or Meiern. It uses the same order of rolls, but you roll under a cup, peek, and announce a roll that must beat the last one, true or not. The next player can believe you and take the cup, or call your bluff. If you like bluffing with dice, also try Liar's Dice.
Nobody knows where Mexico got its name, or who first played it. It is a folk game passed on at parties and in bars, and its rules change from group to group.
For other quick dice games, try Threes, poker dice or Pig. More quick games are in our list of easy dice games.
FAQ
What is the highest roll in Mexico?
A 2 and a 1, called Mexico. After that come the doubles from 66 down to 11, then the other rolls read high die first, from 65 down to 31.
Why is 21 the best roll in Mexico?
It is simply the rule of the game. A 2 and a 1 comes up 2 times in 36, about 5.6%, so it is no rarer than many other rolls, but it beats them all.
How many rolls do you get in Mexico?
Up to three. The first player decides how many rolls to use, and everyone after them may use at most that many. Only the last roll counts.
What happens if two players tie for the lowest roll?
They roll off against each other, and the lower roll loses the life.
What is the difference between Mexico and Mia?
Both use the same order of rolls. In Mexico everyone rolls in the open and the lowest loses. In Mia you roll under a cup and announce your roll, so you can bluff.