The Ultimate Guide to Mexico: How to Play the King of Bar Dice Games Right Now – There is something ageless and primordial about a game that fits in your pocket and relies on nerves, luck, and plain lying in a world full with complicated board games and immersive video games. Mexico is the clear winner when it comes to bar dice games. Mexico, which is also called Mexican Dice or Liar’s Dice in some quarters (but is not the same as the multi-dice variant of Liar’s Dice), is a fast-paced, high-stakes game of elimination that only needs two dice, a cup, and a group of pals who like to bluff.
Mexico is the best choice whether you want to liven up a calm night at the pub, a pre-game at home, or just want a simple, fun game that encourages funny and tense social interaction. Here’s everything you need to know to play it right now.
The goal is to be the last player standing.
Mexico is basically an elimination game. The goal is easy: be the last player with a “life.” Players start with a certain number of life (usually three or five), and they will lose their lives one by one through rolls, challenges, and bluffs. The last player left is the winner.
What You Will Need
- Mexico is beautiful because it is simple.
- Two six-sided dice that are the same.
- A dice cup or shaker that you can’t see through. The sort that comes with Yahtzee is wonderful.
- A flat surface, as a bar top or table.
- At least two players. The game is great with 3 to 6 people.
- Tokens for lives (not required but useful). You can use poker chips, coins, or even coasters to keep count of your lives.
- A good poker face and a lot of courage.
Understanding the Rolls: Who Has the Most Power
You need to know how much each roll is worth before you can play. This is the most significant part of the game. In Mexico, the throws aren’t based on their sum like they are in other dice games. They don’t form a normal hierarchy, though. The higher die always comes first, and the two dice are interpreted as a two-digit number. A roll of a 4 and a 2, for example, is read as “42,” not “24.”
Here are the rolls, from highest to lowest:
21—A “Mexico”: This is the best roll ever. A two and a one. It can’t be beaten and usually has unusual features. The lowest die is read first in this roll.
The Doubles: Rolled in order from highest to lowest.
66 (Two Sixes)
55 (Double Fives)
44 (Double Fours)
33 (Double Threes)
22 (Two Twos)
11 (Double Ones, or “Aces”)
The Point Numbers: For all other combinations, read the higher die first.
65, 64, 63, 62, 61
54, 53, 52, 51
43, 42, 41
32, 31
The lowest roll you can get in the game is 31. A roll of 2 and 3 would be “32,” which is higher.
A Round Step-by-Step Guide to Playing
Let’s go over a normal round of Mexico.
- Setup: Everyone sits in a circle and agrees on how many lives they will start with (five is a good amount). Pick who goes first. A common way to do this is to roll a single die and have the person with the highest number go first.
- The First Roll: The first player puts the two dice in the cup, shakes it, and then slams it down on the table with the dice hidden below. They quietly elevate the cup just enough to glimpse their own roll. Then they tell the person on their left to roll. This is the key: The first person to play in a round can say anything they wish. They can either tell the truth about their roll or lie. If they rolled a 42, they may say “42,” or they could lie and say a higher number, like “51,” or a lower number, like “32.”
- The Next Player’s Turn: The player on the left now has to select a choice based on what was said: Choice A: Accept and roll. The player thinks (or acts like they think) the announced roll. Now they have to try to roll a number that is higher than what was said. They grab the cup and dice, roll them in secrecy, and then look at what they got. They say their new, higher value (they can lie about what it is, as long as they say something higher) and pass the cup to the next person if their roll is higher. If their roll isn’t higher, they have to lie and say that their roll is higher than the last one. After that, they give the cup to the next player, hoping they don’t get caught. Option B: Call Liar! or Challenge. The player doesn’t believe what the last player said. They say things like “Liar!” “Challenge!” or “Lift!” At this point, the game stops for the moment of truth.
- The Showdown: Solving a Problem
The player who was challenged must raise their cup and show everyone the dice when they are challenged. If the challenger was right (the roller was lying), the player who was challenged (the liar) loses a life. For instance, Player A said, “54.” Player B makes a challenge. Player A raises the cup to show a 43. Player B was right to appeal because 43 is less than 54. Player A dies. If the challenger was WRONG (the roller was speaking the truth), the player who made the challenge loses a life. For instance, Player A said, “54.” Player B makes a challenge. Player A lifts the cup to show a real 54. Player B was incorrect to challenge, and now he has lost a life. The Important Exception: There is a small but important regulation. If the roller lied, a challenger could also be mistaken, but their actual roll was still greater than the last bet. For example: “51,” says Player A. Player B rolls a 53, but to put pressure on Player A, they say “62.” Player C dares Player B. Player B shows their 53. Even though Player B lied and said they had a 62, their real roll of 53 is still greater than Player A’s claimed 51. So, Player C’s challenge was wrong, and Player C loses the game. This rule encourages lying in a smart way. - Beginning a New Round: A new round starts when a player dies. The person who lost the life rolls the dice again to start the new round. This is how the game goes on, with players getting knocked out as they run out of life, until just one champion is left. Different Rules and Common Changes There are a lot of “house rules” that help keep the game interesting. The Power of Mexico (21): Rolling a 21 changes the game. If you roll a Mexico, you can show it right away, which is a typical practice. The next person in line instantly loses a life (or two lives in harder variants) when you accomplish this. The round is over, and the player who lost a life starts the next one. Passing: Some variations let a player look at their roll and, if it is exactly the same as the last one, they can just say “Pass” and give the cup to the next player, who is now facing that identical roll. Blind Rolls: A player can choose not to look at their roll and send it on to the next player, saying the previous value plus one (for example, if “42” was said, they pass it on saying “43”). This is a move with a lot of risk and a lot of gain. A Plan for the Modern Player It’s not simply luck in Mexico. It’s all in the mind. Set a Baseline: In the beginning, tell the truth most of the time. This gives you greater credibility, which makes your next bluffs work better. Know When to Lie: You have to lie if you roll a terrible 31 or 32 early in a game. To stay in the game, say something that makes sense, such a 41 or 43. The Pressure Play: If you’re feeling brave or sure of yourself, say a really high roll, like a 65 or Double 6s. This puts a lot of pressure on the following person, making it practically guaranteed that they will have to lie. Look at the table: Keep an eye on your opponents. Do players become nervous when they lie? Are they unsure? Do they always go after high rolls? The key to become good at the game is to take advantage of these tells. Mexico has lasted because it’s not just a game; it’s a way to bring people together. It gets rid of digital distractions and makes people talk to one other, negotiate, and use their gut feelings. The tight hush before a cup is lifted, the burst of laughter when a silly bluff is revealed, and the quiet satisfaction of being the last one standing are all parts of the game. Next time you’re with pals, get some dice, a cup, and show them how much fun Mexico is.
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