1The 152 tiles
Three numbered suits, plus Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers.
| Group | Tiles | How many | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bams | 1 to 9, four of each | 36 | |
| Craks | 1 to 9, four of each | 36 | |
| Dots | 1 to 9, four of each | 36 | |
| Winds | North, East, West, South, four of each | 16 | |
| Dragons | Red, Green, White (Soap), four of each | 12 | |
| Flowers | Eight flowers, all treated as the same tile | 8 | |
| Jokers | Stand in for other tiles in big groups | 8 | |
| Total | 152 |
Each Dragon belongs to a suit
On the card, a hand that says "matching dragon" uses the Dragon of that suit:
- Red Dragon goes with Craks.
- Green Dragon goes with Bams.
- White Dragon, called Soap, goes with Dots. Soap also stands for the number zero, for example in year hands like 2 0 2 6.
2Pairs, pungs, kongs and quints
Every hand is built from groups of the same tile. The group names tell you the size.
| Name | Size | Example | Jokers allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 tile | ✗ No | |
| Pair | 2 alike | ✗ No | |
| Pung | 3 alike | ✓ Yes | |
| Kong | 4 alike | ✓ Yes | |
| Quint | 5 alike | ✓ Yes | |
| Sextet | 6 alike | ✓ Yes |
3The card: the list of winning hands
You can only win with a hand that is printed on the card you are playing with.
Each line on the card is one hand of exactly 14 tiles. Colors show suits: everything in one color must be the same suit, and different colors must be different suits.
- X next to a hand means you may call discards and show groups face up ("exposed").
- C means "concealed": you must build it from tiles you draw yourself. You may only call the very last tile, to win.
- The number on the right is the value: what each other player pays when you win.
The official card used in most clubs is published once a year by the National Mah Jongg League. You buy it from them. On this site we use our own free Practice Card, which is built the same way and is great for learning.
4Setting up the table
The dealer is East and starts with 14 tiles. Everyone else gets 13.
- Pick East.One player is East (the dealer). The others are South, West and North, going to East’s right.
- Build the wall.Shuffle the tiles face down. Each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high, which is 38 tiles each.
- Break the wall.East rolls the dice and counts along their own wall to find where dealing starts.
- Deal.Players take tiles four at a time. At the end East has 14 tiles and everyone else has 13.
- Rack your tiles.Stand your tiles on your rack so only you can see them.
5The Charleston
Before play starts, everyone passes three tiles at a time, so you can get rid of tiles you do not want.
| Pass | Direction | Must you do it? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right | Yes |
| 2 | Across | Yes |
| 3 | Left | Yes |
| 4 to 6 | Left, across, right | Only if every player agrees |
| Courtesy | Across, 0 to 3 tiles | Optional |
You can never pass a joker. Read the full guide: The Charleston, step by step.
6Taking turns: draw and discard
East throws first. After that, each player draws one tile and throws one tile.
- East discards.East already has 14 tiles, so East starts by discarding one tile face up in the middle and saying its name out loud, for example "5 Dot".
- Next player draws.Play moves to the right (counterclockwise). The next player draws a tile from the wall.
- Then discards.They throw one tile and name it. You always have 13 tiles at the end of your turn.
- Repeat.Keep going until someone wins or the wall runs out. A game with no winner is called a wall game, and nobody pays.
7Calling a discard
You may take another player’s discard if it completes a pung, kong, quint or sextet, or if it wins the game.
Say "call" (or "Mahjong" if it wins). Then put the group face up on top of your rack, discard a tile, and play continues to your right. Players in between lose their turn.
| You want the discard for… | Can you call it? |
|---|---|
| A pung, kong, quint or sextet | ✓ Yes |
| A pair or a single | ✗ No, unless it is the tile that wins the game |
| A concealed (C) hand | ✗ No, unless it is the tile that wins the game |
| Mahjong | ✓ Yes, and Mahjong beats every other call |
More detail: calling tiles and exposures.
8Jokers in one minute
A joker can replace any tile in a group of three or more. It can never be part of a pair or a single.
On your turn you can also swap a real tile for a joker in any exposed group. Read more: Joker rules.
9Winning and paying
Call "Mahjong!", lay all 14 tiles face up, and the others pay you the value on the card.
| How you won | Player who threw the tile | Each other player |
|---|---|---|
| On another player’s discard | Pays 2 × value | Pays 1 × value |
| On a tile you drew yourself | — | Everyone pays 2 × value |
| With no jokers at all | Double the amounts above | Double the amounts above |
Hands in the Singles and Pairs section cannot use jokers anyway, so they do not get the jokerless double. Full guide: paying and scoring, or try the payment calculator.
10Mistakes and dead hands
If your hand can no longer match any line on the card, it is "dead": you stop playing but still pay at the end.
- Wrong number of tiles. If you end your turn with more or fewer than 13 tiles, your hand is dead.
- Impossible exposures. If the groups you have laid face up do not fit any hand on the card, your hand is dead.
- Calling Mahjong by mistake. If you have not shown your tiles yet, you can usually take it back and keep playing. Many tables agree on their own house rule here.
11Five tips for your first games
Choose two or three hands early, keep your jokers, and watch what other players collect.
- Look for your best section.After the deal, count which section of the card your tiles fit best: evens, odds, runs, winds and dragons, and so on.
- Keep two or three hands in mind.Do not commit to one hand too early. The Charleston will change your tiles.
- Never throw a joker early.Jokers are the most useful tiles in the game. Keep them for your groups.
- Watch exposures.If a player has two pungs of Dots face up, do not feed them Dots.
- Switch when you must.If the tiles you need are all gone (four 5 Bams already on the table), change to another hand.
Questions people ask
How many tiles does each player start with in American mahjong?
East, the dealer, starts with 14 tiles. The other three players start with 13 tiles each.
How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?
An American mahjong set has 152 tiles: 108 suit tiles (Bams, Craks and Dots), 16 Winds, 12 Dragons, 8 Flowers and 8 Jokers.
Can you use a joker in a pair?
No. Jokers can only be used in groups of three or more of the same tile: pungs, kongs, quints and sextets.
Which way does play go in American mahjong?
Play moves to the right, which is counterclockwise around the table. East plays first.
What happens if nobody wins?
If the wall runs out before anyone completes a hand, it is a wall game. Nobody pays, and a new game starts.
Do I need to buy a card to play?
To play the official game in a club, yes: most clubs use the yearly card from the National Mah Jongg League. To learn and practice on this site, you can use our free Practice Card.