A Darling Guide to American Mahjong
New to Mahjong? You’re in the right place.
152 tiles, a card full of combinations, something called the Charleston, and a whole new vocabulary. It seems like a lot — until you find the rhythm, and then it clicks.
This is four-player American Mahjong, following the rules of the National Mah Jongg League. And remember: nobody starts out knowing what a pung is. That’s part of the fun.
One
Meet the Tiles
A standard set holds 152 tiles.
Some sets come with spare Jokers and blank tiles. They aren’t used in standard play, but they’re handy if a tile ever goes missing.
Two
The Three Suits
Each suit runs 1 through 9, four of every number — and each has a Dragon of its own.
You’ll also play four Winds — North, East, West, South — and eight Flowers. Winds and Flowers are neutral; they belong to no suit.
Three
Ah, the Joker
Eight Jokers act as wild tiles — incredibly helpful, but not everywhere.
The Joker Rules
- A Joker may stand in for a tile in a group of three or more matching tiles.
- No Jokers in singles.
- No Jokers in pairs.
- No passing Jokers during the Charleston.
- Once a Joker is discarded, it’s out of play.
Four
Meet the Card
American Mahjong is played from a card of winning hands. The National Mah Jongg League releases a new one every year, so the possible hands change with the season — even old hands get something new to solve.
Your goal is to pick one hand and collect the 14 tiles it needs. The card groups hands by year, evens, odds, runs, Winds and Dragons, Quints, Singles and Pairs, and more.
Don’t memorize it. You’re supposed to look at it while you play.
Five
A Little Vocabulary
Most of it is just counting.
Six
Getting the Table Ready
Shuffle
All 152 tiles go face down.
Build the wall
Two tiles high, 19 long — 38 tiles each.
Roll for East
East deals, and goes first.
Deal
East takes 14 tiles. Everyone else takes 13.
Tuck your tiles onto your rack, look at what you’ve been dealt, and start comparing it to the card. You don’t need to know what you’re playing yet — that’s what the Charleston is for.
Seven
The Charleston
Before play begins, everyone trades away tiles they don’t want — three at a time — hoping for a few that help.
There may also be a Courtesy Pass between players sitting across from one another. And one rule that matters: keep your Jokers. They cannot be passed.
Eight
And Now, We Play
East discards first, and play moves around the table in one simple rhythm:
Place each discard face up and say its name aloud. Keep comparing your tiles to the card and working toward one complete 14-tile hand.
And yes — you’ll change your mind about which hand you’re playing. Probably more than once.
Nine
Calling a Tile
When someone discards a tile you need, you may be able to call it — generally when it completes a group of three or more matching tiles in an exposed hand. The finished group goes face up on your rack for everyone to see.
You can’t ordinarily call to complete a single or a pair, and concealed hands have extra restrictions. One happy exception: if that discard completes your entire hand, you may be able to call it for Mahjong.
There’s also Joker swapping — if someone has an exposed group containing a Joker and you hold the real tile it stands for, you may trade for it on your turn. A very good reason to watch everyone else’s rack.
Ten
Mahjong!
Complete one of the 14-tile hands on the current card, and there’s only one thing left to do: call “Mahjong!” Reveal your hand and enjoy the moment.
If the wall runs out before anyone finishes, that’s a wall game — no winner this round, which sounds to us like the perfect excuse to shuffle and play again.
Ready to Sit Down?
Reading about it only gets you so far. Mahjong 101 starts you from nothing.