How to play American mahjong: a complete beginner's guide
The short answer
American mahjong is a four-player tile game. Each player tries to be first to collect 14 tiles that exactly match one hand printed on that year's National Mah Jongg League card. You start with 13 tiles, swap some in the Charleston, then take turns picking and discarding until someone calls Mah Jongg.
A game in seven steps
- Build the walls. Turn all 152 tiles face down and mix them. Each player builds a wall two tiles high and 19 tiles long in front of their rack, then the four walls are pushed together into a square.
- Deal. East (the dealer) breaks the wall and the tiles are dealt so East has 14 tiles and everyone else has 13. Set your tiles on your rack facing you.
- Do the Charleston. Everyone passes unwanted tiles in a set order: 3 to the right, 3 across, 3 to the left. A second round and a small courtesy pass may follow. See the Charleston guide.
- East discards first. East starts play by discarding one tile face up in the middle of the table and saying its name out loud, for example "three bam".
- Take turns. Play moves to the right. On your turn, take the next tile from the wall, decide what to keep, and discard one tile, naming it aloud.
- Call discards you need. If someone discards a tile that completes a group of three or more in your hand, say "call" right away, before the next player racks the tile they picked. Take it and lay that group face up on your rack.
- Declare Mah Jongg. When your 14 tiles exactly match one hand on the card, say "Mah Jongg" and lay your hand face up for everyone to check.
What you need to play
Four players, an American mahjong set of 152 tiles with racks, and one current League card for each player.
- A set made for American mahjong. It must have 8 jokers. Chinese and Hong Kong sets usually have none. See how to choose a set.
- Four racks, one per player. Many come with a pusher arm that slides your wall forward.
- This year's card. The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card every spring. Each player needs their own. A large-print card is available.
- A square table. A card table works well. A soft mat keeps the noise down and stops tiles sliding.
The goal of the game
Be the first player to hold 14 tiles that match one hand on the card exactly.
Unlike Chinese mahjong, you cannot invent your own winning hand. Every legal hand is printed on the card, and the card changes every year. Part of the fun is choosing which hand to aim for once you see your tiles, and switching if the tiles are not coming.
A hand is built from groups of matching tiles. A pair is two, a pung is three, a kong is four and a quint is five. Learn the tiles themselves in mahjong tiles explained.
Setting up and dealing
Players sit at the four sides of the table, named after the winds: East, South, West and North. East is the dealer. Mix the tiles face down, then each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and two tiles high. That is 38 tiles each, which uses all 152.
East rolls dice to decide where to break the wall, and the tiles are dealt out in small batches. At the end, East has 14 tiles and the others have 13. Stand your tiles on your rack so only you can see them.
The Charleston: swapping tiles before play
Before anyone discards, players pass unwanted tiles to each other in a fixed order to improve their hands.
The first Charleston is required: pass three tiles to the right, three across, then three to the left. A second Charleston (left, across, right) happens only if every player agrees. Then the players sitting across from each other may trade up to three more tiles. Jokers are never passed.
This is where you start choosing your hand, so it gets a full guide of its own.
Taking turns
East opens by discarding one tile. After that, play passes to the right. On your turn you pick the next tile from the wall, then discard one tile face up in the center and say its name aloud. You always end your turn with 13 tiles on your rack.
Discards matter. Watch what others throw away and what they call. It tells you which tiles are gone and what your opponents may be collecting.
Calling a discard
You may call a discarded tile to finish a pung, kong or quint, or to win. You may call for a pair only when it wins the game.
Say "call" (or the tile's name) before the next player racks the tile they picked, discards, or swaps a joker. Take the discard, add the matching tiles from your rack, and set the group face up on top of your rack. That is called an exposure. Then discard a tile, and play continues to your right.
Some hands on the card are marked C for concealed. For those, you may only call a discard if it gives you Mah Jongg. Hands marked X may be exposed as you go.
How jokers work
There are eight jokers. A joker can stand in for any tile, but only inside a group of three or more. You can never use a joker as a single tile or in a pair. On your turn, if someone has an exposed group containing a joker and you hold the real tile it represents, you may swap your tile for their joker. A joker that has been discarded cannot be claimed by anyone.
There is more to it. Read jokers in American mahjong.
Winning, paying and dead hands
When your tiles match a hand on the card, call "Mah Jongg" and lay your hand out. Each hand on the card has a value printed beside it. Payment rules vary by group, but this is the most common approach:
| How you won | Who pays | How much |
|---|---|---|
| On a discard | The player who threw the winning tile | Double the hand's value |
| On a discard | The other two players | The hand's value |
| From the wall (self-picked) | All three other players | Double the hand's value |
| With no jokers at all | Everyone who pays | Double again (announce "jokerless" when you win) |
A hand becomes dead if you call Mah Jongg by mistake, if your exposures mean you can no longer make any hand on the card, or if you have the wrong number of tiles. The player stops playing for the rest of that hand but still pays the winner. If the wall runs out with no winner, it is a wall game, and in the standard game nobody pays.
Many groups play for small change, and many play for fun with no money at all.
Common questions
How long does it take to learn American mahjong?
Most people can play a slow, friendly game after one lesson or an afternoon with patient friends. It takes a few months of regular play to feel comfortable choosing hands quickly. Keep the card and a cheat sheet beside you while you learn.
How many tiles do you start with in American mahjong?
Every player starts with 13 tiles except East, the dealer, who starts with 14 because East discards first.
Is American mahjong the same as the mahjong game on my phone?
Usually not. Many phone games are tile-matching solitaire, which is a different game that uses the same tiles. Real American mahjong apps follow League rules and use the current card.
Do I need to buy a new card every year?
Yes, if you play by League rules. The hands change every year, and groups agree to play from the current card. It is inexpensive, and a large-print version is available.
Which direction does play go in American mahjong?
To the right. After East discards, the player on East's right takes the next turn.