How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?
152 tiles: 36 bams, 36 craks and 36 dots (1 to 9, four of each), 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. Spare or blank tiles are put away unless your group uses them.
American mahjong rules, answered
Short, clear answers to the questions that come up at the table, checked against published sources. Ask in your own words, or browse below. If your group plays a house rule, set it once and the answers will match your table.
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The tiles
Which dragon goes with which suit?
Green dragon goes with bams, red dragon with craks, and white dragon (Soap) with dots. When the card prints a dragon in the same color as some numbers, use the matching dragon.
Is the white dragon used as a zero?
Yes. In hands that spell out a year, the white dragon (Soap) is used as the zero. It is still a dragon everywhere else.
Do different flower pictures matter?
No. In American mahjong every flower counts as the same tile, whatever its picture. On the card, F means any flower.
Do you use the blank tiles?
Not under League rules. Blanks are not part of official play; keep them in the box as spares.
House rule at your table: blanks are in play. A blank can be traded for a tile from the discards. Groups handle the details differently, so agree on them before you start.
Your table can change this one. Set your house rules.
Setting up
How big is each wall?
Each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high: 38 tiles, which uses all 152 tiles among four players.
How many tiles does each player start with?
East (the dealer) starts with 14 tiles and everyone else with 13. East discards first to begin play.
How do you play with five people?
Four play at a time. The fifth player sits out each game and the seat rotates.
Four play at a time and the fifth sits out each game. House rule at your table (betting): the player sitting out bets on a player, or on a wall game. A right guess collects from the losers; a wrong guess pays as the chosen player pays.
Your table can change this one. Set your house rules.
Is there a Charleston with three players?
Not under the official rules: with fewer than four players, the Charleston is skipped.
House rule at your table: you play a Charleston even with three players. Many groups do; agree on the passing order before you start.
Your table can change this one. Set your house rules.
The Charleston
What order is the Charleston?
First Charleston (required): right, across, left, three tiles each pass. Second Charleston (optional): left, across, right.
Is the second Charleston required?
No. The second Charleston happens only if all four players agree, so any one player can stop it.
Can you pass tiles blind in the Charleston?
Yes, on the last pass of each Charleston: the first left, and the last right of the second Charleston. You may pass on some or all of the tiles you just received without looking at them.
Can you pass a joker in the Charleston?
No. Jokers may never be passed in the Charleston, including in a blind pass.
How does the courtesy pass work?
After the Charleston, players across from each other may trade 0 to 3 tiles. If you ask for different numbers, both pass the lower number.
Taking turns
Which direction does play go?
Play moves to the right (counterclockwise). After East's first discard, the player on East's right takes the next turn.
Do you have to say your discard out loud?
It is standard practice. Name each discard as you put it face up in the center, for example "four crak" or "flower". A tile counts as discarded once it touches the table or has been named.
What happens if the tiles run out?
It is a wall game: nobody wins, and in the standard game nobody pays. Shuffle and start the next game.
Calling discards and exposing
When can you call a discard?
You may call a discard to complete an exposed pung, kong or quint (a group of 3, 4 or 5), or to win.
Can you call a discard for a pair?
Only if it gives you Mah Jongg. Otherwise a discard can be called only for a group of three or more.
What do X and C mean on the card?
X means exposed: you may call discards and set groups face up. C means concealed: you may call a discard only for the tile that wins.
How long do you have to call a discard?
You can call a discard until the next player racks the tile they picked, discards, declares Mah Jongg or exchanges a joker. Only the most recent discard can be called.
What if two players call the same discard?
A call for Mah Jongg beats a call to expose. Otherwise the tile goes to the caller next in turn after the discarder, unless the other caller has already started exposing.
Jokers
Where can you use a joker?
A joker can stand in for any tile, but only in a group of three or more matching tiles: a pung, kong or quint, including groups of flowers, winds or dragons.
Can you use a joker in a pair?
No. Never in a pair and never as a single tile. Every single and pair must be real tiles.
Can you swap for a joker on the table?
Yes, on your turn, after you have picked or called and before you discard. If you hold the real tile a joker stands for in any exposed group, including your own, trade your tile for the joker. You may make as many swaps as you have matching tiles for.
Can you pick up a discarded joker?
No. Nobody can call a discarded joker.
Mah Jongg and dead hands
How do you win?
Be first to hold 14 tiles that exactly match one hand on the current card. Say "Mah Jongg" and lay your hand face up for everyone to check.
What is a dead hand?
A hand is dead if the player calls Mah Jongg in error, has exposures that can no longer make any hand on the card, or has the wrong number of tiles. The player stops playing for the rest of that hand only.
Does a dead hand still pay?
Yes. A player with a dead hand still pays the winner.
Paying and scoring
Who pays when someone wins on a discard?
The player who threw the winning tile pays double the hand's value. The other two pay the value.
House rule at your table (paying for the party): the player who threw the winning tile pays everyone's share, and the other players pay nothing.
Your table can change this one. Set your house rules.
What does everyone pay when the winner picks from the wall?
All three other players pay double the hand's value.
Does a jokerless hand pay double?
Yes, under League scoring. A hand won with no jokers at all pays double, on top of any other doubling. Announce "jokerless" when you declare, or the bonus is lost. Hands that cannot use jokers at all, such as singles and pairs, do not get the bonus.
Your table's house rules
Every group plays a little differently. Pick what your table does, and the rule answers, the ask box and the printable cheat sheet will follow your rules. Your choices are saved on this device only.
You are using standard League rules.
Want these on paper? Print the large-print cheat sheet.