American Mahjong Guides

Guide to American Mahjong

Mahjong is a captivating and complex tile-based game that originated in China in the mid 1800’s. Typically, Mahjong is a 4-person game; however, with slight variations, you can play with 3 or 2 players. We will provide an overview of typical 4-person play. There are many variations of Mahjong and we will focus on American Mahjong according to the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules.

Read more on the history of mahjong

American Mahjong Tiles

American Mahjong is played with 152 tiles: 36 Bamboos, 36 Characters, 36 Dots, 16 Winds, 12 Dragons, 8 Flowers, 8 Jokers. Typical American Mahjong tile sets will also include 2 additional jokers (for a total of 10 jokers) and 6 blank tiles. The two additional jokers and 6 blank tiles are removed for NMJL play. However, these tiles are included in the tile set in the case that a tile is lost or misplaced so that the tile set is not rendered useless.

Some people include the extra jokers and blanks when playing American Mahjong and by doing so, this is a deviation from the NMJL rules of play.

Tiles

Suited Tiles:

The tiles consist of three suits (bamboos (called bams), characters (called craks), and dots. Each suit has tiles numbered from 1 to 9 as well as a coordinating dragon. There are 4 of each numbered tile and each dragon.

The dragon tiles coordinate to the suits as follows: Bams with Green Dragons, Craks with Red Dragons, Dots with White Dragons (also known as the Soap)

Below is an example of the suited tiles from our classic tile set:

Neutral Tiles:

In addition to the suited tiles, there are also winds and flowers which are neutral. This means that the winds and flowers do not associate with a specific suit.

Winds

There are 4 types of wind tiles: North, East, West, South. There are 4 of each wind tile in the game.

Below are the wind tiles from our classic tile set:

Flowers

There are 8 flower tiles used in American Mahjong. In our tile sets, the flower tiles are different colors, but the color does not matter, each flower tile has the same meaning. A pink flower means the same thing as a purple flower. The color variation was done for aesthetic purposes but does not change how or when the flower tile can be used.

Below are the flower tiles from our classic tile set:

 

Jokers

There are 8 jokers used in American Mahjong play. The jokers are used as a wild card and can be substituted for any tile (with certain restrictions that we will cover later)

Below are the joker tiles from our classic tile set:

 

The Card

In American Mahjong a card is used to dictate the various combinations of 14 tiles that equate to a winning hand. The most widely used card is produced by the National Mah Jongg League and is updated each year (which keeps things interesting). Throughout this guide when we refer to “the card” we are referring to the NMJL card.

The card is organized into sections with each section having several different lines (or hands).

For example, in most years, the card will have the following sections:

The current year- the current year section is made up of various combinations of tiles that include the current year. For example, in 2024, the current year section will be the 2024 section and each line will have a combination of tiles that uses 2, 0, 2 and 4. The white dragon (soap) is used as zero. The current year section could also include dragon, wind, or flower tiles.

2468- the 2468 section is made up of lines using various combinations of even numbered tiles (2, 4, 6, and 8) and could include wind, dragon, or flower tiles.

Any like numbers- the any like number section is made up of lines using various combinations of tiles with the same number (for example, all 4’s) and could also include wind, dragon, or flower tiles.

Addition hands- the addition hands section is made up of various numbered tiles in mathematical combinations (ex. 1111 + 2222 +3333). This section often includes flower tiles.

Quints- the quints section includes lines that have at least one grouping of 5 tiles. This section could include numbered tiles, winds, dragons, or flowers.

Consecutive runs- the consecutive runs section is made up of lines using various combinations of consecutive numbered tiles (ex. 4, 5, 6, 7) and could include wind, dragon, or flower tiles.

13579- the 13579 section is made up of lines using various combinations of odd numbered tiles (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) and could include wind, dragon, or flower tiles.

Winds and dragons- the wind and dragon section is made up of lines using various combinations of wind and dragon tiles and could include numbered or flower tiles.

369- the 369 section is made up of lines using various combinations of 3, 6, 9 numbered tiles and could include wind, dragon or flower tiles.

Singles and pairs- the singles and pair section of the card is made up of lines that include various groupings of 1 or 2 tiles. All of the lines in this section are concealed hands (we will explain further below)

 

Definitions and abbreviations:

The card uses several abbreviations and defined terms that it is necessary to understand to play.

Run- any consecutive numbers (ex. 2, 3, 4 or 5, 6, 7, 8)

Single- 1 single tile

Pair- 2 like tiles

Pung- 3 like tiles

Kong- 4 like tiles

Quint- 5 like tiles

Numbered tiles- throughout the card, you will see numbers used in most lines. These numbers indicate that you will use the numbered tiles in that line. The numbered tiles needed in a particular line will be based on which section of the card the line is under.

F- flower

D- dragon (could indicate that you need either the green, red, or white (soap) dragon)

NEWS-North, East, West, South

C- concealed hand. A concealed hand is marked on the card with a blue “C” in the Values column for that line. You may not call (pick up) a discarded tile when playing a concealed line. The only exception to this rule is that you may call (pick up) a discarded tile if that tile is the last tile needed to declare a mahjong.

X- exposed hand. An exposed hand is marked on the card with a red “X” in the Values column for that line. You may call (pick up) a discarded tile when playing an exposed hand only if the tile being called completes a grouping of 3 or more tiles. Note: you cannot call a tile for a single or pair.

Color Coding

The lines on the card are shown in either all blue or a combination of blue, green, and/or red. The colors indicate how many suits are needed in a specific line.

If the line is all blue that indicates that the tiles used should all be the same suit. They can be made from any suit (either bams, craks, or dots) but need to all be the same suit. One clarification is that the neutral tiles (winds and flowers) are always shown in blue and are not associated with a suit.

See the example below showing both an incorrect way and correct way to build the line.

11 22 333 444 DDDD

If the line has multiple colors, the changing colors indicates that multiple suits are needed for that line. For example, the following line 111 33 5555 77 999 indicates that all three suits are needed. You can use the suits in any order meaning the numbered tiles shown in green can be either the bams, craks, or dots so long as the grouping of tiles shown in red and those shown in blue are the other suits.

See the example below showing both an incorrect way and a correct way to build the line 111 33 5555 77 999

Setting up the game

The four players are seated at a table (generally a square table, but a round table may be used so long as the players are spread around the table, a rectangular table may also be used if the players sit at an angle to mimic a square set up)

All 152 tiles are shuffled and placed face down on the playing area.

Each player begins randomly grabbing tiles (still face down) and building what is referred to as a wall in front of them. Each player will have a wall that is stacked 2 tiles high and stretches 19 tiles long, for a total of 38 tiles in each player’s wall.

After the walls are built, each player will roll 2 dice. The player with the highest roll will be East Wind (the dealer).

East will then roll again to determine the number of tiles that are held back from their wall. This is similar to cutting the deck in a game of cards.

Dealing

The player determined to be East will then begin dealing. The deal begins with East taking 4 tiles (2 stacks of 2) from his/her wall. The deal then continues in a counterclockwise rotation until each player has 12 tiles (3 stacks of 4) which will be three rotations around the table with each player drawing 4 tiles each time around. When all of the tiles are taken from the wall in front of East (except the tiles that were held back when East rolled the dice to “cut the deck”), the player to left of East will push out his/her wall and players will begin drawing from that wall.

Once each player has 12 tiles, each player will then draw 1 tile in order (starting with East and moving counterclockwise), East then draws an additional tile. (Note: as a shortcut, East can draw his/her 13th and 14th tile at the same time and to do so will draw the 1st and 3rd top tile of the wall that is currently pushed out). East will have 14 tiles, and the other players have 13 tiles.

In American Mahjong, most players use a rack to hold their tiles. After the deal is complete, each player will rack their tiles so that they are only visible to themself. Players will then organize their tiles on their rack and begin looking at the card to identify a section of the card or a couple of sections of the card where they may be able to begin to form a line.

The Charleston

Before beginning play, players will trade unwanted tiles in the hopes that in doing so, the players receive tiles that begin to form a winning line from the card. This is called the Charleston. All tiles passed in the Charleston are passed face down so that they are not seen until the receiving player picks them up and racks them. Jokers may not be passed during the Charleston.

First Charleston- REQUIRED

The first Charleston consists of three passes. First, each player will pass 3 unwanted tiles to the person to their right. Second, each player will pass 3 tiles to the person across the table. Third, each player will pass 3 tiles to the person on their left. This will complete the first Charleston.

Second Charleston- OPTIONAL

The second Charleston consists of three passes. First, each player will pass 3 unwanted tiles to the person to their left. Second, each player will pass 3 tiles to the person across the table. Third, each player will pass 3 tiles to the person on their right. This will complete the second Charleston.

BLIND PASS: on the last pass of both the first Charleston and second Charleston, any player can blindly pass 1, 2, or 3 tiles. This is only permitted on the last pass of each Charleston (the first left and second right). To blind pass, a player would take either 1, 2, or 3 of the tiles being passed to them and pass them along to the person on their left or right (depending on if it is the first Charleston or second Charleston) without looking at those tiles. A player may choose to do this if they are split between two lines on the card and do not have 3 tiles that they want to get rid of because they may not be ready to commit to one of the lines. This could also happen if a player has accumulated many of the tiles needed for a winning line and does not want to get rid of any tiles.

Courtesy Pass- OPTIONAL

After completing the Charleston, players sitting across from each other may choose to do one final pass of up to three tiles. This is an optional courtesy pass. If one of the players only wants to trade one tile and the other wants to trade 3 tiles, the players will go with the lower number and only trade one tile.

Gameplay Begins

Finally, it is time to begin playing. Since East has 14 tiles and all other players have 13 tiles, play will begin with East discarding one tile face up on the playing area. Each time a tile is discarded, it must be discarded face up and the discarding player must call the tile they are discarding. For example, if a player is discarding a 3 bam, they would need to verbally call “3 bam” as they discard the tile.

After East has made the first discard, the play will now move around the table in a counterclockwise rotation with each player first drawing a tile and then discarding a tile until some declares “Mahjong”.

Each player starts their turn by drawing a tile from the wall that is currently pushed to the center of the playing area. The player draws the tile from the end of the wall that is closest to the center of the playing area. After drawing a tile, the player then places the tile on their rack (visible only to themself) and then selects a tile from their hand to discard.

As play moves around the table, walls are pushed out in a clockwise rotation (opposite the direction of play) leading with the right end of the wall being pushed to the center of the playing surface.

Calling a Tile

When a tile is discarded, any player at the table may call that tile and pick up the discarded if the tile completes a grouping of 3 or more like tiles. Additionally, when the tile is picked up, that tile along with the other like tiles in that grouping must be exposed face up on the player’s rack. Only the most recently discarded tile may be called by any player. As soon as the next player draws a tile and racks that tile, the previously discarded tile is dead and can no longer be called or picked up. Once a discarded tile has been called and that grouping of tiles is exposed, those tiles cannot be changed or discarded for the remainder of the game, except for replacing jokers.

Rules for calling a tile:

  1. You can only call the most recently discarded tile and you must call the tile or pause play (by saying pause or wait) before the next player draws a tile and racks the tile. As soon as the next tile is racked, the discarded tile is “dead” and can no longer be called.
  2. The tile being called must complete a grouping of 3 or more tiles and upon calling the tile, that grouping must be exposed on the player’s rack.
  3. You can not call a tile for a single or a pair (unless it is the final tile needed for a player to declare mahjong).
  4. You can never call a discarded joker. Jokers are “dead” as soon as they are discarded.
  5. You cannot call a tile if you are playing a concealed hand (marked with a blue C in the Values column next to the line) unless the tile is the final tile needed to declare mahjong.
  6. Once you have called a tile and exposed a grouping of tiles, this grouping can not be edited (added to or removed from), except for a joker swap (will be explained below).
  7. If two players call for the same discarded tile, the player closest in line to their turn would take priority or a player calling the tile to declare mahjong would take priority.

Here is an example of calling a tile:

A player is building the following line under the 2468 section: 222 444 6666 8888

The player currently has two 4 crak tiles in their hand and a player discards a 4 crak. The discarded tile makes the third tile and completes the grouping of three or more tiles. Thus, the player can call the discarded 4 crak and pick up the tile and must expose those three 4 craks on their rack.

In this same example, let’s say that the player has one 4 crak in their hand and has a joker. The player can still call the discarded 4 crak because they are able to use the joker as the third 4 crak needed to complete that grouping of tiles.

Jokers

Jokers can be used as a substitute for any tile in a grouping of 3 or more tiles. Jokers can not be used for a single or a pair. Jokers may not be traded in Charleston. Once a Joker is discarded, it is “dead” and may not be called/picked up by another player.

In a grouping of 3 or more tiles, you may use as many jokers as you have access to. For example, if you need four like tiles and you have none of them, but you have four jokers, you may use all four jokers as substitutes for that grouping of four tiles.

In the current year section of the card, any grouping with the year (ex. 2024) is considered a group of singles. Each tile is a single as they are not like tiles. This also applies for a grouping of winds that are not like tiles (ex. NEWS). These are all considered singles and no jokers can be used.

If a player exposes a grouping of tiles that includes a joker (or multiple jokers) and you have a tile in your hand that corresponds to the tile represented by the exposed joker(s), you may swap your tile for the joker when it is your turn.

An example would be that a player has exposed a grouping of 4 tiles, the grouping includes two 5 dots and two jokers that are being used in place of 5 dots. If a player has a 5-dot tile in their hand, on their turn, they may swap the 5 dot for the joker. This same concept applies to your own hand. If you have exposed the two 5 dots and two jokers and you draw a 5 dot on your turn, you can swap your own joker.

Declaring Mahjong

Once a player has completed a line of 14 hands as shown on the card, upon drawing the 14 tile to complete their line, they would declare mahjong and the game is over! The winning player must expose their winning line on their rack.

It is possible for all of the tiles to be drawn and no one completes a winning line. In this situation, this is called a “wall game” and no one wins.