Learn American Mahjong
New to American Mahjong? Read the beginner's guide first. It explains the whole game in plain English and links to every detail when you need it.
The whole game from the first wash to calling Mahjong, in plain English, with links to every detail.
Read guide RulesMahjong GlossarySoap, pung, kong, blind pass, courtesy pass and the other words you will hear at the table, explained plainly.
Read guide RulesTable SetupWashing the tiles, building 19-stack walls, choosing East, breaking the wall and dealing 13 tiles each.
Read guide LearnAmerican Mahjong Tiles ExplainedAll 152 tiles: the three suits, Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers, and how each shows up on the card.
Read guideA sensible order
You do not need all of this before your first game. Read in this order and stop whenever you want to go play.
What do I do now? The table companion
Two letter-size pages to keep beside your rack: every tile with its name, and a top-to-bottom guide to what to do at each moment of a hand.
Playing with a friend who already knows?
Send them how to teach a beginner. It asks them to play open-hand and skip scoring for the first night, which makes your first game far less stressful.