Quick answerFour short lessons take you from never having held a tile to playing a full game of American Mahjong. Each takes about half an hour, ends with a free practice game, and has a quick self-check. No account, no cost.

American Mahjong has a reputation for being hard to learn. It isn’t, if you learn it in the right order. This course teaches the game in four layers, the same order good teachers use in a beginner class, so each lesson rests on the one before.

The lessons

Lesson 1Lesson 1: The Tiles, the Card and the Flow of Play

Name every tile, read the card, set up the wall and play your first turns.

Read guide Lesson 2Lesson 2: The Charleston and Choosing a Hand

Sort your rack, aim at a hand, and pass tiles without giving too much away.

Read guide Lesson 3Lesson 3: Calling Tiles and Using Jokers

When you can call a discard, how to expose it, and every Joker rule that matters.

Read guide Lesson 4Lesson 4: Winning, Dead Hands and Scoring

Declaring Mahjong, what kills a hand, who pays what, and table manners.

Read guide

How the course works

  • About 30 minutes per lesson, plus as long as you like on the practice game at the end of each one.
  • Practice as you go. Every lesson links to a free game that practices exactly what it taught, from the Tile Trainer to the Solo Practice Hand.
  • Check yourself. Each lesson ends with a few questions, answers hidden until you look.
  • Go deeper when you want. Lessons link to the full guides on every topic, but you never need them to keep going.

What you need

Nothing to start: the whole course works in your browser. Before your first real game you will need a set and the current card from the National Mah Jongg League. See what you need to start.

Teaching a class?This course follows the same four-week order as MahjongKit’s lesson plan for teachers, so your students can read each lesson between classes. See Teach American Mahjong.

Is the course really free?

Yes. Every lesson, practice game and printable on MahjongKit is free.

Do I need the NMJL card to take the course?

No. The course teaches how the card works using examples, so you can follow it without one. You will need the current card to play real games.

How long does it take to learn American Mahjong?

Most people can play a slow, full game after the four lessons and some practice. Getting comfortable with a new card each year takes regular play.

Is this Chinese or American Mahjong?

American Mahjong, the style played with Jokers and the National Mah Jongg League card.