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The 60-second version
- American Mahjong is normally played by four players with a 152-tile set that includes 8 Jokers.
- Everyone builds a wall, rolls dice for the dealer (East) and is dealt 13 tiles (East gets 14).
- Each player uses the current National Mah Jongg League card to choose a winning hand to aim for. You must finish with 14 tiles that exactly match one line on the card.
- Before play starts there is a passing phase called the Charleston, where players hand three unwanted tiles to a neighbor in a fixed sequence.
- After that, turns go counter-clockwise: draw a tile, discard a tile.
- When someone discards a tile you need to finish a group of three or more, you can call it, exposing the group on your rack.
- The first player to complete a card hand says "Mahjong" and wins the hand.
One game at a time. This guide is about American Mahjong, the version played with the NMJL card. Traditional Chinese Mahjong wins with four sets and a pair and has no card, Jokers or Charleston. If you are not sure which one your friends play, read Chinese vs. American Mahjong first.
What you need
- An American Mahjong set with 152 tiles (many include blank spares, for 166).
- Four racks, ideally with pushers attached, so you can hide your tiles and push the wall out.
- Two dice.
- A current NMJL card for each player. It changes every year and everyone at the table must use the same one.
Buying your first set? Read what to look for in an American Mahjong set.
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.
Meet the tiles
You do not need to memorize every tile before you play, but you should recognize the seven families.
- Bams
Bamboos, numbered 1–9. The 1 Bam is usually a bird. Four of each.
- Craks
Characters, numbered 1–9, with a red character on the tile. Four of each.
- Dots
Circles, numbered 1–9. Four of each.
- Winds
North, East, West and South. Four of each. Not part of any suit.
- Dragons
Red, Green and White. The White Dragon is nicknamed Soap. Four of each.
- Flowers
Eight in a set. All Flowers are interchangeable in American Mahjong.
- Jokers
Eight wildcards. They fill groups of three or more, never pairs or singles.
Two pairings help later: the Green Dragon goes with Bams, the Red Dragon with Craks, and Soap with Dots, whenever a hand on the card asks for "matching" Dragons.
For a picture of every tile, see American Mahjong tiles explained.
Set up the table
Turn the tiles face down and wash them with both hands. Each player then builds a wall 19 stacks long and two tiles high in front of their rack, and pushes it into the middle to form a square. Roll for East, who then rolls again to decide where the wall is broken, and deal until East has 14 tiles and the other three have 13.
The full routine, with the counting rules for breaking the wall, is in How to Set Up an American Mahjong Game.
Learn to read the card
The card lists every legal winning hand for the year, grouped into sections such as consecutive runs, evens, Winds and Dragons, and quints. Each line is 14 tiles, written as numbers and letters. The colors tell you how many suits are involved (not which suit), the spacing tells you the size of each group, and the X or C at the end tells you whether you may call discards.
It is easier than it looks. Spend ten minutes with How to Read the NMJL Card and it will stop looking like a spreadsheet.
The Charleston
Before anyone draws from the wall, every player passes three tiles to the right, then three across, then three to the left. If all four players agree, a second Charleston goes the other way: left, across, right. Finally, players across from each other may swap up to three tiles as a courtesy. You may never pass a Joker.
The Charleston is where you turn a random deal into the beginnings of a hand, and it deserves its own page: How the Charleston Works.
What happens on your turn
- Draw one tile
Take the next tile from the open end of the wall. You now hold 14.
- Look at your hand
Does the new tile move you toward the line you are building? Does it open a better line?
- Exchange a Joker if you can
If anyone has an exposed group with a Joker and you hold the natural tile it stands for, swap them now. See how a Joker exchange works.
- Discard one tile
Place a tile face up in the middle and say its name out loud ("Three Bam", "North", "Soap"). You are back to 13, and the turn passes to your right.
Beginner tipName every discard clearly. It is a rule, not just good manners: the other players are listening for the tiles they need.
Calling a tile
When another player discards a tile that completes a pung, kong, quint or sextet in the hand you are building, you may call it, even if it is not your turn. Say "call" (some tables say "take"), pick up the tile, and place the finished group face up on top of your rack. That group is now exposed: everyone can see it, and it cannot change. Then discard as if you had taken a normal turn, and play continues to your right.
Three limits to remember:
- You cannot call a discard for a pair or a single, except for the final tile that gives you Mahjong.
- You cannot call at all if the hand you are building is marked C (concealed), except for the final tile.
- Once the next player has drawn from the wall and racked the tile (or discarded), the earlier discard is gone. Speak up quickly.
Calling shows the table what you are collecting, so it is a trade: progress in exchange for information.
Jokers
Jokers substitute for any tile in a group of three or more. They can never be a single or half of a pair. If a Joker is sitting in someone's exposed group and you hold the tile it represents, you can exchange for it on your turn. A Joker can be discarded, but once discarded it is dead and cannot be called.
The complete rules, including exchanges and edge cases, are in Joker Rules in American Mahjong.
Winning
You win by holding 14 tiles that match one line on the card exactly, with the right groups, the right suits and the rules in the small print respected. The 14th tile can come from the wall or from a discard. Say "Mahjong", show your hand, and let the table check it against the card. If it matches, you win the hand. If it does not, your hand is dead and play continues (see dead hands).
If the wall runs out before anyone wins, it is a wall game: nobody wins, and you reshuffle.
Many groups play for small stakes using the point value printed beside each hand on the card. That is optional and depends on house rules; plenty of tables play for nothing but bragging rights. If yours plays for stakes, see who pays what.
Common beginner mistakes
- Committing to one hand too early. Aim for a section of the card, and let the Charleston narrow it down.
- Using a Joker in a pair. It is the fastest way to a dead hand.
- Losing track of your tile count. Thirteen in your rack, fourteen only during your turn.
- Missing the C. Calling a discard for a concealed hand kills the hand.
- Panicking during the Charleston. Take your time. Nobody minds a slow first pass.
A few table manners help too, like naming every discard and not picking ahead. The etiquette guide covers them.
What to learn next
Read the Charleston guide, then how to read the card, then the Joker rules. Keep the glossary open for any word you don't recognize. When you are ready to sit down with people, see how to find a local game or teach a friend.
How many tiles do you start with in American Mahjong?
13. The dealer (East) starts with 14 and discards first.
How long does a hand take?
A typical hand runs 15 to 30 minutes once everyone knows the routine, and a game night usually fits five to eight hands. Beginners take longer, mostly during the Charleston.
Do you have to use the NMJL card?
The official American game does. A few groups play alternative cards, but the NMJL card is by far the standard and is what almost every club and community game uses.
Can you win with a hand that isn't on the card?
No. In American Mahjong, only the hands printed on the current card are winning hands.
Official rules note. This guide explains American Mahjong as it is commonly played with the National Mah Jongg League card. House rules and tournament procedures can vary. For the official wording, use the current card and rulebook from the National Mah Jongg League. MahjongKit is not affiliated with the League.