American Mahjong Rules
Sitting at the table with a question? These guides answer it in the first sentence and explain the reasoning afterwards.
Quick answers
- Can a Joker complete a pair?No. Groups of three or more only.
- Can you discard a Joker?Yes, but a discarded Joker is dead and cannot be called.
- What does C on the card mean?Concealed: no calling discards except for the final tile.
- Do the card's colors mean suits?No. They show how many suits the hand uses.
- How long is the wall?19 stacks long, two high, on each side.
- Who can declare my hand dead?Any player, out loud. Then play pauses to check.
- Who pays double when someone wins?Whoever threw the winning tile. If it was self-drawn, everyone.
- Can you take back a discard?No. Once it touches the table or is fully named, it stands.
All rules guides
What the colors really mean, how to decode the letters and spacing, and the difference between X and C hands.
Read guide RulesJoker RulesWhere Jokers can and can't be used, how a Joker exchange works, and the mistakes that kill hands.
Read guide RulesDead HandsThe five ways a hand goes dead, who can call it, and what happens to your tiles and Jokers.
Read guide RulesTable SetupWashing the tiles, building 19-stack walls, choosing East, breaking the wall and dealing 13 tiles each.
Read guide RulesMahjong GlossarySoap, pung, kong, blind pass, courtesy pass and the other words you will hear at the table, explained plainly.
Read guide RulesChinese vs. American MahjongTile counts, Jokers, the Charleston and how you win. Two different games that share a set of tiles.
Read guide RulesScoring and PayoutsWho pays what after a win: discards, self-drawn wins, Jokerless doubles and wall games.
Read guide RulesMahjong EtiquetteNaming discards, calling tiles, table talk and the unwritten rules that keep a game friendly.
Read guideOfficial 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.