American Mahjong Scoring and Payouts, Explained

On this page

1. Where the values come from
2. The payout rules
3. Worked examples
4. When nobody wins
5. Dead hands and false Mahjong calls
6. Playing for money or for points
7. Table rules that aren't official
8. Quick reference

Scoring in American Mahjong is much simpler than in Chinese styles. There is no counting of points across the hand and no bonus for the dealer. Only the winner is paid, and the amount depends on three things: the hand's value, how the winning tile arrived, and whether the hand used any Jokers.

Where the values come from

Every hand on the card has a value printed beside it, usually between 25 and 50. Harder hands are worth more. Concealed hands, which you must build without calling discards, tend to be worth more than exposed versions of similar hands.

Groups that play for money usually treat the value as cents, so a 25 hand is worth a quarter. Plenty of groups skip money entirely and keep a running tally instead.

The payout rules

Only the winner gets paid. Who pays how much depends on where the winning tile came from:

A few details to know:

• Jokerless means no Jokers anywhere in the winning hand, whether in your concealed tiles or your exposures.
• Singles and Pairs hands never get the Jokerless bonus. Jokers cannot be used in singles or pairs, so these hands are always Jokerless, and their card value already reflects that.
• Quint hands don't get it either. A quint almost always needs a Joker, and the card value already allows for the difficulty.
• Announce it. Say "Jokerless" when you declare Mahjong. The League has ruled that a player who doesn't announce it isn't entitled to the bonus.
• There is no dealer bonus. Unlike some Chinese styles, East neither pays nor collects extra.

Worked examples

Say you win with a hand valued at 25 on the card.

This is why experienced players think twice before discarding a tile an opponent might need late in the game: throwing someone their winning tile costs you double.

When nobody wins

If the wall runs out before anyone declares Mahjong, it is a wall game. Nobody wins and nobody pays. The tiles are washed and the next hand is dealt. Some groups keep a small kitty that grows with each wall game; that is a house rule, so agree on it before you start.

Dead hands and false Mahjong calls

A player whose hand has been declared dead stops playing but still pays the winner at the end of the hand.

Challenging a hand as dead carries its own small stake. If a player denies a challenge, the hand is checked at the end, and under the League's published rulings whoever was wrong pays the other 50.

Calling Mahjong by mistake is more serious. The caller's hand is dead. If the call caused other players to expose or mix their tiles, the League's rules set out a penalty for the player who called in error. Groups handle this differently in casual play, so agree how yours will treat it before the first hand. The simplest prevention is the same at every table: everyone checks the winning hand against the card before anyone touches their tiles or pays.

Playing for money or for points

• Set stakes before the first wall is built. Agree whether you are playing for money, how much each point is worth, and whether you use any house rules such as a kitty.
• Keep it small. Most social groups play for small change. Some start everyone with the same amount and stop when a player runs out.
• Keep a tally instead. A pencil and a scorecard work just as well, and suit groups that would rather not handle money.
• Beginners can skip scoring. For the first few games, just learn to win. See how to teach a beginner.

Table rules that aren't official

Many groups add rules that you won't find on the card. They are fine as long as everyone agrees before play:

• Pie. Each player brings a set amount, often in coins. Once it is gone, that player keeps playing but can't lose any more.
• Kitty. Players pay into a pot after a wall game, and the next winner collects it.
• Hot wall, cold wall and "paying for the party". Extra penalties or restrictions on throwing a winning tile late in the hand. Under the official rules there is no such penalty: the discarder always pays double, no more.

Tournaments use their own points systems, with bonuses and penalties set by the organizer. Follow the event's rules sheet rather than home-game habits.

Quick reference