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How to Play American Mahjong
Table of Contents
Can you Play Mahjong with Two Players?
Can you Play Mahjong with Three Players?
American Mahjong is a variation on the Chinese game Mahjong, and is a game of strategy, skill and luck. Typically, there are four players seated around a table, although two or three people can also play. American Mahjong is also available online.
The objective of the game is to be the first, by drawing and discarding tiles, to match tiles to a specific hand from The Big Card or other American Mahjong card. This guide follows standard American Mahjong rules established in 1937, but many players establish table rules when learning and playing for fun.
The excitement of American Mahjong lies in the continuous decision making process. Whether playing for fun or to win a tournament, there is a place for all in the game of American Mahjong.
Mahjong Tiles and Accessories
The following items are necessary to play American Mahjong:
- Mahjong tiles
- 2 Dice
- 4 American Mahjong cards
- 4 Racks & Pushers
- Mahjong mat, optional
Mahjong Tiles
Mahjong sets may include different numbers of tiles. In standard American Mahjong, players use 152 core tiles, which include 8 jokers, 8 flowers, and no blanks. Some sets include additional tiles such as blanks, seasons (used as flowers), or extra jokers. Players may agree on table rules to decide whether or not to use these extra tiles.
Dots (36 tiles, 4 of each number 1-9)
Bams (36 tiles, 4 of each number 1-9)
Craks (36 tiles, 4 of each number 1-9)
Winds (16 tiles, 4 of each wind, North/East/South/West)
- Winds are the only tiles with letters instead of numbers on them.
- There are 4 of each wind; North, East, West and South.
Dragons (12 tiles, 4 of each, Red/White(Soap)/Green)
- The red dragon (called “red” when discarded) matches the crak suit.
- The white dragon (“soap”) matches the dot suit.
- The green dragon (“green”) matches the bam suit.
- The white dragon ("soap") can also be used as a zero (0) in year hands. When used this way, it is neutral and may be combined with any suit.
- A standard game of mahjong is based on 8 flowers.
- Flowers appear in every section of the card and are not a part of any suit.
Jokers (8 tiles)
- A standard game of mahjong is based on 8 jokers.
- Jokers may be used to replace any tile appearing in a pung, kong or quint.
Dice
Players roll two dice to determine who is East and where East will break the wall.
American Mahjong Cards
We recommend playing with The Big Card, an annual American Mahjong card that is statistically sound with a robust and dynamic point system, ranging from 10 to 85 points.
Mahjong Tile Racks and Pushers
Each player has a mahjong rack and pusher to hold tiles. The pusher sits against the back of the rack and will curtsy the tiles when ready to play.
Mahjong Mat
A playing mat adds life to any game, and players often use it on glass tables, card tables, and for outdoor play to muffle the sounds of tiles hitting the table.
The Set-Up
To set-up to play, players:
- Place mat on table.
- Position rack with the pusher away from each player.
- Place mahjong tiles in the middle of the table, face down, and shuffle.
- Each player builds a wall against a pusher, creating a row of two tiles, facedown and stacked. Each wall will have 19 sets of stacked tiles.
Select East
Each player rolls the dice, and the player with the highest roll becomes East.
Tile Distribution
East rolls the dice. The roll represents the number of stacked tiles that will remain on the wall. East counts down the stacks on the wall, starting from the right, to the number rolled.
East slides the pusher left past the last tile counted, and breaks the wall by curtsying out the leftover wall. To curtsy the wall, East uses the right end of the pusher to angle the tiles forward towards the opposite player. Then, East slides the pusher back into place.
Option 1 - Players distribute tiles (standard American Mahjong rules)
From the curtsied wall, East takes the first two stacks (four tiles). The player to the right takes two stacks, and this continues counterclockwise until each player has six stacks (twelve tiles). When the wall runs out, East curtsies the next wall to the left (clockwise).
Once each player has twelve tiles, East takes the first and third top tiles from the top tier of the wall. Moving counterclockwise, each player then takes one tile.
Option 2 - East distributes tiles
From the curtsied wall, East takes the first two stacks (four tiles). East continues counterclockwise, placing two stacks in front of each player until each player has six stacks (twelve tiles). When the wall runs out, East curtsies the next wall to the left (clockwise).
Once each player has twelve tiles, East takes the first and third top tiles from the top tier of the wall. East then gives one tile to the other players in a counterclockwise fashion.
East will have fourteen tiles and each of the other players will have thirteen. Once the game begins, East will discard a tile and each player will then have thirteen mahjong tiles.
Understanding American Mahjong Cards
Categories
American Mahjong cards have multiple categories. There is a category for the card publication year, and all hands in this section will contain the year (ex. “2026”). Players use the white dragon/soap for the zero. The other three tiles can be dots, bams or cracks but must all be the same suit.
Other categories include:
- 2468
- Any Matching Numbers
- Consecutive Numbers
- 13579
- Winds - Dragons
- 369
- Singles and Pairs
- Quints
Color
Color represents any one suit. The colors do not relate to a particular suit but instead communicate how many different suits are needed for a hand.
Values
American Mahjong cards assign a value to each line. For The Big Card, we partnered with I LOVE MAHJ who ran over one million simulated games using bots to test the card. From this data, we analyzed which hands tended to win, lose, or fall somewhere in between. This iterative process was repeated multiple times until we achieved the perfect balance of hands for The Big Card. Then point values, ranging from 10 to 85, were assigned to each hand according to its relative difficulty, ensuring a balanced and rewarding gameplay experience.
A “C” next to a value indicates that the hand must be played concealed. This means no tiles may be called for exposures, except if it is the final tile needed for mahjong.
Sort Your Hand
Each player takes their tiles and displays them on a rack. Players then sort their hands. One option for sorting your hand is to place tiles in this order - jokers, flowers, winds, dragons, and then each suit, numerically low to high.
The player’s goal in sorting tiles is to determine the best possible category for their hand.
To determine the best possible category, players should:
- Identify multiples - pairs, pungs (3 identical tiles) and kongs (4 identical tiles).
- Gather tiles that support the multiples and fit a category on the card.
- If there are no multiples, look for a pattern that matches a category on the card, such as odds, evens, or consecutive numbers.
Players may move tiles that do not support the selected category to the right end of the rack for future passing during the Charleston.
The Charleston
The Charleston is a series of three-tile exchanges that gives players the opportunity to improve their hands.
There are two Charlestons. The first Charleston (Right/Across/Left) is required. The second Charleston (Left/Across/Right) is optional, and any player may stop it before it begins, as long as no one has looked at the tiles passed to them. If no one stops it, the second Charleston must be completed.
To help remember the order, players use the acronym “ROLLOR,” which stands for Right-Over-Left/Left-Over-Right. While “over” isn’t the standard American Mahjong term (the correct term is “across”), “ROLLOR” remains a helpful way for new players to remember the proper sequence.
For each pass, players identify three mahjong tiles that do not help their hands. Players pass the tiles facedown. Once all players pass three tiles, then players may pick up the three received tiles. At this point, players reevaluate their hands to see whether the new tiles strengthen their current hand or suggest a shift to a different category on the card.
Players cannot pass jokers in the Charleston.
At the end of the Charleston, players opposite each other may mutually agree to exchange zero, one, two or three tiles. The player wanting to pass the fewest number of tiles dictates the number of tiles exchanged. This is often referred to as an optional pass or a courtesy pass.
Once the Charleston and optional pass are complete, players should have a category and possibly a specific hand in mind.
If, during the Charleston, a player discovers they have an incorrect number of tiles, all tiles are returned to the middle of the table, shuffled, and redealt. However, if the player left of East is missing a tile, that player draws the next tile from the wall and places it into their rack as that tile would rightfully be theirs. This action must occur before East discards.
What to Pass
When passing tiles, players should pass defensively by not passing pairs, same numbers, flowers or dragons. If passing winds, a player should only pass one wind at a time.
Blind Pass
During the first left and last right passes, players may blind pass by sending fewer than three of their own tiles. To complete the three-tile pass, they add one to three face-down tiles received from another player and pass them along without looking.
For example, if a player only wants to pass one tile, the player may blindly take two received tiles, add one tile from the player’s hand, and pass the three tiles to the next player. All players may perform a blind pass simultaneously.
Exceptions
There is one exception to the mandatory first Charleston. If East can declare mahjong immediately following the deal, the player may waive the Charleston and is considered to have won with a "Heavenly Hand."
Similarly, East may declare mahjong at the end of the Charleston if they have completed a winning hand before game play begins. This is called an “Earthly Hand”.
Game Play
The game begins with East discarding a tile face up and naming it aloud. All discards must be announced. Once a tile touches the mat or is fully named, it is officially discarded and may not be taken back.
Moving counterclockwise, the next player draws a tile from the wall and adds it to their rack. With each draw, players are looking to improve their hand. The player then selects and discards an unwanted tile, naming it aloud. Play continues counterclockwise.
When a wall is exhausted, the player clockwise will curtsy their wall for players to draw tiles.
Misnaming a discard
Players must name each tile when discarding. Occasionally, a tile may be misnamed, whether accidentally or intentionally. Some players may deliberately call out a different tile when discarding. This is a strategy to take advantage of players who may be listening but not watching the discards. For example, a player might be close to mahjong and need to discard a joker without drawing attention, or, based on exposures, a player may suspect that another player needs the tile they’re discarding. In cases like these, a player may discard and say “same” (acting like they are discarding the same tile as the player before them), or may name a tile other than the one they are discarding.
When a discarded tile is misnamed, any player who calls it for an exposure based on that incorrect name has a dead hand. The player who misnamed the tile is not penalized. A mahjong claim using a misnamed tile, however, is considered valid.
Calling a Tile
When a tile is discarded, any player can pause the game to pick up the most recently discarded tile. A player must announce “PAUSE,” “CALL,” or similar language before the next player draws and racks their tile.
- To pick up a tile, it must complete a pung (three identical tiles), kong (four identical tiles) or quint (five identical tiles, often including a joker). Remember to never pick up for a concealed hand, unless it is the final tile needed to declare mahjong.
- Players may use one or more jokers for the exposed pung/kong/quint.
- Players cannot pick up a discarded tile for a single or a pair unless it is the final tile necessary to declare mahjong. This is one of the most important rules when playing mahjong.
- Accordingly, except to declare mahjong, players cannot pick up a discarded tile to complete “NEWS” or to complete the year (ex. “2025”), as these are a group of singles.
- The player who picks up a tile must expose the pung/kong/quint on top of the rack for all to see.
- A player’s exposures do not need to be arranged in the order they appear on the card. However, once mahjong is declared, the tiles should be properly ordered so other players can verify the hand.
- Once a tile is placed on a player’s rack, whether from a discard or their own tiles, the player must complete the exposure.
- A player may modify an exposure at any time during their turn. Once they discard or perform a joker exchange, the exposure is locked. Exposures containing a joker remain eligible for a joker swap on future turns.
- The player then discards an unwanted tile, and play continues counterclockwise. Some players may be skipped as a result.
- When more than one player pauses the game, the player nearest in turn takes the discard unless the other player has started their exposure or can declare mahjong.
- Once a player exposes part of a hand, the exposure cannot be touched again throughout the game unless the exposure contains one or more jokers. If the exposure contains one or more jokers, players may perform a joker exchange on an exposure.
- A player who has not yet started their exposure (with either the discarded tile or a tile from their rack) is not obligated to claim a tile and may withdraw the call if they decide against picking up the discarded tile.
- A player may claim a discarded tile after it is discarded and before the next player places their drawn tile on the sloped part of their rack. If the next player does not rack a tile, the opportunity to call the discard remains open until that player either discards a tile or performs a joker exposure.
The Joker
One of the most important rules of mahjong is that a joker cannot be used for a single tile or a pair. A joker can replace any tile or tiles in a pung, kong, or quint, and the entire grouping may even be made up of jokers.
Accordingly, a player cannot use a joker for “NEWS” or for the year (ex. “2026”), as these are a group of single tiles.
If a player discards a joker, it is considered dead and no player can pick it up from the table.
Joker Exchange
During a player’s turn, after they have drawn from the wall or completed an exposure, the player can swap a specific tile for an exposed joker by handing the player their tile and requesting a joker exchange. Players may also perform a joker exchange with exposures from their own rack. Players may use tiles from their hand or tiles they draw from the wall for joker exchanges.
Players are allowed to perform multiple joker exchanges on a single turn.
Players may perform a joker exchange only after they have drawn and racked a tile or called a discard and completed an exposure.
Once a discard has touched the table or been called by name, it may not be reclaimed for a joker exchange.
Getting your Mahjong
Winning hands contain 14 tiles. When a player completes a hand, either by drawing a tile from the wall or picking up a discard as their final tile, the player says “mahjong!”. The player then exposes the hand, sharing the category and line from the card to confirm mahjong.
To declare mahjong, a player can call a discard for any tile in the hand. This is the only time a player can pick up a discarded tile for a single or a pair.
A game that concludes without a winner is called a “wall game”.
Scoring, Points and Money
Playing for Score with The Big Card
Through one million games played, we determined which hands are more likely to win and which ones truly challenge even the most seasoned players. Easier hands earn lower scores, while tougher, rarer wins earn bigger points. The result is a dynamic scoring system, ranging from 10 to 85 points, where each hand’s value reflects its real-world odds of winning.
Winning players receive the point value assigned to their winning hand. Extra points are awarded when:
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No exposures: Players who win with a hand that can be exposed but is played without exposures. +10
Playing for Wins
The most straightforward way to keep score is simply to count your wins. The player who comes away with the most wins wears the crown for the day. But if you are looking to add some extra spice to your game, we’ve detailed scoring and playing for money here.
Playing for Points
Winning players receive the point value assigned to their winning hand. Extra points are awarded when:
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Self-Picked: Players who pick their winning tile from the wall. +10
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Finesse Move: Players who perform a joker exchange to achieve mahjong. +10
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Jokerless: A player who declares mahjong without jokers and did not play a single and pairs hand. +20
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Penalties
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0 to 1 exposures: -10 points.
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2 exposures: -20 points.
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3 exposures OR 2 exposures in a quints line: -25 points.
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Discard the winning tile: The player who discards another player’s winning tile is penalized points, with the penalty amount determined by how many exposures are in the winning hand.
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All players except those with a dead hand receive +10 for a wall game. Dead hands receive 0 points.
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Players who erroneously declare an opponent’s hand dead receive 0 points.
Playing for Money
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Self Picked:Players pay the winner 2x value of the hand for self-picked mahjong (winner picked tile from the wall).
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Winning from a discard:
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When a player discards the winning tile when there are 0-2 exposures, the discarder pays 2x value of the hand. All other players pay the single value of the hand.
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When a player discards the winning tile and there are 3 exposures (or 2 exposures in a quints hand) the discarder pays for the table.
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Jokerless: Players who declare mahjong with a jokerless hand (excludes singles and pairs hands) are rewarded according to the following rules:
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Self Picked: A player who picks their own mahjong tile is paid 4x the value of the hand by all other players.
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Winning from a discard: A player who discards another’s winning tile for a jokerless hand pays 4x the value of the hand and all other players pay 2x.
Dead Hands
A player’s hand can be declared “dead” for several reasons. A player may not call their own hand dead; only opponents may do so. Once a hand is declared dead, the player stops playing and can no longer draw or discard. Exposed tiles remain on the player’s rack, and other players may exchange tiles for any exposed jokers.
A hand may be called dead for the following reasons:
- A player has too few or too many tiles.
- A player exposes too few or too many tiles to make any hand.
- A player makes an incorrect exposure of singles (ex: NEWS or the year).
- A player curtsies out the wrong wall.
- A player takes a tile from the wrong wall.
- A player discards before drawing from the wall.
- A player incorrectly declares mahjong and exposes hand.
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A player makes a joker exchange before drawing from the wall or making an exposure.
- A player’s exposures reveal an attempt to complete a line that relies on tiles already dead or exposed on another player’s rack, making the hand unwinnable.
- A player’s exposures indicated they are attempting a concealed hand.
- A player draws out of turn.
Table Rules
Players often establish table rules, also called house rules, instead of playing strictly by the established American Mahjong rules. Examples of table rules include:
- Playing with blank tiles.
- Playing with extra jokers or flowers.
The Blank
While not part of the established American Mahjong rules, some players use the blank mahjong tiles that often come in a mahjong set. Table rules determine how to use a blank. Table rules are defined and agreed upon by the table. A popular table rule is:
- Using the blank to exchange for a discarded tile
- A player can exchange a blank tile for any discarded tile (except for a discarded joker) during the player’s turn, or
- A player can exchange a blank tile for any discarded tile (except for a discarded joker) at any time during the game, not just during the player’s turn.
- Once a blank is discarded, a blank is treated like a discarded joker. The blank tile is dead and no player can pick it up.
Online games do not include blank tiles.