How to Play Mahjong: Easy Guide to Rules, Tiles, and Winning

Mahjongg is an art form of strategy and mindfulness that has captivated players since its birth in 19th-century China. While traditional Mahjong travelled the globe, adapting and evolving along the way, American Mahjongg brought its unique blend of tactics, observation, memory, and adaptive strategies.

If you've ever admired the intricate tiles or felt drawn to the rhythmic clicking sounds at a Mahjongg table, you're ready to learn how to play Mahjong. Let us help you discover the American Mahjong game rules, many techniques, and winning strategies that make the game endlessly rewarding.

What is Mahjong?

Mahjong is a tile-based game that originated in China and has evolved into a globally popular strategy game with numerous regional variations. The name "Mahjong" comes from the Chinese word (máquè), which means “sparrow.” It’s said that the sound of shuffling the tiles resembles the chattering of sparrows, inspiring the game’s original name.

Over time, Mahjong evolved across regions. Many variations have come, differing in rules, scoring, and tile sets. One such variation is American Mahjong, which introduces new elements to the traditional game, including jokers, racks, and a yearly card that determines winning hands.

Mahjong Tiles

Mahjong tiles are central to learning how to play Mahjong. A clear understanding of what each tile represents, making it easier to master the game.

The full set contains 152 tiles, and each group of tiles has a specific role to play in the Mahjong game rules.

The Suits: Craks, Dots, and Bams

American Mah Jongg has three suits: Craks, Dots, and Bams.

Each suit consists of tiles numbered from 1 to 9, with four copies of each tile. These tiles are essential for building basic combinations in your hand.

Tip: Remember that the One-Bam tile looks different. It's often a little bird instead of bamboo sticks!

Winds

There are four types of wind tiles: North, East, West, and South.

Each wind appears four times in the set. Winds form special combinations.

Dragons

American Mah Jongg includes three dragon tiles: Green Dragon, Red Dragon, and White Dragon (also called "Soap").

Each dragon tile also appears four times.

In some hands, dragons are matched with suits:

• Green Dragons pair with Bams
• Red Dragons pair with Craks
• White Dragons (Soap) pair with Dots

Note: In American Mah Jongg, the White Dragon can sometimes represent the number zero in hands that include years (like 2024 or 2025).

Using Honor Tiles

Winds and dragons are called honor tiles. Even though they don’t have numbers like Craks, Dots, or Bams, you can still use them to make sets— three matching tiles or four matching tiles.

Honor tiles are used in many hands shown on the Mahjong card, especially those with winds and dragons. Knowing how to match them helps you build stronger hands.

Flowers

There are 8 flower tiles in the game.

Flowers might show different types of blossoms or seasons depending on your set’s design, but for American Mah Jongg rules, all flower tiles are treated the same. Flowers are used to score extra points or build special hands.

In Chinese Mahjong, the game sets include eight bonus tiles, which consist of four flowers and four seasons.

Jokers

American Mah Jongg sets include 8 jokers.

Jokers act as wildcards that can substitute for any tile in combinations of three or more tiles (such as pungs, kongs, or quints). However, jokers cannot be used for singles or pairs, and there are special rules for when and how you can exchange them.

The Card

In American Mahjong, players rely on a special card that shows all the winning tile combinations, called "hands."

Reading the Card

Each line on the card represents one possible winning hand, composed of 14 tiles. To understand the card, you’ll need to recognize the abbreviations, combinations, colors, and special notes used.

Common Abbreviations

Tile Groupings

Some hands look like groups but are actually individual tiles. For example:

NEWS: Not a kong; it's one tile of each wind (North, East, West, South).

2020: Not a Kong; it’s two soaps and two number 2 tiles.

Colors on the Card

The card uses three colors– red, blue, and green, to help you match suits.

Same Color = Same Suit: Tiles grouped with the same color must belong to the same suit (dots, craks, or bams).

Different Color = Different Suit: When colors differ, each color group must be from a different suit.

Special Note for Dragons

Sections of the Card

The card is divided into sections that group similar types of hands. These sections stay mostly the same each year:

Some cards may also include multiplication-based or addition-based hands.

Concealed Hands

Some hands must be played concealed, meaning you cannot claim discarded tiles to build those sets — you must draw naturally from the wall. Concealed hands are marked with a C on the card. Exposed hands are marked with an X.

Notes and Points

Next to each hand, there may be a note clarifying how the hand should be built, e.g., "Any number, any suit, any dragon". Always read these carefully. They can change how you construct your hand.

Each hand also lists a point value. If you complete that hand and call Mah Jongg, you earn the points shown. Bonus points are available for jokerless hands or self-picked final tiles.

Learning the Basic Rules

• American Mah Jongg is played with four players seated around a square table, using 152 tiles. They consist of suits, winds, dragons, flowers, and jokers.
• The goal is to build a hand that matches one of the winning combinations listed on the official NMJL card.
• Each player has a rack to arrange their tiles so that only they can see them.
• The game begins with each player building a wall of tiles; walls are then pushed together to form a square.
• Players roll the dice to determine the dealer ("East"), who also begins the tile distribution.
• Each player ends up with 13 tiles, except the dealer, who starts with 14 tiles.
• Before the game starts, players exchange unwanted tiles through a process called the Charleston. It involves two rounds of passing tiles, along with an optional courtesy pass.
• The dealer (East) starts the game by discarding one tile face-up.
• Play moves counter-clockwise. Each player picks a tile from the wall or calls a recently discarded tile if it helps form a combination: a pung, kong, or quint.
• Players must discard one tile at the end of each turn, keeping the hand at 13 tiles (or 14 tiles if ready to declare Mah Jongg).
• A player can call "Mah Jongg" if they complete a valid hand with 14 tiles, either by drawing or by claiming a discard.
• If no one wins before the tiles in the wall run out, the game ends in a "Wall Game" (a draw).
• There are many additional rules to learn how to play Mahjong.

How to Play Mahjong for Beginners

Objective

The goal of American Mahjong is to build a complete hand of 14 tiles, following specific patterns listed on the official Mahjong card. A complete hand in Mahjong rules is made up of combinations like three of a kind (pung), four of a kind (kong), five of a kind (quint), or pairs (two identical tiles).

Setting Up the Game

Before you can begin playing American Mah Jongg, you need to set up the game properly. In an in-person game, four players sit around a small square table, each with their own tile rack positioned in front of them.

To begin, all 152 tiles are placed face down in the centre of the table and thoroughly shuffled. Each player then builds their personal "wall" by stacking two rows of tiles, creating a structure 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high. These four walls are pushed together to form a large square at the centre of the table.

Deciding the Dealer

Once the walls are built, it’s time to determine who will be the starting dealer, the "East." It can be done by rolling the dice, with the highest roller becoming East. In some Mahjong game rules, players draw wind tiles randomly to decide their seats and dealer assignment.

After East has been decided, they roll the dice again to determine where to break their wall. Counting from the right-hand side of their own wall, East separates the wall at the number rolled and begins distributing the tiles.

Starting with East, players take turns collecting tiles from the broken point, moving counterclockwise around the table. Each player initially takes four tiles at a time until everyone has twelve tiles. After this round, East draws two additional tiles (the first and third tiles on top of the wall), while all other players take one more tile each. As a result, East ends up with 14 tiles, while the other players each have 13 tiles. Players place their tiles on the slanted part of their racks so that only they can see their hands.

In online versions of Mah Jongg, the setup process is automated; you start the game, and your tiles are dealt for you.

Once everyone has the correct number of tiles and they are arranged privately on each rack, East discards one tile to begin.

How do you play Mahjong (American Mahjong)

After the setup, play begins with the East player, who holds 14 tiles. They start the game by discarding one tile. After that, the turn passes to the player on their right. Each subsequent player picks a tile from the wall—the built-up stacks of tiles in the center—and then discards one tile from their hand.

At any point, a player can claim the discarded tile if it helps complete a set. It is called an exposure that allows the player to claim the discarded tile instead of drawing from the wall. But they must immediately reveal the matching set on the table. After making an exposure, the player continues by discarding one tile as usual.

The play continues in a counter-clockwise direction. Players continue to draw and discard tiles, working towards forming a complete hand as described on the official Mahjong card. A player should call "Mah Jongg" when a complete hand is formed. If all the tiles from the wall are used and no player has completed a winning hand, the game ends in what is called a “wall game.”

As play progresses and the tiles are depleted from one wall, the next wall is pushed out to continue the game. Walls are opened in a clockwise sequence. The right end of the next wall is pushed toward the center of the table so that players have a fresh supply of tiles to draw from.

Drawing and Racking

Each player begins their turn by drawing a tile from the active wall. Tiles are picked from the side of the wall closest to the center of the table. Once drawn, the tile is placed on the slanted side of the player's rack, visible only to them. Placing the tile on the rack is known as the "Racking". It marks the point where other players can no longer claim the previously discarded tile.

When all the tiles from the current wall have been picked, the next wall is brought into play. It is done in clockwise order.

In online versions of the game, drawing may happen automatically, or you may need to click to request your tile manually.

Discarding

After drawing a tile (or after calling a discarded one), players assess their hand and choose a tile to discard. In in-person games, the selected tile is placed face up in the center of the table and announced verbally (for example, "one bam" or "north").

In online Mahjong, discarding is typically performed by double-clicking or dragging the tile to the discard area, with the system announcing the discard.

Once a tile is discarded, the turn ends.

Calling a Tile

If a player sees a discarded tile they need to complete a set (such as a pung, kong, or quint), they can claim the discarded tile by calling out "call" before the next player racks a drawn tile. After calling, the player places the claimed tile face up on their rack and combines it with matching tiles from their own rack to form a valid set in the "exposure." The player then discards one tile from their hand to end their turn.

If a player calls a tile and that last tile completes their winning hand, they must announce "Mah Jongg" immediately. They must also reveal their full hand for verification.

Some important points to remember when calling a tile:

• Only the most recently discarded tile can be called.
• A tile can be called only to complete a valid set of three or more tiles, unless it is the last tile to finish a full Mahjong hand.
• Jokers cannot be called.
• Players building concealed hands cannot call a discarded tile for exposure unless it is the last tile needed to complete Mahjong.

If two players call for the same tile, the one nearest to the discarding player in counter-clockwise order gets priority. But if they're calling for Mahjong, they always take precedence.

Using Jokers

Jokers are versatile in Mahjong rules. They can substitute for any tile in a set of three or more. However, jokers cannot be used for single tiles or pairs, even if those appear grouped on the official Mahjong card.

If a player has a matching tile for an exposed joker on another player's rack, they can swap their matching tile for the joker during their turn. The swap can also be made with their own exposures if they have the correct tile.

In live games, players request the swap verbally rather than taking the joker directly.

Scoring and Winning

Scoring rules and winning in American Mahjong differ from other variations of Mahjong, primarily due to the scoring card issued annually by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL).

To win, a player must form a complete hand of 14 tiles that exactly matches one of the combinations outlined on the current year's NMJL card. Unlike traditional Chinese Mahjong, American Mahjongg does not rely on numerical point totals. How do you play the Mahjong game without rewards?

Each hand has a predetermined number of points or a payout value specified clearly on the card.

There will also be bonus points if the hand is jokerless or the last tile was self-picked (rather than a call).

When a player successfully declares "Mahjongg," gameplay immediately stops. The winning player reveals their tiles for verification.

Payments are usually standardised.

• The winner receives a set payout from other players based on the difficulty level indicated on the card.
• Players who discard the winning tile ("throwing the winning tile") usually pay double the specified amount, while all other players pay the standard amount.

If no player completes a Mahjong hand and the wall runs out of tiles, the game ends in a draw. It is known as a "Wall Game."

Sometimes, a player’s hand can be declared "dead." It means they can no longer draw, discard, or call tiles. Dead hands usually occur when a player mistakenly calls Mah Jongg with an invalid hand, or if their hand becomes impossible to complete based on visible tiles. In tournaments and some online games, falsely accusing another player of having a dead hand can result in your hand being declared dead.

Advanced Strategies and Tips

• Study the card thoroughly: Know the hand patterns and categories well enough to quickly match your tiles without checking line by line. Recognize combinations with flowers, dragons, winds, pairs, or specific number groups.
• Be patient with early discards: Avoid picking up tiles too soon, especially for pungs or kongs. Early exposure reveals your hand. It may help opponents block you.
• Keep multiple options open: Don’t commit to one hand too early. Group your tiles into possible patterns and adjust based on incoming tiles and opponent behavior.
• Discard high-demand tiles early: Get rid of flowers, dragons, and common numbers early before others can make use of them. It reduces the risk of gifting useful tiles later in the game.
• Pay attention to the Charleston: Observe what’s being passed and kept. You can predict what others might be collecting and adjust your own strategy.
• Manage jokers wisely: Split jokers across multiple combinations when possible instead of loading them into one set. Redeem exposed jokers even if you don’t need them, just to deny them to others.
• Stay organized but discreet: Arrange your tiles to see potential hands clearly but avoid revealing your strategy to others. Don’t leave gaps or visibly sort tiles in a way that hints at your hand.
• Read other players' hands: Use clues from exposures, discards, and passed tiles to observe what hands your opponents are building. Adjust your discards to avoid helping them. If you can’t win, shift to defense.
• Know when to change hands: If key tiles are discarded or picked by others, or if your hand stalls mid-game, be flexible and switch to a backup plan that uses your remaining tiles.
• Call players “dead” when sure: If a player can’t possibly complete a valid hand based on their exposures and known tiles, call them dead. Prevent them from drawing more tiles and improving.
• Watch for Joker bait – If an opponent discards a tile matching your unused pair, they might be fishing for jokers. Be cautious if you’re tempted to call and expose.
• Time your moves smartly: Don’t slow the game down, but also don’t rush. Quickly rack your tile to limit call opportunities for others. But pause long enough after discards in friendly games for fair play.