American Mahjong Rules: The Complete Guide

American Mahjong is one of the most social, strategic, and rewarding tabletop games you can play. Whether you're sitting down for the very first time or brushing up before joining a new group, this guide covers everything — from the tiles in the box to the moment someone calls "Mahjong!"

This is the complete guide. If you're looking for a quick overview to get started, our beginner's learning guide is a great companion to this page. But if you want to understand the full rules of American Mahjong, you're in the right place.

What Makes American Mahjong Different?

Mahjong originated in China in the mid-1800s and arrived in the United States in the 1920s, when a businessman named Joseph Park Babcock imported sets and trademarked the name "Mah-Jongg." The game became a sensation — sets flew off shelves, clubs formed overnight, and mahjong entered American culture as one of the biggest game crazes the country had ever seen.

Over the following decades, American Mahjong evolved its own identity. The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL), founded in 1937, established standardized rules and began publishing an annual card of valid winning hands. Today, the American version is its own distinct game — familiar in spirit to its Chinese ancestor, but different in several important ways:

• Joker tiles — American sets include 8 Jokers, adding flexibility and strategy not found in other versions
• The NMJL card — Instead of fixed winning patterns, hands change every year
• The Charleston — A tile-passing ritual before each round that's unique to the American game
• Racks — Players hold tiles upright in racks rather than arranging them on the table
• 152 tiles — Eight more than the 144-tile Chinese standard

These differences make American Mahjong its own game entirely. If you've played another version, expect a learning curve. If you've never played any Mahjong at all, you're actually starting with a clean slate — which can be an advantage.

What You Need to Play

Before you sit down, make sure you have:

• An American Mahjong set — 152 tiles with four racks. American sets include Jokers and typically come in a case or bag. Not all sets are American sets — if it has 144 tiles and no Jokers, it's likely a Chinese set.
• The current year's NMJL card — One per player. Cards are available through the NMJL website and cost a few dollars each. The card changes every year, usually in the spring. You cannot play American Mahjong without the card.
• A flat surface — Card tables work great. Each player needs enough space for their rack and some elbow room.
• Four players — American Mahjong is a four-player game. No more, no less. If you're building a regular group, having a roster of 6 to 8 players helps ensure you always have four available.

Optional but useful: a pencil and paper (or a scoring app) to keep track of scores across multiple rounds.

If you need a set, our shop has recommendations for beginner-friendly American Mahjong sets.

The Tiles

An American Mahjong set contains 152 tiles, organized into several categories. Understanding what each tile is and how it's used is the first step to reading the NMJL card and building winning hands.

Suit Tiles (108 tiles)

There are three suits, each numbered 1 through 9, with four copies of every tile:

• Craks (Characters) — Marked with Chinese characters and a number. Sometimes called "characters" or simply "craks."
• Bams (Bamboos) — Decorated with bamboo stick designs. The 1 Bam is traditionally a bird — often a peacock or sparrow.
• Dots (Circles) — Featuring circular patterns representing coins.

Three suits × nine numbers × four copies = 108 suit tiles.

Wind Tiles (16 tiles)

Four directions, four copies each:

• East, South, West, North — 4 of each = 16 Wind tiles

Winds appear frequently on the NMJL card, often in combination hands. East is particularly significant because one player is designated as East each round (more on that below).

Dragon Tiles (12 tiles)

Three types, four copies each:

• Red Dragon — Often marked with a Chinese character or the letter "C"
• Green Dragon — Often marked with a character or the letter "F"
• White Dragon — A blank tile, sometimes called "Soap"

4 of each = 12 Dragon tiles.

Flower Tiles (8 tiles)

American sets include 8 Flower tiles. Unlike in some other versions of Mahjong where Flowers are set aside as bonus tiles, in the American game Flowers are used as regular tiles within hands on the NMJL card. They appear in many winning combinations.

Joker Tiles (8 tiles)

The 8 Jokers are unique to American Mahjong and are one of the game's defining features. Jokers are wild tiles that can substitute for other tiles — but only under specific rules (covered in detail in the Joker Rules section below). They add a layer of flexibility and strategic depth that's not found in any other version of Mahjong.

The NMJL Card

The NMJL card is the heart of American Mahjong. It's what makes the game different from every other version, and what keeps it fresh year after year.

What the Card Is

Every year, the National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card listing all valid winning hands for that year. This isn't a minor update — the hands can change significantly from year to year. Strategies that worked last spring may not exist this spring. Every player needs a copy of the current card at the table.

How to Read It

The card organizes hands into categories — groupings like "2468" (hands using only even numbers), "Winds–Dragons," "Like Numbers," "Addition," "Singles and Pairs," and more. Each hand shows:

• The specific tiles required — Using abbreviations (C = Craks, B = Bams, D = Dots, F = Flowers, N/E/S/W = Winds, R/G = Dragons, 0 = Soap/White Dragon)
• Whether groups are concealed or exposed — Concealed groups (lowercase on the card) must stay hidden in your rack. Exposed groups (uppercase) can be claimed from discards and are displayed on top of your rack. If the card says a group must be concealed, you cannot call a tile from the discard pile to complete it.
• The point value — Typically 25 or 50 points, with harder hands worth more

The card's notation takes practice to read, but after a few games it becomes second nature. For a deeper dive into reading the card, see our NMJL card guide.

Picking Your Hands

When you first look at your tiles, scan the card for hands that match what you've been dealt. Most experienced players keep two or three potential hands in mind and narrow down as the round progresses. Flexibility is key — committing too early to a single hand can leave you stuck if the tiles don't cooperate.

Setting Up the Game

Choosing East

One player is designated East at the start of the game. East acts as the dealer and has a slight procedural advantage (drawing first, getting 14 tiles instead of 13). East rotates after each round — when the current East does not win, the player to the right becomes the new East.

Most groups determine the first East by rolling dice, drawing a tile, or simple agreement.

Building the Wall

Each player arranges their tiles face-down in a row two tiles high, creating a section of wall. The four sections form a square in the center of the table — the wall. The number of tiles per player's section varies slightly, but the total wall contains all 152 tiles.

Breaking the Wall and Dealing

East rolls the dice. The total determines where the wall is broken — counting from the right end of East's wall section, moving counterclockwise to the next player's wall as needed. The wall is broken at that point, and dealing begins to the right of the break.

Starting with East, each player takes four tiles at a time from the wall, going counterclockwise. This repeats three times (12 tiles each). Then each player takes one more tile (13 each), and East takes one additional tile (14 total for East, 13 for everyone else).

Each player arranges their tiles on their rack so only they can see them.

The Charleston

The Charleston is one of the most distinctive — and fun — parts of American Mahjong. It's a series of tile passes that gives you a chance to shape your hand before regular play begins.

First Charleston (Mandatory)

The first Charleston consists of three passes. Every player must participate:

1. Pass Right — Each player selects three unwanted tiles and passes them to the player on their right
2. Pass Across — Each player passes three tiles to the player sitting across from them
3. Pass Left — Each player passes three tiles to the player on their left

All passes happen simultaneously — everyone selects their tiles, places them face-down, and then the tiles are picked up by the receiving player.

Second Charleston (Optional)

After the first Charleston, a second Charleston can take place. The direction is reversed:

1. Pass Left — Three tiles to the left
2. Pass Across — Three tiles across
3. Pass Right — Three tiles to the right

The second Charleston is optional — any player may stop it before it begins. If one player says they don't want to do the second Charleston, it doesn't happen. If it starts, all three passes must be completed.

Courtesy Pass (Optional)

After the Charleston is complete (whether one or both rounds were played), the two players sitting across from each other may agree to swap one, two, or three tiles. Both players must agree on the number, and neither player is obligated to participate.

Charleston Strategy

The Charleston is your first strategic opportunity. A few tips:

• Pass tiles that don't fit any hand you're considering. Winds and Dragons you don't need are common passes.
• Don't pass Jokers. They're too valuable. Jokers fit into almost any hand.
• Pay attention to what you receive. The tiles coming to you can open up new possibilities or confirm that a hand is worth pursuing.
• Stay flexible. The Charleston often changes what you should be working toward. Don't decide on a hand before the passes are complete.

How a Round Plays

After the Charleston, the round moves into a rhythm of drawing and discarding.

The Draw-Discard Cycle

Starting with East, play moves counterclockwise around the table:

1. Draw one tile from the wall
2. Discard one tile face-up to the center of the table, announcing its name clearly ("3 Bam," "West," "Red Dragon," etc.)

That's it — draw one, discard one, every turn. You're trying to collect the right combination of tiles to complete one of the winning hands on the NMJL card.

Naming Your Discards

When you discard a tile, you must announce it clearly so everyone at the table can hear. This is important because other players may want to claim that tile for their own hand.

For suit tiles, say the number and the suit: "7 Crak," "2 Dot," "5 Bam." For honor tiles, just the name: "North," "Red Dragon," "Soap." For Flowers, say "Flower."

Reading the Table

As the round progresses, discarded tiles accumulate in the center. Pay attention to what's being discarded — it tells you what other players don't want, which helps you infer what they might be collecting. If you see three 8 Bams in the discard pile, nobody at the table is collecting 8 Bams. That's useful information for deciding which tiles are safe to discard.

Calling, Exposures, and Priority

You don't always have to wait your turn to get tiles. When another player discards something you need, you may be able to call it.

When You Can Call

You can call a discarded tile in two situations:

1. For an exposure — The discard completes a Pung (three of a kind), Kong (four of a kind), or Quint (five of a kind) that your hand requires as an exposed group. You must reveal that group face-up on top of your rack.
2. For Mahjong — The discard completes your entire winning hand. You can claim any tile for Mahjong, whether it completes an exposed group, a concealed group, or a pair.

You cannot call a tile just to add it to your hand or to complete a pair (unless it's the final tile for Mahjong).

How to Call

When a player discards a tile you want:

1. Say "Call" (or "Take" or "I want that") clearly before the next player draws from the wall
2. Show the completed group (place it face-up on your rack)
3. Discard one tile from your hand to end your turn

Calling Priority

Sometimes two players want the same discarded tile. Priority works like this:

• Mahjong always wins. A call for Mahjong takes priority over a call for an exposure, no matter the seating position.
• Between two Mahjong calls, the player closest in turn order (counterclockwise from the discarder) has priority.
• Between two exposure calls, the player closest in turn order has priority.
• A call interrupts the normal turn order. After a successful call, play resumes counterclockwise from the player who called.

The Cost of Exposing

Every exposure reveals information to the table. When you place tiles face-up, your opponents can start deducing which hand on the card you're pursuing. This is the fundamental trade-off: calling gets you tiles you need faster, but it shows your strategy. Concealed hands remain hidden until you declare Mahjong — and they're often worth more points.

Joker Rules

Jokers are the wild cards of American Mahjong. They're powerful, flexible, and governed by specific rules that every player needs to know.

Where Jokers Can Be Used

Jokers can substitute for any tile in a group of three or more — that means Pungs (3 of a kind), Kongs (4 of a kind), and Quints (5 of a kind). A Joker takes the place of the natural tile the group needs.

For example, if you need a Kong of 6 Dots (four 6 Dots), you could use two natural 6 Dots and two Jokers.

Where Jokers Cannot Be Used

• Pairs — Jokers cannot substitute in pairs. If a hand requires a pair of Red Dragons, you need two actual Red Dragons.
• Singles — Jokers cannot replace a single tile.
• The tile itself — Jokers cannot be used to represent other Jokers.

Discarding Jokers

You can discard a Joker if you choose to, but a discarded Joker cannot be claimed by anyone — not for an exposure and not for Mahjong. A discarded Joker is dead. Because of this, discarding a Joker is almost always a mistake. Hold onto your Jokers.

Redeeming (Exchanging) Jokers

This is one of the most exciting plays in American Mahjong. If an opponent has an exposed group that contains a Joker, and you hold the natural tile the Joker is substituting for, you can swap your natural tile for their Joker. This is called redeeming or exchanging a Joker.

Rules for redemption:

• You can only redeem from exposed groups (not concealed tiles)
• You must have the exact tile the Joker represents
• You must use the redeemed Joker immediately — either in an exposure you're making on that same turn, or by adding it to your hand if you picked it up during your regular turn
• You can redeem multiple Jokers in a single turn if you have the natural tiles for each

Joker redemption adds a layer of strategy: do you expose early and risk someone stealing your Jokers? Or do you keep things concealed and miss the chance to call tiles?

Declaring Mahjong

When you complete a winning hand that matches one on the NMJL card, you call "Mahjong!" and reveal your tiles for verification.

How to Win

• You can declare Mahjong on a tile you draw from the wall (a self-pick) or on another player's discard
• Your complete hand must exactly match one hand on the current year's NMJL card
• All the rules about concealed and exposed groups must be satisfied — if the card says a group is concealed, it must be in your rack, not on top of it

Verification

After you call Mahjong, the other players verify your hand against the card. If it matches, you win the round. If it doesn't match — if you miscounted, misread the card, or your hand doesn't meet the requirements — your hand is declared dead (see below).

Self-Pick vs. Discard

Winning on a self-picked tile (drawn from the wall) is considered more skillful and is typically rewarded with higher payment from the other players. The exact bonus varies by group — some double the payout, others add a flat bonus.

Dead Hands

A dead hand is one that cannot win. It's one of the most important concepts in American Mahjong, because it happens more often than you might expect — even to experienced players.

What Causes a Dead Hand

• Incorrect Mahjong declaration — You call Mahjong but your hand doesn't match any hand on the card
• Incorrect exposure — You call a tile and expose a group that's incorrect or doesn't match what the card requires
• Wrong number of tiles — Through error, you end up with too many or too few tiles in your hand
• Exposing a concealed hand — If the card requires all groups to be concealed and you accidentally reveal tiles

Consequences

A player with a dead hand must continue to play — drawing and discarding each turn — but cannot win the round. You can't call tiles, and you can't declare Mahjong. You're still in the game for the purpose of passing tiles and discarding, but you're playing defensively.

The lesson: double-check your hand against the card before calling Mahjong or making an exposure. Take your time. There's no rush.

Scoring and Payment

American Mahjong scoring is straightforward compared to other versions. The NMJL card does most of the work.

Point Values

Each hand on the card has an assigned point value, typically 25 or 50 points. Harder hands are generally worth more. The point value determines how much the winner collects from the other players.

Payment Conventions

After a player wins, the three losing players pay the winner. The most common payment structure:

• Win on a discard: The player who discarded the winning tile pays double the hand value. The other two players each pay the single hand value.
• Win on a self-pick (from the wall): All three losing players pay double the hand value.

Some groups use simplified payment where everyone pays the same amount regardless of how the win happened. Others use chips, coins, or just keep a running tally. The NMJL publishes official payment guidelines, but house rules often prevail. If you're joining a new group, ask about their scoring and payment conventions before the first round.

Wall Game (Draw)

If no one declares Mahjong and the wall runs out of tiles, the round is a wall game. No one wins, no one pays, and a new round begins. East does not rotate after a wall game.

American Mahjong vs. Chinese Mahjong

If you've played Chinese Mahjong (or seen it played), here's how the American version compares:

| Feature | American Mahjong | Chinese Mahjong | |---------|-----------------|-----------------| | Tiles | 152 (includes 8 Jokers) | 144 (no Jokers) | | Winning hands | NMJL card (changes annually) | Fixed patterns (consistent across years) | | The Charleston | Yes (mandatory tile-passing) | No | | Racks | Yes (tiles held upright) | No (tiles stand on table) | | Jokers | 8 wild tiles with specific rules | None | | Flowers | Part of regular hands | Typically bonus tiles set aside | | Scoring | Simple point values on card | Complex scoring with multiple categories | | Governing body | NMJL (since 1937) | Various regional rule sets | | Players | Exactly 4 | Typically 4, some variants allow 3 |

Both games share the same core DNA — building sets of tiles by drawing and discarding — but they play very differently in practice. American Mahjong tends to be more social and accessible, while Chinese Mahjong is often more complex in its scoring. Neither is better; they're simply different games that share a common ancestor.

Common Mistakes New Players Make

Everyone makes mistakes when learning. Here are the ones to watch for:

1. Using a Joker in a pair. Jokers can only go in groups of three or more. This is the single most common rule mistake.
2. Calling a tile for a concealed group. If the card shows a concealed group, you must draw those tiles from the wall — you can't call them from discards (except for Mahjong).
3. Forgetting to announce discards. Say the tile name clearly. Other players need to hear it to decide whether to call.
4. Committing to one hand too early. Stay flexible through the Charleston and the first few turns. The tiles will tell you what to play.
5. Not checking the card before calling Mahjong. Always verify your hand matches the card exactly before you declare. A wrong call means a dead hand.
6. Discarding a Joker. It's rarely correct. Jokers are almost always useful somewhere in your hand.
7. Forgetting to redeem Jokers from opponents' exposures. If you have the natural tile, take that Joker — it could change your game.

Etiquette at the Table

Mahjong is a social game first. Good manners make the experience better for everyone:

• Name your discards clearly so every player can hear
• Don't rush — let everyone process each discard before drawing the next tile
• Keep your rack organized so you can make decisions quickly when it's your turn
• Avoid commenting on other players' hands during the round. Saying "Oh, you need 9 Craks?" gives away information that affects everyone at the table.
• Welcome new players. Experienced players who teach generously are the backbone of every great mahjong community.
• Ask questions — no one expects you to know everything from day one

For a deeper dive into table manners, see our mahjong etiquette guide.

Glossary of Key Terms

Here are the most important terms you'll encounter in American Mahjong:

• Bams — One of the three suits (bamboo tiles), numbered 1-9
• Call — To claim a discarded tile for an exposure or for Mahjong
• Charleston — The tile-passing ritual at the start of each round
• Concealed — A group of tiles kept hidden in your rack (not exposed). On the NMJL card, concealed groups are shown in lowercase.
• Craks — One of the three suits (character tiles), numbered 1-9
• Dead hand — A hand that has been invalidated by an illegal play. The player continues to draw and discard but cannot win.
• Discard — A tile placed face-up in the center of the table
• Dots — One of the three suits (circle tiles), numbered 1-9
• Dragon — Honor tiles: Red, Green, and White (Soap)
• East — The dealer for the current round; rotates counterclockwise
• Exposed — A group of tiles placed face-up on your rack after calling a discard. On the NMJL card, exposed groups are shown in uppercase.
• Flower — One of 8 special tiles used as regular tiles in American Mahjong hands
• Joker — One of 8 wild tiles that can substitute for any tile in a group of 3 or more
• Kong — Four of the same tile
• Mahjong — A completed winning hand matching one on the NMJL card
• NMJL — National Mah Jongg League, the governing body for American Mahjong since 1937
• Pung — Three of the same tile
• Quint — Five of the same tile (requires at least one Joker)
• Rack — The stand that holds your tiles upright so only you can see them
• Redeem / Exchange — Swapping a natural tile for a Joker in an opponent's exposed group
• Self-pick — Winning by drawing your final tile from the wall (rather than from a discard)
• Soap — The White Dragon tile (blank)
• Wall — The rows of face-down tiles from which players draw
• Wall game — A round that ends with no winner because the wall runs out of tiles
• Wind — Honor tiles: East, South, West, North

Where to Play

The best way to learn American Mahjong is to play it. Reading rules is a great start, but nothing replaces the experience of sitting at a real table with real tiles and real people.

• Find a local club — Mahjong clubs are thriving across the country, and many welcome beginners. Browse clubs in your area to find a group near you.
• Ask around — Libraries, community centers, senior centers, and JCCs often host mahjong. You might be surprised how many people in your community already play.
• Start your own group — All you need is a set, a card, and three willing friends. If you want to organize regular games, Bam Good Time makes it easy with free event management, RSVPs, waitlists, and payment collection.
• Practice with an app — Mahjic Play offers guided practice with real American Mahjong rules, a built-in tutorial, and AI opponents.

Ready to Play?

American Mahjong rewards patience, strategy, and — most importantly — showing up. The rules may feel like a lot the first time through, but after a few rounds, the rhythm of draw, discard, and call becomes second nature. The Charleston becomes fun rather than confusing. Reading the card becomes instinct rather than a puzzle.

And once you experience the thrill of calling Mahjong for the first time — seeing your hand match the card, hearing the tiles click as you reveal them — you'll understand why this game has captivated players for over a hundred years.

Welcome to the table. We're glad you're here.

Create your free club on Bam Good Time and find your first game today.