American Mahjong Rules

American mahjong is a game of skill and luck that differs from Asian versions through its unique use of racks, jokers, annual score cards, and distinct gameplay mechanics. The goal is to be the first player to complete a hand that exactly matches one from the official score card.

Equipment

The Tiles

Suits (108 tiles)

Dots: Numbers 1-9, four of each (36 tiles)

Characters/Craks: Numbers 1-9, four of each (36 tiles)

Bamboos/Bams: Numbers 1-9, four of each (36 tiles)

The 1 bamboo tile features a bird perched on bamboo rather than a single bamboo stalk. The design varies between different mahjong sets - here it resembles an owl.

Honors (28 tiles)

Winds: East, South, West, North - four of each (16 tiles)

Dragons: Red, Green, White ("Soap") - four of each (12 tiles)

Red Dragon is a Crak tile, Green Dragon is a Bam tile, and White Dragon is a Dot tile, with the white dragon "soap" also serving as zero in year hands.

Flowers and Seasons (8 tiles)

One of each: 4 flowers, 4 seasons.

Flowers are used interchangeably with each other in any hand requiring flower tiles. The numbers on flower tiles don't mean anything for gameplay purposes. Be sure you can tell the difference between the 1 bamboo tile (which features a bird) and flower tiles to avoid confusion.

Jokers (8 tiles)

Setup and Dealing

  1. All 152 tiles are shuffled face down
  1. Each player builds a wall of 38 tiles (two rows of 19 tiles each)
  1. Highest dice roll becomes East (dealer)
  1. East breaks the wall based on dice roll and dealing begins
  1. Each player receives 13 tiles, East gets 14 to start

The actual dealing process is a bit more complicated, but since it's handled automatically by mobile and online apps, it's not covered in detail here.

Score Card and Hand Selection

The score card contains hands organized by categories:

Reading the Score Card

Score Card Notations

The score card uses various text notations to indicate specific requirements. The card notations are usually redundant with the pattern shown, but read them carefully to look for exceptions to the expected rule.

Suit Requirements:

Dragon Specifications:

Wind Requirements:

Number Patterns:

Melds

In American mahjong, melds are groups of tiles that form the building blocks of winning hands. Understanding melds is essential for reading the score card and building your hands successfully.

Types of Melds

Singles

Individual tiles that don't match with others in their grouping. Singles appear throughout the score card in patterns like NEWS (North, East, West, South) or year hands like 2025.

Important: Jokers cannot be used for single tiles.

Pair

Two identical tiles. Every winning hand except Singles and Pairs category hands requires exactly one pair.

Important: Jokers cannot be used in pairs.

Pung

Three identical tiles, such as three 5 dots or three red dragons. Pungs can be:

Kong

Four identical tiles. Since there are only four of each tile in the set, kongs represent powerful combinations. Kongs can be:

Quint

Five identical tiles, only possible by using jokers since there are only four of each actual tile. Quints always require at least one joker and appear primarily in the Quints section of the score card.

Sextet

Six identical tiles, requiring multiple jokers. Sextets are rare and appear in specific high-scoring hands.

Calling Rules for Melds

You may call the most recent discard only to complete:

You cannot call discards for:

Exposed vs. Concealed Hands

When you call a discard to form an exposed meld, place those tiles face up on the slanted front of your rack so all players can see them.

Joker Restrictions

Jokers can never be used for:

Jokers can be used in pungs, kongs, quints, and sextets of three or more identical tiles.

Strategic Considerations

Understanding melds helps you read the score card patterns and make informed decisions about which hands to pursue and when to call discards versus draw from the wall.

The Charleston

A unique tile exchange ritual before gameplay begins:

First Charleston

  1. Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player on your right
  1. Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player across from you
  1. Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player on your left ("first left")
    • May "blind pass" received tiles without looking

Optional Second Charleston (if all agree)

  1. Pass 3 tiles to your left
  1. Pass 3 tiles across
  1. Pass 3 tiles to your right ("last right")
    • May blind pass again

Courtesy Pass (optional)

Important: No jokers may be passed during Charleston or courtesy pass.

Gameplay

Turn Sequence

  1. East starts by discarding one tile (has 14 tiles)
  1. Next player draws a tile from the wall
  1. Player decides to keep the drawn tile or discard it
  1. Announce and discard a tile face up to center
  1. Continue clockwise unless interrupted by a call

Calling Tiles

Players may call the most recent discard if it completes:

Calling Rules:

Joker Exchange

If another player has an exposed joker and you have the actual tile it represents:

  1. On your turn, exchange the real tile for the joker
  1. You may use the joker in your hand without exposing it
  1. Maintain proper tile count by discarding

Play continues with the player after the caller, so some players might be skipped.

Winning the Game

Mahjong Declaration

Win by completing a hand exactly matching the score card pattern. Declare "Mahjong!" when you have 14 tiles forming a valid hand.

Game Ends When

Strategy Tips

The game combines elements of strategy, memory, and calculated risk-taking, making each round a unique challenge! The new card released annually by the NMJL keeps the game fresh and challenging.