Rules of American Mahjong

Equipment

• 152 tiles (from a 166-tile set, 14 spares) and 4 racks for holding tiles

• 2 dice for determining the dealer and breaking the wall

• 4 score cards published annually by the National Mah Jongg League

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)

When building a hand with dragons, 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)

• Wild tiles that can substitute for any tile except in pairs or groups of single tiles

Crash Course

American Mahjong differs from Asian versions through its unique use of racks, jokers, the annual NMJL card, and the Charleston tile exchange.

1. The goal is to complete a 14-tile hand matching a pattern on the official NMJL card (published annually by the National Mah Jongg League)

Example 14-tile Hands:

2. Played with 4 players named East, South, West and North

3. Four stacks are setup in front of each player rack. These tiles are collectively called The Wall. Each player places 13 tiles from the wall onto their rack. The east player gets one extra tile for 14.

   

4. Before gameplay begins, the Charleston is seven rounds where players exchange 3 tiles with other players in each round. See details below for rules

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5. After the Charleston, each player draws a tile on their turn and discards a tile from their hand

   

6. The other 3 players all have the option to pick up the last discarded tile

7. To pick up a discarded tile (Call) you place it on your upper rack where everyone can see it and add 2 or more identical tiles from your hand to complete the set

   

8. The next player then draws from the wall and discards, going around counter-clockwise

9. The previous discard cannot be picked up once the next player has racked their tile

10. After you call tiles and expose them on your rack you can not add or remove to the group. For example if you play three 1 Dots, you cannot add a forth 1 Dot later

11. You CANNOT call a tile to make a pair or singles like NEWS or 2026 unless it's the last tile you need to complete your hand
    

    

    

12. You cannot call a discarded tile for Concealed hands (marked with (C)) unless it's the last one you need to complete your hand

13. You can use Jokers in place of tiles for sets of 3 or more

    

14. You can NEVER use Jokers for singles and pairs
    

    

15. Some games end in a draw (called a Wall) where no one completes a hand

16. Learn to read the card. The color patterns of hands are important. Read the note after each hand carefully as they sometimes have extra rules for the hand

Read the details below and contact support@eightbam.com for any questions.

Setup and Dealing

1. All 152 tiles are shuffled face down

2. Each player builds a wall of 38 tiles (two rows of 19 tiles each)

3. Highest dice roll becomes East

4. East breaks the wall based on dice roll and dealing begins

5. 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

The score card contains hands organized by categories:

• YEAR: Patterns using year numbers (like 2025)

• 2468: Even-numbered tiles only

• Consecutive Runs: Sequential numbers

• 13579: Odd-numbered tiles only

• Quints: Hands with five identical tiles

• Winds-Dragons: Wind and dragon combinations

• 369: Using 3s, 6s, and 9s

• Singles and Pairs: Mixed single tiles and pairs

Reading the Score Card

• Numbers 1-9: Correspond to tile numbers

• N, S, E, W: Wind tiles (North, South, East, West)

• D: Any dragon

• R, G, 0: Red dragon, Green dragon, White dragon (Soap)

• F: Any flower tile

• Colors: Red, blue, green indicate different suits must be used

• X: Exposed hand (can call discards)

• C: Concealed hand (must draw all tiles from wall, except for the last)

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:

• Any 1 suit - Use tiles from only one suit (all dots, all bams, or all craks)

• Any 2 suits - Use tiles from exactly two different suits (the pattern matches the color pattern on the card)

• Any 3 suits - Use tiles from all three suits (dots, bams, craks)

Dragon Specifications:

• Matching Dragons - Dragons match the suit used: Red Dragon with craks, Green Dragon with bams, and White Dragon (soap) with dots

• Opposite Dragons - Use dragons that are opposite of the numbered suit tiles used

• Any Dragon - Any dragon suit allowed

Wind Requirements:

• Any Wind - Use any wind tile(s) as specified in the notation, not necessarily what's shown in the pattern. The Winds and Dragons category usually specifies exactly what tiles to use. However, the Quints section often contains hands that specify "Any Wind" in the notation even though a specific wind (like N) is shown in the pattern on the card.

Number Patterns:

• Any Run/Consecutive - Use consecutive numbers in any suit (like 4-5-6 or 7-8-9)

• Like Numbers - Use the same number across different suits

• These Numbers Only - Use only the specific numbers shown in the hand pattern

Calling Discards

American mahjong hands are built from groups of tiles. Understanding how these groups fit together is essential for reading the score card, building winning hands, and knowing which discards you can call.

Groups of Tiles

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.

Important: Jokers cannot be used in pairs.

Pung

Three identical tiles, such as three 5 dots or three red dragons.

Kong

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

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

You may call the most recent discard only to complete:

• A pung (3 identical tiles)

• A kong (4 identical tiles)

• A quint (5 identical tiles)

• A sextet (6 identical tiles)

• Mahjong (your winning hand)

You cannot call discards for:

• Single tiles (except for mahjong)

• Pairs (except for mahjong)

Exposed vs. Concealed Hands

• Exposed hands (marked with X on score card): May call discards to form a group of identical tiles

• Concealed hands (marked with C on score card): Must draw all tiles from wall, except the final winning tile

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

Joker Restrictions

Jokers can never be used for:

• Single tiles

• Pairs

• Any tiles in Singles and Pairs category hands

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

Strategic Considerations

• Exposed tiles reveal information about your hand to opponents

• Concealed hands offer more flexibility but limit your tile acquisition options

• Consider the trade-off between speed (calling tiles) and secrecy (keeping concealed)

• Count available tiles - if three of your needed tile are already visible, adjust your strategy

Understanding Singles, Pairs, Pungs, Kongs and Sextets 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

2. Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player across from you

3. 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

2. Pass 3 tiles across

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

Courtesy Pass (optional)

• After second Charleston, exchange up to 3 tiles with player across from you

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

Gameplay

Turn Sequence

1. East starts by discarding one tile (has 14 tiles)

2. Next player draws a tile from the wall

3. Player decides to keep the drawn tile or discard it

4. Announce and discard a tile face up to center

5. Continue clockwise unless interrupted by a call

Calling Tiles

Any player may call the most recent discard if it completes:

• A pung, kong, quint, or sextet for an exposed hand

• A mahjong (winning hand)

Calling Rules:

• Only the most recent discard can be called

• Cannot call for single tiles or pairs (unless for mahjong)

• Called combinations must be exposed on your rack

• Multiple callers: mahjong takes priority, then nearest in turn order

Joker Exchange

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

1. On your turn, after you have picked from the wall and racked or called a discard and exposed, exchange your like tile for the Joker

2. You may use the joker in your hand without exposing it

3. 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

• Someone declares mahjong (winner takes all)

• All tiles are drawn from the wall (draw game, no payout)

Strategy Tips

Visit our Coaching & Strategy guide for detailed live-game strategy tips.