How to Play Mahjong
American mahjong is a four-player tile game where you race to build one of the hands printed on this year's card. Here is the whole game, start to finish, in plain English.
The game in 60 seconds
- Everyone gets 13 tiles (the dealer, East, gets 14).
- Players swap unwanted tiles in the Charleston.
- Each turn: pick up one tile, throw one away.
- First player to match a hand on the card exactly wins by calling "Mahjong".
Before you start
You need a complete American mahjong set with jokers, four racks, two dice and the current card from the National Mah Jongg League. A mat keeps the noise down. Learn every tile in our mahjong tile names guide.
1. Set up the table
Shuffle the tiles face down, build four walls (19 tiles long, two high), break the wall with the dice and deal. Step by step: how to set up mahjong.
2. Read the card
The card lists every legal winning hand for the year, grouped into sections such as year hands, 2468, like numbers, runs, winds and dragons. Colors show which groups must share a suit. X means you may expose groups by calling discards; C means the hand stays concealed until you win.
3. Pass tiles in the Charleston
First Charleston (required): three tiles right, three across, three left. Second Charleston (optional, everyone must agree): left, across, right. Then an optional courtesy pass of up to three tiles with the player across. Jokers are never passed.
4. Take turns
East discards first. Play moves to the right. On your turn, take the next tile from the wall and discard one tile, saying its name out loud.
5. Call discards
If a discard completes a group of three or more for your hand, call it, expose the group on your rack and discard. You can only call a discard for a pair or single if it wins the game.
6. Use jokers
Jokers stand in for any tile in a group of three or more identical tiles, never in a pair or single. If someone exposes a group with a joker and you hold the real tile, swap it on your turn.
7. Win
When your 14 tiles match a hand on the card exactly, call "Mahjong" and show your hand. If the wall runs out first, it's a wall game and nobody scores.
Quick tips for new players
- Pick two or three possible hands after the first Charleston.
- Hold on to jokers.
- Watch the discards to see which tiles are gone.
- Don't expose too early; it tells the table your plan.
FAQ
How long does a game take?
A hand usually takes 10–20 minutes.
Can fewer than four people play?
Yes, three-player and two-player (siamese) versions exist. Siamese uses longer siamese racks.
Can I use a Chinese set?
Not for American rules: Chinese sets have no jokers. Shop 160-tile American mahjong sets.