Mahjong Tile Names

Names of mahjong tiles

• Bams (bamboo): numbers 1–9, four of each. The 1 Bam is usually a bird.
• Craks (characters): numbers 1–9, four of each, marked with a character.
• Dots (circles): numbers 1–9, four of each.
• Winds: North, East, West, South, four of each.
• Dragons: Red, Green and White (called "Soap"), four of each.
• Flowers: eight tiles, used in many American hands.
• Jokers: eight tiles in an American set; wild in groups of three or more.

How many tiles are in a mahjong set?

The standard American mah jongg game uses 152 tiles: 108 suit tiles, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. A Chinese set has 144 tiles and no jokers. Our sets come with 160 tiles, so you also get spare tiles.

Ready to pick yours? Shop mahjong tile sets or learn how to play mahjong.