SUPPLIES NEEDED TO PLAY:

• 1 Set of Mahjong Tiles
• 4 Racks
• 4 National Mah Jongg League Cards
• 2 Dice (included with your tile set)

Mahjong is traditionally played with 4 players; these instructions are for a 4-player game. Mahjong can also be played with three players or with two players, called siamese.

GAME SETUP:

Place a rack in front of each player. Shuffle the tiles and place them all face down. Build a wall of tiles in front of each rack that is 2-tiles tall. The walls will be the communal draw pile for the game.

If playing with blanks and all 10 jokers, each wall will be 20-stacks-long. If playing Tournament-Style NMJL Rules, you will remove all 6 blanks and 2 jokers from the set before playing and each wall will be 19-stacks-long.

In Mahjong, the use of blank tiles can be a bit of a controversial topic. We like to play with them in social games, but they are NOT part of National Mah Jongg League tournament play. Learn more about Blanks here.

With 160 tiles in a Mahjong set, it can be hard to remember what everything means. Here is an easy guide to the tiles and how to use them when playing Mahjong. 

 

MAHJONG SUITS:

BAM - Short for Bamboo. Numbers 1-9 with a matching Dragon. The 1 Bam is called "Bird Bam;" some groups like to cheers drinks when a Bird Bam is played. The Bam Dragon is called "Green Dragon" or simply "Green." 4 of each tile in set.

 

CRAK (or CRACK) - Short for Character. Numbers 1-9 with a matching Dragon. The Crak Dragon is called "Red Dragon" or simply "Red." 4 of each tile in set.

    

    

 

DOT - Numbers 1-9 with a matching Dragon. The Dot Dragon is called "White Dragon" or "Soap" and can be used as a zero--when used as a zero, the Soap has no suit. 4 of each tile in set.

    

    

 

NON-SUIT TILES:

WINDS - North, South, East, and West. Represented as NEWS on National Mah Jongg League card. 4 of each tile in set.

    

 

FLOWERS - Shown as F on NMJL card. Flowers are interchangeable. 8 total flowers in set.

   

    

 

JOKERS - Can be used to complete groups of Three or more tiles for an exposure. 10 total in set.

 

BLANKS - Can be used to swap for a dead discarded tile at any time during the game. Not officially part of NMJL play, so used only as a house rule and not for tournament play.

 

TILE GROUPINGS:

SINGLE - One tile. No Jokers can be used for a Single. A tile cannot be called for a Single, unless it is the final tile needed to Mahj.

 

PAIR - Two matching tiles. No Jokers can be used in a Pair. A tile cannot be called to complete a Pair, unless it is the final tile needed to Mahj.

 

 

PUNG - Three matching tiles. Jokers can be used for Pungs. Tiles can be called to complete Pungs.

  

 

KONG - Four matching tiles. Jokers can be used for Kongs. Tiles can be called to complete Kongs.

   

 

QUINT - Five matching tiles. Jokers MUST be used to complete Quints. Tiles can be called to complete Quints.

    

 

GROUP OF SINGLES - NEWS and YEAR groupings are considered a group of singles, meaning NO Jokers and NO calling to complete. Same applies for other groups of singles.

   

   

Shop Mahjong Tiles here.

 

When Playing American Mah Jongg, players use a card issued by the National Mah Jongg League. The National Mah Jongg League or NMJL is the governing body for American Mahjong. Since 1937, the NMJL has been creating standardized rules and hands for playing Mahjong. 

Each year in April, the National Mah Jongg League releases a new card for that year that includes the hands that can be played in tournament play. Most Mahjong groups try to play the current year's card, but we have also had fun playing older or vintage cards--for example playing a birth year card can be a fun way to Mahj on a birthday!

When you're first learning, the NMJL card can feel really overwhelming--its just a wall of colors, letters, and numbers, but once you figure out what each section and symbol means it becomes really easy to find your hand. Below is an overview of what you'll find in your card.

There are 10 sections on the NMJL Card:

• Year: 2024 etc, using the Soap (Dot Dragon) as a zero
• 2468: Even numbers
• Any Like Numbers
• Addition Hands
• Quints: Groups of 5 like tiles, jokers are required to complete these hands
• Consecutive Run
• 13579: Odd Numbers
• Winds & Dragons
• 369
• Singles and Pairs: No Jokers can be used in these hands

After the deal, start looking for a Section that works for your tiles rather than a specific hand. This allows you to be flexible as you go into the Charleston; you can start collecting tiles towards a section (ie odd numbers) without being stuck on a single hand. Once you've collected 7 or more tiles towards a specific hand, then it's time to commit to that hand.

There are 3 colors shown on the NMJL Card:

The colors are NOT tied to specific suits on your tiles. Instead, the colors indicate HOW MANY suits need to be in your hand. 

• All Blue - indicates all ONE suit (can be all-Bam, all-Crak, or all-Dot)
• Green and Red - indicates TWO suits 
• Blue, Green, and Red - indicates THREE suits
• Important to note, some tiles have NO SUIT and are always shown in Blue:
• Winds (NEWS)
• Flowers (F)
• Soap when used as a Zero

Parentheses text is IMPORTANT!

Following most hands on your NMJL Card there is text in parentheses that gives additional detail about how you can play the hand. Be sure to read this text as it often makes the hands easier to play. Some examples of what the text will tell you:

• Any Run - this means that the hand can be played with any consecutive numbers following the pattern shown on the card.
• For example, on the 2024 Card, the second line under Consecutive Run is shown as 11 222 DDDD 333 44 and the parentheses say "Any Run," meaning it is totally ok to play that hand as 55 666 DDDD 777 88.
• With Matching Dragons - this means the dragons you play must match the suit you're playing for the rest of the hand.
• For example, if you're playing all Bam then you would need the Green Dragons. Red=Crak and Soap=Dot.
• Any Like Numbers - this means you can play it with any like numbers across the hand.
• For example, the hand shown as FFFF 111 1111 111 can be played as FFFF 888 8888 888

Exposed vs Closed???

On the righthand side of the card, you will see a letter X or C next to the point value for each hand. The X stands for Exposed, meaning you can call and expose tiles throughout gameplay to build your hand. The C stands for Closed or Concealed, meaning you cannot call or expose tiles during gameplay. When playing a C hand, you can only call the final tile to Mahj. 

When in doubt, review the rules on your card.

The NMJL Card comes printed with rules on one side. These rules can be especially helpful when there is a disagreement about gameplay. 

 

Shop the 2024 National Mah Jongg League Card here.

 

When you're playing a new card or new to playing in general, repetition really helps to get familiar. Play lots and lots or even take out your tiles and practice making each hand on the card to get familiar.

Before the Deal, you will want to gather everything you need to play a game of mahjong: a set of mahjong tiles, 4 racks with pushers, a pair of dice (comes with your set of tiles), and 4 NMJL Cards. 

Start by shuffling your tiles, then turn them face down, and build your walls in front of the racks/pushers. Walls are the communal draw pile in mahjong and are also where you will deal the tiles from.

Here is a step by step of how to deal mahjong: 

1. Before the first game, each player at the table rolls the dice. The player with the highest roll becomes the "East Seat" which is the first Dealer. 
2. The Dealer rolls the dice again to determine where to push out the wall to start the deal. This helps to add some randomization to the dealer to assure everyone playing that the Dealer hasn't stacked up a bunch of Jokers for herself. Count over from the right side of the pusher the number of tiles rolled on the dice and push the wall out there. 
3. The Dealer gives 2 stacks at a time (4 tiles at a time) to each player, starting with herself and then moving around the table to her right (counter clockwise), until every player at the table has 12 tiles total. As the wall in front of the Dealer is consumed, the next wall to the left of the Dealer gets pushed out (walls move out clockwise around the table). 
4. The Dealer takes the first a third top tile only for herself. ("one and three for me!") 
5. The Dealer gives a final tile to each player at the table. 
6. Each player has 13 tiles and the Dealer has 14. The reason the Dealer has an extra tile is because she will start the gameplay by discarding a tile without drawing first. 
7. After the deal, each player racks their tiles. Organize tiles by suit and then in number order and start to try to choose a section of the card that aligns with the tiles dealt.

Here is a video to walk you through the process of dealing in mahjong:

Mahjong is all about finding and matching patterns. The goal of the game (and how you win) is to match 14 tiles to a single line/hand on the NMJL Card.

After the deal, players should rack and organize their tiles. Organizing tiles by suit then in number order will help players identify patterns in their tiles. At first, choose a section of the NMJL Card instead of a single line or hand.

For example, if after the deal you note that you have mostly even numbers, look to the 2-4-6-8 section. Once you have chosen a section, start to collect tiles that fit into that section, holding any flowers and dragons at first.

As you pass and receive tiles during the Charleston, continue to review the lines in your selected section. Again, the goal here is to identify patterns in your tiles that match the pattern in a single line on the card.

As a general rule of thumb, once you have 6-7 tiles towards a single hand (including Jokers and Blanks, if you play with Blanks) then lock in on that hand for the rest of the game.

The sooner you can commit to a single section and then to a single hand, the more likely you are to win the game, as now you can focus on what you need to complete the selected hand. Watch for discards so you can claim the tiles you need.

Also watch other players' exposures. If you notice that much of what you need for the hand you have chosen has been exposed by other players, you may need to pivot to another hand.

A pivot hand is a backup line in mahjong that uses many of the tiles on your rack. Choosing a hand to pivot to is a strategic move to help in case the tiles needed for the hand you selected get exposed by other players, are dead discards, or are simply not coming up in the wall. Remember, if you are pivoting during the game, any tiles you have exposed MUST be in the new hand you select.

If you cannot find a mahjong line to pivot to, you can start playing defense. Watch what other players are collecting and hold tiles you think they need to complete their hand.

The Charleston is a dance of the tiles, where players pass tiles, 3 at a time, around the table. This is a way for players to eliminate tiles they do not need for their hand and, hopefully, collect tiles that will help complete the hand they have selected.

Tiles are passed three at a time following this pattern: Right, Over, Left. Left, Over, Right. Use the acronym R.O.L.L.O.R. to remember this pattern.

The first three passes (Right, Over, Left) are mandatory. After the first Left, any player can stop the Charleston. If the table decides to continue, all three passes of the second Charleston are required (Left, Over, Right).

In the early passes of the Charleston, players usually collect tiles towards a section of the NMJL Card. As the Charleston continues, it becomes easier for a player to narrow down specific lines/hands in that section to choose the hand they will play.

After the Charleston, players should work to choose a single line on the NMJL Card to play. Strategic players will try to also select a pivot or backup line in case they need to change hands during the game.

Following the Charleston passes, there is one final pass available to players called the Courtesy Pass. Players exchange tiles with the person across the table from them. Each player says to the person sitting across from them how many tiles they are willing to exchange, between 0 and 3 tiles. The pair selects the lowest number and exchanges that number of tiles. For example if one player wants to exchange 3 and the other person in the pari wants to exchange only 1 tile, that pair exchanges 1 tile.

Following the Deal, Charleston and Courtesy Pass, it is time to play the game!

The dealer takes the first turn by discarding a tile face up in the center of the table.

The player seated to the right of the dealer goes next, and gameplay goes around the table counterclockwise.

Each player begins a turn by drawing a tile from the wall and placing it in their rack and ends their turn by discarding a tile face up in the center of the table. When a tile is discarded, the player says the name of the discarded tile.

The most recently discarded tile is “Live” until the next player racks the tile they drew at the start of their turn. Any player can claim the Live tile by saying “Call,” or “Pause,”

In Mahjong, a Live tile is the most recently discarded tile. When we player discards a tile to end their turn, the player must place that tile face up in the center of the table and say the name of the tile, for instance "3 Dot."

That discarded tile is Live until the next player draws and racks their tile to start their turn. Until the next player racks their drawn tile, the discarded tile remains Live and can be called by any player at the table for an exposure of 3 or more tiles. A tile needed for a single or pair can only be called if it is the final tile that player needs for Mahjong (to win).

Once the next player racks their drawn tile, the previously discarded tile is Dead. A Dead tile cannot be called for exposure.

If you are playing traditional NMJL / tournament rules, a Dead tile can never be recovered.

If you play with Blanks in your mahjong group, a Blank tile can be used at any time during the game to sneakily recover a Dead tile. See the "How to Use Blanks" section of this page for more info.

In order to complete a mahjong line/hand, a player can call for a discarded tile and make an exposure of a section of their hand.

A player may only call a tile when:

• The tile is “Live,” meaning it has been discarded during the most recent turn and the next player has not yet racked their drawn tile.
• The called tile completes a section of 3 or more tiles. A player cannot call for a tile to complete a single or pair, unless it is the last tile needed to win/Mahj.
• The player has the required tiles to complete the full section of the hand that uses the called tile. (ie. the hand requires 2222; the player can only call for a discarded 2 if they have the other 3 tiles as 2s or jokers.)

To call a tile, the player can say "Pause," "Take," or "Call." There is no penalty for pausing to think and then deciding not to take and expose the tile. If you think you want the discarded tile, say "Pause" right away and think about whether you have the right tiles for the exposure. If you determine you cannot or do not want to take the tile, say "nevermind" or "unpause." At this point, gameplay continues to the player seated. to the right of the person who discarded the tile.

When a tile is called, the player calling it must expose that section of their hand on the top of the rack, showing that they have all tiles required for that section: 3, 4, or 5 tiles. The exposed section (exposure) is now locked in and must be part of that player’s hand to win.

A player cannot alter an exposure, meaning if a player has exposed 3 tiles, they cannot add a fourth one to that exposure. The exposure must be played in the way it was placed on the rack at the time of exposing.

If a player calls and exposes a tile, that counts as that player's turn and they end their turn by discarding a tile from their rack. The gameplay then continues to the player seated to the right of the player who called and exposed the tile.

To win in American Mahjong, a player must be the first to match all 14 tiles to a specific hand on the National Mah Jongg League card. When a player has won, they exclaim “Mahj!” or “Mahjong!” and then display the full hand on top of the rack.

The player who has declared “Mahj” will then tell the other players which hand was completed and all players will check the hand against the NMJL Card.

 

In American Mahjong, following the rules set out by the National Mah Jongg League, a Joker can be used as a wild card tile in exposures of 3+ like tiles.

A Joker can be used to complete any section of a player's hand as long as the section is a grouping of three or more like tiles. A Joker cannot be used to replace a tile in a single, pair, or group of singles; a group of singles is NEWS or the year (ie. 2025).

Allowed groupings with a Joker:

When calling a tile for an exposure, a player can complete the section of their hand using any combination of the required tile and Jokers. Once a Joker is exposed, any player can exchange the represented tile to reclaim that Joker, including the player who exposed the Joker.

A player can even use all Jokers for a section of their hand. You do not have to have any of the represented tiles, as long as the grouping is 3+ (a pung, kong, or quint).

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To exchange for an exposed Joker, a player should begin their turn by drawing and racking a tile from the wall, then hand the represented tile to the player who has exposed the Joker, then add the Joker to the rack and discard a tile to end the turn. A player can make as many Joker exchanges as they have tiles for during their turn.

If a player accidentally misses an opportunity to exchange for an exposed Joker and discards the tile needed for a Joker swap, that tile cannot be called by another player for a Joker swap. The discarded tile may be called for a separate exposure by another player.

Sometimes, a player must discard a Joker. Typically, this occurs when the player has all tiles needed for the sections of their hand that are 3+ tiles and all that is left to complete are singles, pairs, or groups of singles. If a Joker is discarded, that Joker is then Dead for good and cannot be called or recovered using a Blank. 

Mahjong Tile Sets from Southern Sparrow include 10 Jokers. NMJL and Tournament Rules allow for the use of 8 Jokers. If you're playing tourney rules, you will want to remove 2 Jokers before playing.

Mahjong tile sets come with 6 Blank tiles called "Blanks." Historically, Blanks were included in a set of mahjong tiles in case a tile got lost. A Blank tile could be either sent into the manufacturer to be engraved with the lost tile design or (in more recent times) folks could just use a sharpie to write the name of the lost tile on their Blank. 

At Southern Sparrow, we will replace lost tiles for free, so the Blank tiles are no longer needed to represent a lost tile. Some folks have since chosen to play using those Blank tiles as a way to recover Dead discarded tiles.

Playing with Blanks in American Mahjong is a rather controversial topic, since Blanks are not used in NMJL rules. In our opinion, a player should know how to play following the NMJL rules, without Blanks. But, we also acknowledge that many of us play mahjong for fun and social time, so we love playing with Blanks! Be sure to check with your group before the game starts to ensure that everyone at your table is on the same page on whether or not you will be playing with Blanks. 

If your group chooses to play with Blanks, a Blank can be used to recover a Dead discarded tile at any time during the game. Remember, a Dead tile is a tile that was previously discarded and not called for an exposure. Since players are unable to call for a discarded tile unless they can complete an exposure or if the tile is needed for a single/pair/group of singles, sometimes a tile needed to win cannot be called. This is when playing with Blanks comes in handy and opens up more ways to win.

A player can use a Blank at any time during gameplay, not just on that player's turn. The trick to using Blanks strategically is to be sneaky when exchanging for a Dead tile. The player simply swaps the Blank tile for the Dead tile they want to recover and then adds the recovered tile to their rack. The player using a Blank does not need to tell anyone what she is doing, nor does she need to show what tile she recovered.

Another strategic tip when using Blanks is to wait until the game has progressed enough to be sure what tile is best to recover with the Blank. It can be so disappointing to use a Blank to recover a Dead tile only to draw that tile on the next turn. Our advice is to wait until the first two walls have been consumed before starting to use your Blanks, unless you notice another player who seems interested in the same tile.

A typical Mahjong bout is made up of four games, with each person at the table acting as the Dealer once. After the first game, the person seated to the right of the East seat (first dealer) becomes the Dealer.

Shuffle all tiles and turn them face down then rebuild the walls. If there were walls that did not get fully consumed during the last game, be sure to shuffle those tiles again as well.

We all likely know what it means to "Mahj," but are you confident that you know the difference between a kong and a pung? How about a "heavenly hand?" Here is a non-exhaustive list of mahjong terms and phrases you may come across in playing our favorite game.

Mahjong: A rummy-like game played with tiles. The name Mahjong means Sparrow because the sound of shuffling tiles sounds like the chattering of sparrows. Players call "Mahjong" when they win.

Mahj: Short for Mahjong, often exclaimed when a player wins the game. Also used when you spy your friends across the room and say, "wanna Mahj?!"

Charleston: The passing of tiles, 3-at-a-time, around the table in a pattern. This happens after the deal before gameplay begins. Tiles are passed right, over, left, then left, over, right (ROLLOR). The first three passes (ROL) are required and after that any player can stop the Charleston or continue. If you choose to continue, you must do all three passes of the second Charleston.

Blind Pass: Passing tiles during the Charleston that were passed to you without looking at them. This is helpful if you don't have enough tiles that you want to get rid of--you can take tiles meant for you and pass them directly on. Blind Pass can only be done during the first left or the last right of the Charleston.

Courtesy Pass: After the Charleston, players across the table from each other agree to exchange 0, 1, 2, or 3 tiles with each other. This is the final chance to swap tiles before the gameplay begins.

Curtsy: This refers to pushing out the walls. Walls are pushed out in the opposite direction of gameplay. The dealer pushes out her wall first, then walls are curtsied to the left of the dealer around the table as needed.

ROLLOR: Right, Over, Left, Left, Over, Right. This is the acronym to remember which direction to pass tiles during the Charleston. First to the Right, then Over/across, then Left. Then, if your table chooses to do a second Charleston: Left, Over, Right.

East Seat: This is the first person to deal at the table. When you first sit down, all players roll the dice. The highest roll is the East Seat and deals first. After that first game, the deal moves around the table to the right.

Numbers of Tiles:

• Single - a single tile. Jokers cannot be used as a single in your hand. You cannot call for a single unless it is the final tile you need to Mahj. 
  
• Pair - two like tiles. Jokers cannot be used to make a pair in your hand. You cannot call for a tile to make a pair unless it is the final tile you need to Mahj. 
  
• Pung - a group of three like tiles. You can call for tiles to complete a pung and Jokers may be used for any or all of your pung. 
  
• Kong - a group of four like tiles. You can call for tiles to complete a kong and Jokers may be used for any or all of your kong. 
  
• Quint - a group of five like tiles. You can call for tiles to complete a quint and Jokers must be used to complete your quint. 
  
• Group of Singles - groups of multiple non-matching tiles. For example 2025 or NEWS. Though they appear to be Kongs on the card, they are actually groups of singles and therefore cannot be called for and cannot use Jokers. 
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NMJL: The governing body of American Mah Jongg, the National Mah Jongg League. The NMJL is responsible for creating the cards we us to play American Mahjong. New cards are released every April.

Ghost: The empty seat when playing mahjong with 3 players. The Ghost is also sometimes called Sally or Bob, depending on your group.

Siamese: Playing Mahjong with just two players. In Siamese Mahjong, each player plays two hands at a time and Mahj is called once both hands have been completed by a single player. Siamese is a great way to get extra practice in, since you only need one other person to play. It is also a great way to learn a new card, as you get to p0lay multiple hands each game.

Bird Bam: The 1 Bam is also called Bird Bam because there is always a bird on that tile. Many groups choose to clink glasses and say "Cheers" when a Bird Bam is played--a fun little house rule.

Soap: The White Dragon or Dot Dragon is also called the Soap because its rectangular shape looks a bit like a bar of soap. The Soap is the only dragon that can also be used as a zero; when it is used as a zero it has no suit.

Calling: Players claim a discarded tile by saying "Call," or "Pause." Only the most recently discarded tile can be called. 

Exposing: When a player calls a tile, they must then expose that section of their hand to show that they have all of the tiles needed for that section. Only hands that have an X on the right hand side of the card can be exposed, so look carefully!

Concealed/Closed: Some hands have a letter C on the right hand side of the card, meaning they must be played closed or concealed. This means the player cannot call for any tiles to complete their hand except for the final tile to Mahj.

Live/Dead Tiles: The tile that has most recently been discarded is the Live tile. Live tiles stay Live until the next player racks their drawn tile. Once the next player racks their tile the discarded tile is Dead. A Dead tile can only be taken from the middle using a Blank and only if your group plays with blanks.

Heavenly Hand: After the deal, without passing any tiles in the Charleston, the dealer's hand is a Mahjong (complete hand to win). In this case, the dealer wins and there is no Charleston.