American Mahjong Rules: Complete Guide

American Mahjong is a four-player tile game governed by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL), which has published an official hand card every year since 1937. Unlike other mahjong variants, American Mahjong uses 152 tiles — including 8 Jokers — and requires players to match one specific hand pattern from the annually updated NMJL card. This guide walks you through every rule you need to start playing.

What Makes American Mahjong Different from Other Variants?

American Mahjong stands apart from Chinese, Japanese, and other variants in several fundamental ways. The game uses a larger tile set, wild tiles called Jokers, a unique tile-passing ritual called the Charleston, and an official card of approved hand patterns that changes every year.

In most other mahjong variants, players build hands from common combinations like runs (sequences of consecutive numbered tiles) and sets (three or four matching tiles). American Mahjong does not allow sequential runs at all. Instead, every winning hand is built from groups, pairs, and sometimes quints — five of the same tile, made possible by Jokers.

The NMJL card is the heart of the game. Published every April, it contains roughly 70 or more hand patterns organized into categories. Players must match one of these patterns exactly to win. No improvisation is allowed. This makes American Mahjong more of a pattern-recognition and strategic-planning game than a hand-building game.

Another distinctive feature is the Charleston, a structured exchange of tiles at the start of each round. Players pass tiles to opponents in a set sequence, giving everyone a chance to shape their hand before regular play begins. No other major mahjong variant uses this mechanic.

American Mahjong is especially popular at community centers, libraries, synagogues, and social clubs across the United States. If you want to find American Mahjong near you, chances are good that a group meets regularly in your area. For a broader look at how different variants compare, visit our Mahjong Rules Overview.

How Many Tiles Are in an American Mahjong Set?

An American Mahjong set contains 152 tiles, which is more than the 136 tiles found in standard Chinese or Japanese sets. The extra tiles come from the addition of 8 Jokers and 8 Flowers, neither of which appears in Riichi (Japanese) Mahjong.

Here is the full tile breakdown:

The three suits — Craks (characters), Bams (bamboos), and Dots (circles) — each contain tiles numbered 1 through 9, with four copies of every tile. For a deeper dive into every tile type and what it looks like, check out our Mahjong Tiles Guide.

Winds and Dragons are collectively called "honor tiles." Flowers and Jokers are unique to the American game. Jokers act as wild tiles that can substitute for any tile in a group of three or more, but they cannot be used in pairs. Flowers function as their own category and appear in specific hands on the NMJL card.

One quotable fact worth remembering: American Mah Jongg uses 16 more tiles than any other major variant, and those 16 extra tiles — the Jokers and Flowers — are what give the game its distinctive strategic flavor.

How Do You Set Up and Start a Game?

Every game of American Mahjong begins with building the wall, breaking it, dealing tiles, and performing the Charleston. Setup takes about 5 minutes once all players know the routine.

Building and Breaking the Wall

All 152 tiles are placed face-down on the table and shuffled thoroughly. Each player then builds a wall of tiles in front of them. Each wall is 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high (19 × 2 = 38 tiles per player, and 38 × 4 = 152 total).

One player rolls the dice to determine where the wall is broken. The dealer counts from the right end of their wall and separates the tiles at that point. Dealing begins from the break point.

Dealing Tiles

The dealer distributes tiles in a specific pattern. Each player receives stacks of tiles in turns until the deal is complete:

• East (the dealer) receives 14 tiles
• South, West, and North each receive 13 tiles

The dealer starts with one extra tile because the dealer takes the first "turn" by discarding rather than drawing. This means the dealer begins the game by choosing a tile to throw away.

The Charleston: Passing Tiles

The Charleston is a structured tile exchange unique to American Mahjong. It happens after the deal and before regular play begins. The Charleston has three mandatory passes and an optional second Charleston:

1. First Right: Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player on your right
2. First Across: Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player across from you
3. First Left: Pass 3 unwanted tiles to the player on your left

After these three passes, all four players must agree to do an optional second Charleston. If even one player declines, it stops. The optional second Charleston reverses the order: left, across, right.

Finally, there is a Courtesy Pass: the player across from you may exchange 0, 1, 2, or 3 tiles with you by mutual agreement.

The Charleston is one of the most strategic parts of the game. It gives players a chance to dump tiles that do not fit their target hand while receiving tiles that might. Experienced players start reading the NMJL card during the deal and refine their strategy through each pass.

How Do You Play a Turn in American Mahjong?

A turn in American Mahjong follows a simple cycle: draw a tile, evaluate your hand, and discard a tile. Play moves counterclockwise around the table, starting with the player to the dealer's right.

Drawing and Discarding

On your turn, you pick up one tile from the top of the wall. You add it to your hand, decide which tile you need least, and place that tile face-up in the center of the table while announcing its name clearly. For example, you would say "3 Bam" or "West" so all players can hear.

Naming your discard is required in American Mahjong. This ensures that all players — including those who are not looking directly at the table — know what tile is available.

Calling Tiles: When Can You Take a Discard?

Any player can claim a discarded tile under specific conditions, regardless of whose turn it is:

• For a group (Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet): You can call a discarded tile to complete or extend a group of identical tiles, but only if you expose (reveal) that group immediately. You must have at least 2 natural (non-Joker) tiles in the exposed group.
• For Mahjong (winning): You can call any discard that completes your winning hand, whether it finishes a group or a pair.

You cannot call a discard just to form a pair (unless that pair completes your winning hand). And remember, there are no sequential runs in American Mahjong — you never call a tile to make a sequence like 4-5-6.

When multiple players want the same discard, the player calling Mahjong (a win) always has priority. If no one is calling Mahjong, the player whose turn is closest (counterclockwise from the discarder) gets priority.

Exposures: Showing Tiles on the Table

When you call a discard and take it, you must "expose" the completed group by placing it face-up on top of your rack for all players to see. Exposures are permanent — you cannot take those tiles back into your concealed hand.

Exposures give your opponents valuable information. They can see which hand patterns you might be pursuing. This is why many experienced players prefer "concealed" hands (hands that require no exposures) when possible — they keep opponents guessing.

The NMJL card marks certain hands with a "C" to indicate they must be completed entirely concealed, meaning you cannot call any discards except the final tile for Mahjong. Other hands allow some or all groups to be exposed.

How Do Jokers Work in American Mahjong?

Jokers are wild tiles that can substitute for any other tile in a group of three or more identical tiles. American Mahjong is the only major variant that uses Jokers, and they add a powerful layer of flexibility and strategy.

Joker Rules at a Glance

• A Joker can replace any tile in a Pung (3 of a kind), Kong (4 of a kind), Quint (5 of a kind), or Sextet (6 of a kind)
• Jokers cannot be used in pairs — a pair must consist of 2 natural (non-Joker) tiles
• Jokers cannot be used as single tiles in a hand pattern
• If a group is exposed on your rack and contains a Joker, any player who holds the natural tile that the Joker represents can swap it during their turn — they exchange the natural tile for the Joker and add the Joker to their hand
• A discarded Joker cannot be claimed by any player — it is dead once it hits the table

Joker swapping is one of the most exciting tactical moves in the game. If an opponent has exposed a Kong of 7 Dots with one Joker, and you hold a natural 7 Dot, you can trade your 7 Dot for their Joker on your turn. This gives you a powerful wild tile while costing you a tile you may not need.

Because there are only 8 Jokers in the entire 152-tile set, they are highly prized. Players rarely discard them. A hand with 2 or 3 Jokers has significantly more flexibility than a hand with none. Roughly 5% of all tiles in the set are Jokers, but their impact on gameplay is far greater than that percentage suggests.

Hands that require Quints (5 of a kind) are only possible because of Jokers — since there are only 4 copies of any regular tile, you need at least 1 Joker to form a Quint. Some hands on the NMJL card require multiple Quints, making them Joker-hungry and risky to attempt.

How Do You Win and Score in American Mahjong?

You win by completing a hand that exactly matches one of the patterns on the current NMJL card. The first player to do so declares "Mahjong!" and the round ends immediately.

Declaring Mahjong

To win, your 14 tiles (13 in hand plus the final draw or called discard) must match a hand on the NMJL card tile for tile. The suits, numbers, and groupings must all align precisely. If you declare Mahjong and your hand does not match a valid pattern, you are penalized — typically you pay each other player and sit out the rest of that round.

There are two ways to complete your winning hand:

1. Self-drawn: You draw the winning tile from the wall yourself
2. Called: You claim another player's discard as your winning tile

Scoring and Payment

American Mahjong uses a money-based scoring system. The standard rate is 25 cents per point, though groups set their own stakes. Each hand on the NMJL card has a point value — typically 25 or 30 cents for standard hands, with higher values for more difficult patterns.

Here is how payment works:

For a detailed breakdown of point values and payment scenarios, see our American Mahjong Scoring guide.

A key fact: the player who discards the winning tile bears the heaviest financial penalty. This creates a strong defensive incentive. As the game progresses and you see opponents' exposures, you must think carefully about which tiles are safe to discard. Throwing the wrong tile can cost you double.

Dead Hands and Penalties

If you make an error — such as exposing the wrong tiles, having too many or too few tiles, or declaring a false Mahjong — your hand is declared "dead." A dead hand cannot win. You must continue to draw and discard for the rest of the round, but you are effectively out of contention. You still pay the winner at the end.

What Are the Best Strategies for Beginners?

New players should focus on reading the NMJL card effectively, staying flexible in early turns, and learning to play defensively as the game progresses. Strategy in American Mahjong grows deeper with experience, but these fundamentals give beginners a strong foundation.

Read the Card Before You Play

Before the game starts, spend 10–15 minutes studying the current NMJL card. Familiarize yourself with the hand categories: 2468, Quints, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds–Dragons, 369, Singles and Pairs, and others. Knowing what hands exist helps you spot possibilities quickly once tiles are dealt.

Stay Flexible Early, Commit Later

After the deal and Charleston, identify 2 or 3 possible hands that fit your tiles. Do not lock into one hand too early. As you draw and discard over the first several turns, one hand will usually emerge as the strongest option. Commit to it once the direction is clear — typically after 4 to 6 turns.

Defensive Play

Watch your opponents' exposures carefully. If a player has exposed a Pung of Red Dragons, you can narrow down which hands they might be building. Avoid discarding tiles that could complete their hand. When in doubt late in the game, discard tiles that have already been thrown by others — these are generally safer.

Joker Management

Never discard a Joker unless you have absolutely no use for it and are not at risk of giving away information (since Jokers cannot be claimed from the discard pile, this is purely about hand efficiency). Hold Jokers as long as possible — they provide flexibility to pivot between hands.

Find a Group and Practice

American Mahjong is best learned by playing regularly. Many community centers and libraries host weekly games that welcome newcomers. You can find mahjong lessons near you or join a mahjong club to practice with experienced players who can answer questions in real time.

Key Takeaways

• American Mahjong uses 152 tiles, including 8 Jokers and 8 Flowers — more than any other major variant
• The NMJL card, published every April, lists roughly 70 or more valid winning hands — you must match one exactly to win
• The Charleston is a structured 3-tile passing ritual at the start of each round that lets you shape your hand before play begins
• Jokers are wild tiles that substitute for any tile in groups of 3 or more, but they cannot be used in pairs and cannot be claimed from the discard pile
• There are no sequential runs in American Mahjong — all groups are sets of identical tiles (Pungs, Kongs, Quints)
• The player who discards the winning tile pays double, creating strong incentive for defensive play
• Exposures reveal information to opponents — concealed hands are harder to play but keep your strategy hidden

Ready to Play?

Now that you understand the rules of American Mahjong, the best next step is to get to a table and start playing. Reading about the game only takes you so far — the real learning happens when tiles are in your hands.

If you are brand new, consider taking a structured class. You can find mahjong lessons near you to learn from experienced instructors who will walk you through your first games. If you already have the basics down and want regular practice, join a mahjong club in your area. American Mahjong thrives in social settings, and most groups are welcoming to players of all skill levels.

Related Articles

• Mahjong Rules Overview — Compare American, Chinese, Japanese, and other mahjong variants
• American Mahjong Scoring — Detailed guide to point values, payment, and penalties
• Mahjong Tiles Guide — Visual guide to every tile type across all major variants
• Find American Mahjong Near You — Locate games, groups, and events in your area