American Mahjong FAQ

Jokers can NEVER be used in singles or pairs — only in groups of 3 or more: Pungs (3), Kongs (4), Quints (5), and Sextets (6).

→ Joker rules explained

Yes. MAHJ recommends taking the lessons in order because they build on each other, but every lesson included with your purchase is available to you. If you open a lesson early, you may see a recommendation to complete an earlier lesson first — tap "Open Lesson X anyway" to continue. Prefer not to see these reminders? Go to Settings → Lesson guidance and turn off "Remind me before I skip ahead." Your progress is kept either way, and there are no additional lesson-pack charges.

Yes — the NMJL® card defines all legal winning hands for the year. Without it you can't play official American mahjong. The card is published annually by the National Mah Jongg League, expires each spring, and is inexpensive (around $14) — available directly from nationalmahjonggleague.org.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A single hand typically takes 15–25 minutes once you know the rules — longer for beginners. A typical home session runs 4 hands (each player is East once) and takes 2–3 hours. Tournaments are shorter and timed.

→ How to play American Mahjong

To claim a discard for a Kong, you must already hold three that fit it — real tiles, a Joker, or a mix. You had three 1-Bams, so the called one made four — but only two 2-Bams and no Joker, one short.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

X means the hand is exposed — you may call discards and lay groups on top of your rack as you go. C means concealed — you can't call anything during play except the single tile that completes your Mahjong. Concealed hands are harder to finish; any higher printed value is already built into the card, so don't add anything extra for a hand being concealed. Printed values generally reflect difficulty, but the number is not a simple ranking of which hand you should choose.

→ How to read the NMJL card

American Mahjong is built for exactly four players, and the NMJL® card assumes four. It also works with three: the official NMJL® way skips the Charleston entirely — deal 13 tiles to each of the three players (East takes an extra 14th, as in the four-player game), leave the unused fourth wall on the table to draw from, and play the tiles you're dealt. (A popular house-rule version adds a fictional fourth player to keep the Charleston alive.) For two players, the standard format is the community two-player variant commonly called Siamese Mahjong — each player builds two hands at once on two racks (27 tiles, no Charleston), and you win only by completing both. ("Siamese Mah Jongg®" is a trademark of its owner; MAHJ is an independent educational tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.) With five or more, the simplest approach is to rotate, with one person sitting out each hand.

→ Siamese Mahjong

American mahjong (NMJL®) uses 152 tiles (adds 8 Jokers), requires the NMJL® card defining specific legal hands, includes the Charleston tile-passing phase, and scores by hand value with the discarder paying double.

→ American vs. Chinese Mahjong

Always do the 2-second mental check before calling. Once an exposure is finalized, its group type is locked — for example, an exposed Pung can't later become a Kong — so a bad call can leave you no hand to finish. (A mistake caught while the exposure is still being made may be corrected before it's finalized.)

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

American mahjong sets generally range from $60 to over $400, with most standard complete sets (racks and pushers included) priced between $100 and $250. Budget-friendly basic sets can be found around $60; premium, designer, or high-end wooden sets often exceed $300–400. Make sure the set includes Jokers — sets sold as "Chinese mahjong" often don't.

→ Gear Guide

It is free and it is still in the app. Tap the gear at the top of any screen, then Settings → Printable Cheat Sheet. You can also reach it from Home → At the Table → Cheat Sheet. It is a one-page quick reference for game night: setup, the Charleston, calling, jokers, and scoring. From that page you can print it or save the PDF.

→ Open the Cheat Sheet

You swapped one exact tile for a Joker — and a Joker can stand in for any tile you still need to finish a group of 3 or more.

→ Joker rules explained

Won off a discard — only the discarder pays double: 30¢ × 2 = 60¢. The other two pay 30¢ each, so you collect $1.20 total. (Win off your own draw and all three would pay double.)

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

The rules in parentheses say "Any 4 Consec. Nos." — meaning the numbers are a pattern. 1-2-3-4 could be 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8, or any other consecutive set. One suit only.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Same color on the card means same suit. You pick which suit — but all groups in that color must match.

→ How to read the NMJL card

C means concealed — you build it hidden. The only discard you may call is the one that completes your Mahjong. X means exposed, where calling is allowed, so beginners should favor X hands.

→ How to read the NMJL card

Make sure your rack is sorted — Bams, Craks, Dots grouped together, ordered by number. This makes patterns visible.

→ What is the Charleston?

Yes — and this surprises almost everyone. The Red Dragon pairs with Craks, the Green Dragon with Bams, and the Soap (White Dragon) with Dots. When the card asks for dragons that match a suit, this is the pairing it means. Winds, Flowers, and Jokers are the tiles that truly have no suit.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Every winning hand is exactly 14 tiles. If your count doesn't add up to 14, re-check how you're reading the groups.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Four tiles together form a kong — one group of 4 identical tiles. Two pairs would be shown with a space between them (XX XX).

The 1 Bam usually shows a bird — a peacock, sparrow, or rooster — instead of a bamboo stalk, so it's the tile beginners most often mistake for a Flower. Flowers show plants, seasons, or scenes and are usually numbered or marked differently by the set maker. Quick check: if there's a bird on it, it's the 1 Bam.

→ What are Flowers?

A Year hand is built from the digits of the year printed on your NMJL card — with Soap as the zero. Check your tiles against those digits.

→ Strategy for winning

There are 8 Flower tiles with different designs; they are interchangeable in American Mahjong play.

→ What are Flowers?

There are 8 Jokers, and they're the most powerful tiles in the game.

→ Joker rules explained

36 Bams + 36 Craks + 36 Dots (108 number tiles) + 16 winds + 12 dragons + 8 flowers + 8 jokers = 152.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

C means concealed. You cannot call any discards during play — except for Mahjong (the final winning tile). Every other tile must come from the wall or Charleston.

→ How to read the NMJL card

The 1 Bam is the famous 'bird' tile — almost every set draws it as a bird instead of a stalk.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

They don't help any of your candidates, so they're usually the first tiles to consider letting go.

→ Strategy for winning

A full American Mahjong set has 152 playing tiles: three suits of 1–9 with 4 copies each (108), 4 copies each of the four Winds (16), 4 copies each of the three Dragons (12), 8 Flowers, and 8 Jokers. If a set has only 144 tiles, it's missing the Jokers — that's a Chinese-style set.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

One of the three suits, depicted with bamboo stalks. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

A common nickname for the 1 Bam tile, which depicts a bird (often a peacock, sparrow, or rooster) instead of a single bamboo stalk. It looks similar to a Flower at first glance — if there's a bird on it, it's a 1 Bam.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

One of the three suits, marked with the Chinese character for the number. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

One of the three suits, depicted as round circles or coins. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Each Dragon belongs to a suit: Red Dragon with Craks, Green Dragon with Bams, and Soap (White Dragon) with Dots. When a hand on the card asks for dragons that match a suit, this pairing is what it means. Winds, Flowers, and Jokers, by contrast, belong to no suit at all.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Three types: Red Dragon (中), Green Dragon (發), and the White Dragon — the marked playing tile everyone calls Soap. 4 copies of each.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

There are 8 Flower tiles in the set. They usually show different pictures (sometimes called 4 flowers + 4 seasons), but at the American table they're all just "Flowers" — any Flower works as any other, and they belong to no suit. They're regular playing tiles that show up as F in specific hands on the card.

→ What are Flowers?

The wild-card tile. There are 8 in the set. Jokers may substitute in any group of 3+ identical tiles (Pungs, Kongs, Quints, Sextets), but never in a pair or single. Cannot be passed in the Charleston, cannot be called from the discard pile.

→ Joker rules explained

Mnemonic for the four Wind tiles: North, East, West, South — the order they're commonly listed in hands on the card. Play itself simply moves to your right around the table, starting with East.

→ How to read the NMJL card

The tile holder in front of each player. Has a ledge where your tiles sit facing you (hidden from others) and a flat top area where exposed groups go when you call.

→ How to set up the game

The everyday name for the White Dragon — a marked playing tile, not one of the unmarked spare blanks that come in the box. It pulls double duty: it's a Dragon in Winds & Dragons hands, and wherever the card shows a 0, that 0 is a Soap. Used as a zero it is suitless — it belongs to no suit.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Four types — East (東), South (南), West (西), North (北) — with 4 copies of each. Used in specific hands on the card and to mark seating positions.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

Pairs and Pungs you already hold are strong signals. A hand that uses tiles you have is far more realistic.

→ Strategy for winning

Green Dragon goes with Bams, Red Dragon goes with Craks, and White Dragon (Soap) goes with Dots.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

The three number suits are Bams (bamboo), Craks (characters), and Dots (circles).

→ The 152 tiles, explained

With 2\u20133 candidates, more of the tiles you draw help at least one of them. Committing to 1 hand too early means every draw that misses it is a wasted turn.

→ Strategy for winning

Each wall is 19 stacks long and 2 tiles high. 4 walls × 19 × 2 = 152 tiles, exactly the whole set.

→ How to set up the game

Three players get 13 tiles; East gets 14. In the final deal, East takes both the 1st and 3rd tiles (the "leapfrog") and ends up with one extra. East's first discard officially starts the game.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

2 tiles high. Build the bottom row first, then place the top row on top.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

East rolls two dice and breaks their own wall. The dice total tells you how many stacks in from the right end to split. The opening point is where East draws the first tiles.

→ How to set up the game

Pushing the next wall forward and slightly diagonal so it can be dealt from when the current wall runs out.

→ How to set up the game

Strictly speaking, there is no dealer in American Mahjong — each player takes their own tiles from the wall. The role other games give a dealer belongs to East: East breaks the wall, draws first, starts with the extra 14th tile, and makes the first discard, which officially starts the game.

→ How to set up the game

The player who starts with the extra 14th tile and makes the first discard — the official start of the game. East breaks the wall and draws first. The other seats are also named by direction, though those terms are rarely used outside tournaments. After each hand, East rotates to the right (counter-clockwise).

→ How to set up the game

Same word, 3 meanings: • Your hand — the tiles you're holding • A winning hand — the pattern you're building • A hand of Mahjong — one complete round

The shuffle. All 152 tiles are placed face-down and mixed around by hand before building the wall. Also called "washing."

→ How to set up the game

Sliding your wall forward toward the center of the table so it can be drawn from. When the current wall runs out during the deal, the next player to the left (clockwise) pushes their wall in. See also Curtsy.

→ How to set up the game

The long flat arm attached to (or paired with) your rack, used to slide your wall of tiles toward the center of the table without knocking it over. American sets usually include four. They're not required — you can push the wall by hand — but they keep the wall straight and save your back.

→ How to set up the game

Placing a drawn tile onto your rack. After someone discards, the next player should pause briefly before racking to give others a chance to call.

→ When can you call a tile?

The 4-sided structure of stacked tiles in the middle of the table at the start of the game. Each side is built by one player: 19 tiles long, 2 high.

→ How to set up the game

When a wall runs out, the player on the left pushes their wall toward the center. Dealing continues from there.

→ How to set up the game

Both play and deal move to the right (counter-clockwise). East takes tiles first, then the player to East's right, then across, then left. Each player takes their own tiles from the wall.

→ How to set up the game

East rolls two dice. The total tells East where in their own wall to break.

→ How to set up the game

Any one player can stop the second Charleston — no agreement or reason needed — before anyone looks at the tiles coming in on its first (left) pass. The Courtesy Pass still follows.

→ What is the Charleston?

Never. Jokers can never be passed in the Charleston — they're your most valuable tiles.

→ Joker rules explained

If other players are passing Dots, they're not collecting them. That's good news for you if Dots are part of your plan.

→ What is the Charleston?

Flowers are a judgment call, not a rule: they fit many hands and can be hard to replace, so early on keep them unless they clearly don't fit the hands you're considering. The Joker is the one you can never pass.

→ What is the Charleston?

Every Charleston pass is exactly 3 tiles, traded face-down with another player.

→ What is the Charleston?

A move on the first left (pass 3) or the last right (pass 6) where you push along 1, 2, or 3 tiles you just received without looking at them. Not allowed on the courtesy pass. Peeking before deciding is considered cheating.

→ What is the Charleston?

The unique tile-trading ritual at the start of every American Mahjong hand — 6 passes plus an optional courtesy. First Charleston (right → across → left) is mandatory; second Charleston (left → across → right) is optional. Followed by the optional courtesy pass with the player across.

→ What is the Charleston?

The Courtesy Pass is the final optional pass of the Charleston. You and the player across from you may exchange 0, 1, 2, or 3 tiles. If you want different numbers, you exchange the smaller number. Each opposite pair decides independently.

The mandatory first three passes: right → across → left. Everyone must do all three. Cannot be skipped. The one exception is a Heavenly Hand: if East's original 14 tiles are already Mahjong, East declares immediately and no Charleston takes place.

→ What is the Charleston?

Mnemonic for the Charleston sequence: Right → Over (across) → Left → Left → Over → Right → optional courtesy. The two halves mirror each other around the "LL" in the middle.

→ What is the Charleston?

The optional second round of three passes (left → across → right) that happens after the first Charleston. Any one player can call "stop" to skip it — no agreement or reason needed — but only before anyone looks at the tiles coming in on its first (left) pass. Once the second Charleston starts, all three passes must be completed; you can't stop partway through. The Courtesy Pass still follows.

→ What is the Charleston?

First Charleston: right, then across, then left. Second Charleston (optional): left, then across, then last right. Then the courtesy pass with the player across.

→ What is the Charleston?

Flexibility is power. Keeping tiles that could work for multiple hands on the card gives you the best chance of finding a winning path.

→ What is the Charleston?

If you don't have obvious tiles to give away, or you're unsure what you're building, "zero" is the smart, safe answer.

→ What is the Charleston?

Your pair of 1 Craks is real progress; the 9 Crak is a lone single with no pair of its own. Early on, keep your pairs and let unsupported singles go. (1 and 9 do both fit a 13579 odd-numbers hand — but you can't build a hand on one far tile, and you commit to a specific hand later.)

Both pass the lower number.

Never pass a pair if you can help it — a joker can't build one for you. If you must, split it: send the two tiles to different players so no single opponent gets a ready-made pair.

→ What is the Charleston?

Re-sort the whole rack first. A tile you just received can go straight back along if it doesn't help — but an older tile may now be your weakest. Choose the weakest 3 from the whole rack, not just from the 3 that arrived.

Yes. Discards stay face-up on the table for the entire hand — you can scan them anytime to count what's dead and read the table. Some groups push older discards aside or sort them; either way they're visible.

→ When can you call a tile?

Generally no — once you've named the tile and set it in the center, it belongs to the table and your turn is over. If you name it wrong, that's a misnamed discard, which carries its own consequences under NMJL® Article 67 rather than a do-over. The habit to build: look at the tile, say its name, then let go — in that order.

→ When can you call a tile?

The first Charleston (right, across, left) is required every hand. The second Charleston (left, across, right) is optional — any one player can stop it, with no agreement or reason needed, as long as it's before anyone looks at the tiles coming in on its first (left) pass. Once it starts, all three passes must be completed; you can't stop partway through. Either way, the courtesy pass with the player across from you still follows, and it's optional too; either of you can pass zero tiles.

→ What is the Charleston?

Every normal turn: draw a tile from the wall, decide what to keep, discard one tile face-up.

→ How to play American Mahjong

That's a false Mahjong. What happens depends on what was exposed. If you exposed no new tiles for the declaration, you can take it back without penalty, and the hand stays alive — whether you drew the tile yourself or claimed a discard. If you exposed only a valid exposure completed by the claimed discard, retract the Mahjong and keep that exposure; the hand stays alive, you discard normally, and play continues with the player on your right. Only a claimed discard can be stepped back this way, so a self-drawn declaration that exposed tiles is dead. Once tiles for an invalid Mahjong are exposed, the hand is dead for the rest of the hand: your turn ends with no discard, play goes to the next live player on your right, and you stay seated but stop drawing and discarding, and still pay the winner if someone else goes out. If another player can legally use that same claimed discard for Mahjong, they may take it; otherwise it stays with the dead hand. Other players should wait until the declared Mahjong is verified before exposing or mixing their own tiles.

→ When can you call a tile?

That's called a wall game. The hand simply ends — no one pays and no one wins. Everyone throws their tiles in, the set gets mixed, and you build new walls for the next hand. Wall games are common, especially at careful tables, so don't be discouraged by one.

→ How to set up the game

A wall game means nobody won. No payments, just mix the tiles and deal again.

→ How to set up the game

Name every discard out loud and place it face-up in the middle of the table. This is an official NMJL® rule — it gives other players a chance to call.

→ When can you call a tile?

East already has 14 tiles, so they discard one to start the game. Play then moves to the right.

→ How to play American Mahjong

No — never. Jokers only substitute in groups of three or more identical tiles (Pungs, Kongs, Quints, and Sextets). Pairs and single tiles must always be the real, natural tiles. This is why Singles & Pairs hands can't use Jokers at all, and why the pair is often the hardest part of a hand to finish.

→ Joker rules explained

No — you can only call a discard to complete an exposure of three or more identical tiles (a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet), or to complete your whole hand for Mahjong. The one exception is that final Mahjong tile: it can be anything your hand needs, including the second tile of a pair. Until then, pairs come only from your own draws and the Charleston.

→ When can you call a tile?

Yes — Jokers live in the wall like every other tile. Drawing one is how most Jokers enter play. Once a Joker is in your hand it's yours; no special procedure needed.

→ Joker rules explained

No. Jokers can never be passed in the Charleston or the courtesy pass — if you're lucky enough to be dealt one, it stays with you. Passing one by accident is a real (and awkward) beginner mistake, so double-check your three tiles before you slide them over.

→ What is the Charleston?

Discarded Jokers are dead. They cannot be called or claimed by anyone — which is why discarding a Joker is usually a last resort. That's strategy, not a rule: a deliberate deny-it play can be an exception.

→ Joker rules explained

Once you rack the tile, the previous discard is no longer callable per NMJL® rules. If someone wanted to call but didn't say it before your rack landed, they lose the call. This is why pausing a beat before racking is good etiquette — it gives the table a chance to call.

→ When can you call a tile?

Mahjong beats an ordinary call while that discard is still live — until the ordinary caller makes their new discard. When both claims are for the same purpose (two exposure calls, or two Mahjong calls), the player next in turn order from the discarder — closest to the discarder's right — normally gets it. One narrow exception: if a farther player had already begun a valid exposure (the called tile on their rack, or matching tiles being laid down) before the next-in-turn player claimed it, that exposure establishes the claim. Reaching, touching, or grabbing faster never counts, and saying "wait" pauses play without claiming the tile or granting priority. Once the caller exposes and makes their own discard, the previous discard can no longer be claimed.

→ When can you call a tile?

The stretch of time when a discard can still be claimed: from the moment it's named until the next player commits to their turn. The window closes as soon as that next player does any one of four things — racks their drawn tile, starts a joker exchange, makes their own discard, or declares Mahjong. Just drawing the wall tile and tapping it on the table, without racking, does NOT close the window — the previous discard is still callable until one of those commitments happens. This is why the polite pause before racking matters — it keeps the window honestly open.

→ When can you call a tile?

Claiming another player's discarded tile to complete a Pung, Kong, Quint, Sextet, or Mahjong. You must say it out loud ("Call!" or "Mahjong!") before the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong.

→ When can you call a tile?

A hand marked "C" on the card. You cannot call any tiles during play (you can still claim a discarded tile to win on Mahjong, but not before). Any higher printed value is already built into the card — use the printed value; concealed is NOT a payout multiplier.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

A tile placed face-up in the center of the table at the end of a turn — you must say its name out loud as you place it. Once you say its full name, or the tile touches the table, it's dead to you: you can't take it back into your hand or use it for a joker exchange. But if you've only said part of the name (like “seven”) and it's still in your hand, you can change your mind. Meanwhile, other players can still call your discard (to complete a group) until the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong. A discard can never be used for a joker exchange, though — those always come from a player's own hand.

→ When can you call a tile?

Laying a called group face-up on top of your rack so all players can see it. Required when you call a discard for a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet. Once finalized, an exposure can't be taken back. A mistake caught while the exposure is still being made may be corrected. Exposures reveal information to opponents — every exposure is a tell.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

A hand marked "X" on the card. You may call tiles and expose groups during play. Usually easier to build than concealed hands.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

An exposure is a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet you make by calling another player's discard and placing the completed group face-up on top of your rack. Hands marked X on the NMJL® card allow exposures; hands marked C are concealed and do not allow exposures during play.

On your turn, if any exposed group contains a joker and you have the real tile that joker stands for, you can swap your real tile for the joker. Hand the tile to the player whose rack holds the joker — never reach onto their rack yourself. The tile you give always comes from your hand — never from the discard pile.

→ Joker rules explained

Four identical tiles. Can be made by drawing all four yourself, or by calling a discarded 4th when you already hold three. Jokers can substitute in a Kong.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

The win declaration. You say "Mahjong!" the moment your 14 tiles match a hand on the card. If you're winning on someone's discard, you must call it before the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong; a self-picked win you declare on your own turn.

→ Strategy for winning

Two identical tiles. Cannot be formed by calling (except as the final tile of a Mahjong claim). Jokers cannot substitute in a pair, ever.

→ Joker rules explained

Three identical tiles. Can be made by drawing them yourself or by calling a discarded 3rd when you already hold two matching tiles (two real, one real plus a joker, or two jokers). Jokers can substitute in a Pung.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

Five identical tiles — yes, that exists in some hands on the card. Since only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a quint of those always uses at least one joker — and the tiles you hold to make it can even be all jokers.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

Six identical tiles — a rare group that appears on only a few hands. On the 2026 card, Sextets are Flower groups (any mix of Flowers and Jokers). Since only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a sextet of those would need at least two jokers.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

A Pung is a group of 3 identical tiles. A Kong is 4 identical tiles. Both count as one group toward your hand. Some NMJL® hands also use Quints (5) and Sextets (6). All of these accept Jokers as substitutes — pairs and singles do not.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

Joker exchanges happen only on your own turn — after you've drawn from the wall (or called a discard and made your exposure), and before you discard. Give the real tile it stands for; take the Joker from any exposed group.

→ Joker rules explained

Jokers substitute only in pungs, kongs, quints, and sextets — groups of 3+. They can never be used in pairs or singles.

→ Joker rules explained

You can call for Pungs (3), Kongs (4), Quints (5), Sextets (6), or Mahjong. You can't call a discard just to make a single or a pair, and sequences can't be called — but if the discard is the final tile that completes your hand, you may call it for Mahjong, even for a single, a pair, or a NEWS or year tile.

→ When can you call a tile?

Don't panic — your exposure might fit a different hand on the card. Your hand is only dead if the exposed group doesn't work for ANY valid hand. Always look for alternatives before giving up.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

'C' means fully concealed — no exposures, not even one Pung. The one exception: calling Mahjong on a discard that completes your entire hand. Calling for a Pung, Kong, Quint (five of a kind), or Sextet (six) kills the hand. Can't win on it now? Pass.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

A concealed hand (marked 'C' on the card) allows no exposures — they'll never call for a pung, kong, quint, or sextet, only for the discard that completes Mahjong. Every other tile comes from the wall or Charleston. But no exposures is a clue, not proof: they may simply not have had a useful call yet.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

Two exposures with the same number (3) in different suits are a strong clue toward a like-numbers hand — so hold back your 3-Craks. That 3 could also sit in an odds or consecutive hand, so it's a clue, not proof.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

Two same-suit exposures are a strong clue toward a hand centered on Bams, so take extra care with Bams, especially ones that fit the exposed numbers. One clue isn't proof: some hands use more than one suit.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

If the other 3 copies are visible and you hold the 4th, all four natural copies are accounted for, so no one can call it with natural tiles. That's the lowest risk, not a guarantee: a player holding 2 Jokers could still call it for a Pung.

→ When can you call a tile?

Players pass tiles they don't want. Passing Craks means Craks don't fit their hand — likely safer to discard toward that player later, and possibly more available in the wall for your own Crak hand.

→ What is the Charleston?

This is MAHJ strategy guidance, not an official rule. At 3+ exposures an opponent could be close to Mahjong, so that's the usual point to fold and discard the lowest-risk tiles you can. At 2, lean more defensive if your own hand isn't progressing well.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

Almost never — treat every discard as carrying some risk. The lowest risk is a tile whose every other copy is already visible on the table (in discards or exposures), so no natural copies are unseen. Even then it isn't guaranteed safe: a player holding Jokers could still call it for a group, or be waiting to win on it. Short of that, you can only lower the risk — by reading exposures, watching what each player passes on, and favoring tiles similar to ones already ignored.

→ When can you call a tile?

When you're 2 tiles away, the wall doesn't have enough draws left to support starting over — stay the course. A near-complete hand beats a fresh start almost every time in late game; the exception is if your needed tiles are completely dead in the discard pile.

→ Strategy for winning

Early game (turns 1–5) is for keeping 2–3 candidates open. In mid-game, commit once one hand is genuinely pulling ahead, and start letting go of tiles only your backups use. If a hand stalls and its tiles are already gone, pivot instead.

→ Strategy for winning

Early game (Turns 1–5) is for patience and flexibility, not commitment — you haven't seen enough draws to know what the wall holds. Keep your candidates open and let the tiles guide you.

→ Strategy for winning

Only one real 2 Crak is left and a pair needs two — and a Joker can never fill a pair, so this hand can't finish. Pivoting to a backup that uses tiles you already hold is the sharper play — the longer you wait, the fewer draws you have left to recover.

→ When can you call a tile?

The suit nobody is discarding is likely the hot suit — someone may be actively collecting it. Discarding Bams into a table where nobody wants to throw them is a real risk.

Keep 2–3 candidates after the deal. Committing to 1 too early means every bad draw hurts you. Narrow down as the game progresses.

→ How to set up the game

Late in the game (your turn 13 on), if your hand still needs more tiles than you can realistically draw or call before the wall runs out, it can't finish in time. Stop chasing it — switch to defense and throw the lowest-risk tiles you can.

→ How to set up the game

Once you expose, you can still switch hands — but only to a hand that uses your exposed group. Your exposed tiles stay on your rack exactly as they are.

→ Pung, Kong, and Quint

Folding means you stop trying to win and discard only the lowest-risk tiles you can. You keep playing — you just don't want to feed the winner.

→ Strategy for winning

A hand category on the NMJL® card built entirely from odd-numbered tiles (1s, 3s, 5s, 7s, 9s). Specific 13579 hands change yearly, but the category name always means odd-only.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A section of the NMJL® card built around even-numbered tiles — 2s, 4s, 6s and 8s. Depending on the year's card, hands may also include Flowers, Winds or Dragons.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A hand category on the NMJL® card built around 3s, 6s, and 9s. Specific 369 hands change yearly, but the category name always restricts you to those three numbers.

→ How to read the NMJL card

One of the 2–3 hands on the card you're building toward early in the game. The flexibility curve narrows from 3 → 2 → 1 candidates as the game progresses.

→ Strategy for winning

The annual card published by the National Mah Jongg League® listing every legal winning hand for that year, with its value, suit restrictions, and whether it's exposed (X) or concealed (C). Required to play officially.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A hand category on the NMJL® card built from numbers in numerical order (e.g. 3-4-5 or 5-6-7). The card tells you the pattern (FF 11 222 333 4444); you choose which consecutive numbers to use within the constraint shown in parentheses.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A tile is dead for your hand when enough copies are already visible (in discards and exposures) that you can no longer collect what you need — if you need a Pung but three copies are on the table, your natural Pung is gone (though a Joker can still fill a group of three or more). A live tile still has enough unseen copies. Counting dead tiles is the heart of reading the table.

→ When can you call a tile?

Shifting from playing to win to playing to not lose. You keep playing — drawing and discarding — but choose only your lowest-risk discards because an opponent is dangerously close to winning.

→ Strategy for winning

A suit that nobody at the table is discarding. Usually means at least one opponent is hoarding it. Avoid feeding the hot suit.

→ Strategy for winning

A hand category built around the same number across multiple suits (e.g. groups of 5 Crak, 5 Bam, 5 Dot). Usually visible on the card under "Like Numbers."

→ How to read the NMJL card

The National Mah Jongg League® — the organization that publishes the official annual card and standardized American Mahjong rules.

→ The 2026 NMJL card

Needing exactly one more tile to complete your hand. Being one away is when calling matters most — and when opponents' defenses go up. Many players say they are waiting, or that a hand is set; it all means one tile from Mahjong.

→ Strategy for winning

Switching from your primary candidate hand to a backup mid-game when the primary stalls (e.g., key tiles are dead in the discard pile or opponents are racing ahead). A successful pivot keeps you in the running; a poorly-timed pivot wastes draws. Best done before the wall gets short.

→ Strategy for winning

A category of hands on the NMJL® card built around 5-tile groups (Quints). Because only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a Quint of those needs at least one Joker. Specific Quints hands change yearly, but the category always features Quints prominently.

→ How to read the NMJL card

Tracking which tiles have been discarded or exposed so you know what's still "live." Once the other 3 copies of a tile you hold are visible, no natural copies are unseen. That makes it the lowest risk — not guaranteed safe, because a player holding Jokers could still call it for a group, or win on it.

→ Strategy for winning

A hand category that requires all groups to be in a single suit (all Bams, all Craks, or all Dots). Listed on the card as "Same Color" or similar.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A hand category made entirely of pairs and single tiles. Jokers cannot be used anywhere in a Singles & Pairs hand. The jokerless bonus is already baked into the printed value, so don't double these at payout.

→ How to read the NMJL card

The information leak when an opponent calls and exposes. Every exposure tells you their suit focus, number focus, and likely hand category. Your defense depends on reading them.

→ Strategy for winning

A category of hands on the NMJL® card built primarily from the four Winds (N, E, W, S) and three Dragons (Red, Green, Soap). Often combined with Flowers, and some lines add a paired number group — the numbers can vary, so check the parentheses.

→ How to read the NMJL card

A hand built around the digits of the year printed on the NMJL® card you're playing (2-0-2-6 on the 2026 card). Often the easiest place for a beginner to start, since the digits are usually easy to spot in your starting tiles.

→ How to read the NMJL card

Shared tiles carry over: if your backup uses the same groups as your primary — like 222, 444 and the Dragons — a pivot keeps most of your rack instead of starting over. That's why picking candidate hands that share tiles at the deal is smart preparation.

→ Strategy for winning

Early exposures sacrifice flexibility and secrecy: once you expose, you're locked to hands that use that group. Before calling, make sure the exposure fits a hand you're genuinely prepared to pursue and that the call is worth giving up some flexibility.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

Every exposure gives you another clue about an opponent's suit and possible hand pattern — some exposures narrow it more than others. And under NMJL rules, once they expose, their choices narrow to hands that include their exposed group. Frequent early callers reveal their direction and lose flexibility — valuable data for you.

→ When can you call a tile?

Start with tiles that have zero value to you — those in none of your candidate hands. Jokers are valuable; don't discard one casually.

→ When can you call a tile?

Jokers are most valuable on hard-to-find tiles — a tile you're likely to draw yourself doesn't need one. And a Joker can never fill a pair, a single, or a mixed group like NEWS.

→ Joker rules explained

What an opponent isn't throwing tells you as much as what they are. A suit nobody is dumping may be the 'hot' suit, which is a clue, not proof.

→ Strategy for winning

Groups of 3+ matching tiles give your Jokers places to help, and an exposed (X) hand lets you call discards to complete them. Singles & Pairs (no Jokers) and Concealed hands (no calls except the tile that completes Mahjong) can carry higher printed values but give you fewer ways to finish — save them for later.

→ Strategy for winning

Jokers buy time. With 3 jokers in your rack, they fill in for tiles slow to arrive — your hand may be closer than it looks. Don't bail on a strong primary just because draws have been slow; let the jokers work before you switch.

→ Joker rules explained

Carrying unrelated possibilities when one path is meaningfully stronger can spread your tiles too thin. Narrow toward the stronger hand while keeping a realistic backup — and remember that some hands legitimately need more than one suit.

→ The 152 tiles, explained

A hand you never complete pays nothing — the 25-cent win beats a 50-cent attempt that never comes together. Viability first, value second.

→ When can you call a tile?

Concealed is NOT a multiplier. Use the value printed on the card as-is — don't double it for being concealed.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

Once another player declares your hand dead, you stop drawing and discarding but stay at the table and still pay the winner if someone else completes their hand. (Don't declare your own hand dead — keep playing defensively until another player notices.)

→ What is a dead hand?

Self-pick means all three players pay double: 25¢ × 2 = 50¢ each.

→ Joker rules explained

When a player wins on a discard, the discarder pays the winner 2× the hand value, while the other two players pay only 1×.

→ How scoring works

The number printed next to each hand on the NMJL® card — the base amount each losing player pays the winner. Printed values generally reflect difficulty, but the number is not a simple ranking of which hand you should choose. Bonuses like discarder-pays-double and the jokerless double are applied on top of this printed number.

→ How scoring works

The official NMJL® rule covering the jokerless bonus: a winning hand with no jokers pays double the normal value. Exception: Singles & Pairs hands can't use jokers at all, so they don't get the extra double — their printed value already reflects it. (The exact article number varies by rulebook edition — check your current NMJL® card.)

→ How scoring works

A winning hand with no jokers pays double. Stacks with the discarder / self-pick bonus. Exception: Singles & Pairs hands already have the bonus baked into the printed value — don't double them again.

→ How scoring works

Drawing your winning tile from the wall yourself, with no discard involved. All three other players pay double.

→ How scoring works

A hand where the wall runs out before anyone calls Mahjong. No payments are made. Reshuffle and redeal.

→ The full rulebook

Discarder pays double (×2), then jokerless doubles again (×2). 25¢ × 2 × 2 = $1.00.

→ Joker rules explained

The discarder pays double: 25¢ × 2 = 50¢. The other two players each pay 25¢.

→ Joker rules explained

You hand the real tile to the player whose rack holds the joker; they make the swap and hand you the joker. Reaching onto someone else's rack is poor table etiquette.

→ Joker rules explained

There's no official NMJL® time limit in casual play — but the general expectation is to keep a reasonable pace so everyone stays engaged. Most casual hands aim to finish in about 10–15 minutes. Tournament play is faster: tournaments typically target 4 hands per hour, which leaves only a few seconds per turn. Either way, taking a full minute to decide on a discard is considered poor etiquette.

→ How to play American Mahjong

Per NMJL® Article 67: if someone calls Mahjong based on a misnamed tile, the game stops, and the misnamer alone pays that player 4× the hand value. The other two players pay nothing. This is the most expensive mistake in the game.

→ When can you call a tile?

The official NMJL® rule covering misnamed discards. If a player calls Mahjong based on a misnamed tile, the game stops, and the misnamer alone pays that player 4× the hand value. The other two players pay nothing.

→ The full rulebook

A hand that can no longer reach a valid winning position (because of an invalid exposure — including a call you committed to and couldn't complete — a wrong tile count, or another rule violation). Calling out for a tile doesn't do it on its own: before the called tile is on your rack or tiles are exposed, you may take the call back with no penalty. Per NMJL®, another player must declare it dead — you can't call your own hand dead. Until then, keep playing defensively. Once declared, you stop drawing and discarding, stay seated, and still pay the winner.

→ What is a dead hand?

Calling Mahjong when your hand isn't actually valid. What happens depends on what was exposed. If you exposed no new tiles for the declaration, you can take it back without penalty, and the hand stays alive — whether you drew the tile yourself or claimed a discard. If you exposed only a valid exposure completed by the claimed discard, retract the Mahjong and keep that exposure; the hand stays alive, you discard normally, and play continues with the player on your right. Only a claimed discard can be stepped back this way, so a self-drawn declaration that exposed tiles is dead. Once tiles for an invalid Mahjong are exposed, the hand is dead for the rest of the hand: your turn ends with no discard, play goes to the next live player on your right, and you stay seated but stop drawing and discarding, and still pay the winner if someone else goes out. If another player can legally use that same claimed discard for Mahjong, they may take it; otherwise it stays with the dead hand.

→ What is a dead hand?

Announcing a discarded tile by the wrong name. Covered by NMJL® Article 67 — if Mahjong is called on a misnamed tile, the game stops, and the misnamer alone pays that player 4× the hand value. If an exposure is called on a misnamed tile, the call is invalid (no penalty unless the claimer prematurely makes an incorrect exposure, which kills their hand).

→ The full rulebook

Official NMJL® rule: every discard must be announced out loud as it's placed. Other players need to hear the tile name in order to call it.

→ Table etiquette

Etiquette convention: after you draw a tile, count to about 3 before placing it on the sloped part of your rack. That pause is the window where any other player can call the previous discard. Racking too quickly can rob a legitimate call.

→ Table etiquette

Taking a tile from the wall before it's your turn. Reaching toward the wall isn't the violation on its own — during play, the moment you actually pick the tile up, your hand is dead. Dealing and the Charleston follow their own rules.

→ Strategy for winning

Local customs a group agrees to that go beyond (or bend) official NMJL® rules — extra penalties for a false Mahjong, blanks as wilds, different stakes, and so on. None are official, and every group's mix is different. When you join a new table, it's perfectly polite to ask about any table rules before the first hand.

→ Table etiquette

Commenting on the live hand — hinting at what you're collecting, reacting to a discard, or coaching another player mid-hand. It's considered poor form, because stray remarks leak information the tiles are meant to keep hidden. Save the analysis for after someone calls Mahjong.

→ Table etiquette

Pushing your tiles face-down into the center at the end of a hand to mix them with the rest of the set. Once the winner's hand is verified and payouts are settled, everyone throws their tiles in and the next round begins. Don't throw your hand in before a Mahjong call is verified. If the declaration is invalid, the game may continue—but a player whose tiles were thrown in cannot continue with that hand.

→ Table etiquette

The Charleston is meant to be quick — each pass takes seconds. Beginners are forgiven for being slower, but aim for a fast rhythm.

→ What is the Charleston?

Naming your discard out loud is an NMJL® rule, not optional politeness. Other players need to hear it in order to call.

→ When can you call a tile?

The discard stays callable until the next player racks their drawn tile (places it on the sloped part of the rack), discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong. Just drawing doesn't close it — that's why pausing before racking gives people time to call.

→ When can you call a tile?

Don't panic — your exposure might fit a different hand. Check the card. Your hand is only dead if the exposed group doesn't work for ANY valid hand.

→ Exposed vs. concealed hands

Dead-hand penalties don't apply during the Charleston. If a tile-count error is found before play begins, the entire hand is reshuffled and redealt.

→ What is the Charleston?

Once you discard, your turn is over. You can't go back and claim Mahjong on a tile you already had. Your hand is still alive — keep playing for another win.

→ When can you call a tile?

Stop, speak up immediately, describe what happened factually, and let the table decide. Self-reported mistakes are almost always handled gracefully. Hidden ones are not.

→ The full rulebook

A Joker exchange is only legal after you draw — or after you call and expose — and before your discard. Reaching for it before you've drawn takes you out of turn order: an immediate dead hand.

→ Joker rules explained

Official rule: no Charleston with three players. East discards and play begins. The ghost player is a house rule, not official.

→ Playing with 3 players

Each player takes their own tiles — from the face-down pile, or from the wall if your table builds one. Under the latest rules both take 27, and East opens with a regular pick-and-discard turn. Some tables play the older 28/27 way, where East just discards the extra tile to start. With 27 tiles you have enormous flexibility in choosing your two hands.

→ Siamese Mahjong (2 players)

Set up before the Charleston: 7 groups of 3, one per pass — the 6 Charleston passes plus the courtesy pass. Players take Bob's pre-set groups when he passes; tiles passed to Bob go back into his wall.

→ Playing with 3 players

A house rule, not an official NMJL® rule — it keeps the Charleston in the game. MAHJ teaches one specific Bob house-rule method, but other tables may use different ghost-player setups, so agree before you start.

→ Playing with 3 players

Official rule: build all four walls, and all four stay in play — about 13 more draw tiles than a four-player game.

→ Playing with 3 players

If both your hands compete for the same tiles or jokers, you'll be fighting yourself all game. The key skill is finding two non-competing hands in your initial 27–28 tiles — ideally different suits and different numbers.

→ Siamese Mahjong (2 players)

You can freely move concealed tiles between your two racks at any point — even after one rack has an exposure. Only the exposure itself is locked to its rack. All other concealed tiles can still move freely.

→ Siamese Mahjong (2 players)

The first completed hand may be declared and exposed as your first Mahjong. It does not end the game; you continue building the second hand. Once that first Mahjong is exposed, its Jokers can no longer be exchanged.

→ Siamese Mahjong (2 players)

Self-pick is the same as four-player: all remaining players pay double. With three, that's both opponents.

→ Siamese Mahjong (2 players)

On iPhone or iPad, yes — your MAHJ unlock can be shared with your Apple Family Sharing group. Turn on Purchase Sharing in your Apple Family settings, and each family member taps "Restore Purchases" in MAHJ to unlock it. On Android, Google Play doesn't support sharing in-app purchases through Family Library, so if family members use separate Google accounts, each person needs their own MAHJ unlock.

Purchases stay with the store where they were made. A Google Play purchase won't unlock the iPhone/iPad version, and an Apple App Store purchase won't unlock Android.

On iPhone or iPad, yes — through Apple Family Sharing, and they stay signed in as themselves. Turn on Purchase Sharing for your Apple Family group, make sure the person who bought MAHJ is sharing purchases, then have your family member open MAHJ on their own device and tap Restore. Nobody needs to sign in as anybody else. On Android, Google Play Family Library doesn't share in-app purchases, so a family member using a different Google account needs their own unlock. Separately, to restore a purchase you made yourself on another device, make sure Media & Purchases uses the Apple Account that bought MAHJ—or select the purchasing Google account in the Play Store—then tap Restore.

Lessons 1–3 are free, with no sign-up. One purchase in the MAHJ app (iPhone, iPad, or Android) unlocks all 18 lessons, the Coach, and the tools. The price is displayed in your local App Store or Google Play currency. There is no subscription — you pay once. The website is a free preview; an app purchase doesn't unlock it.

→ See what Premium includes

Your unlock is tied to the app store account you bought with, so it travels with that account. On another iPhone or iPad signed into the same Apple Account, open MAHJ, go to Settings, and tap "Restore purchase." On Android, do the same on a device signed into the same Google account you bought with. The website (welcome2mahj.com) is a separate free preview — an app purchase doesn't unlock the website. (Your lesson progress is also saved separately on each device.)

Your purchase is tied to your app-store account (your Apple ID on iPhone and iPad, or your Google account on Android), not to a login inside MAHJ — so it carries to any device signed into that same account. On the other device, open MAHJ and tap into any premium lesson to bring up the upgrade screen, then tap Restore. As long as that device uses the same Apple ID (or Google account) you bought with, it unlocks everything and you won't be charged again. If Restore says it can't find your purchase, make sure both devices are signed into the same account — on iPhone or iPad, check Settings and tap your name at the top.

You haven't lost anything. Right now MAHJ saves your lesson progress on each device separately, and there's no account login yet — so a second device won't show the lessons you already finished on the first. Your purchase still carries over (tap Restore, as above), and you can jump straight to any lesson on the new device. Syncing your progress across devices is on our roadmap.