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American mahjong

One card. A different hand to build.

This guide explains NMJL-style American mahjong. Use the same publisher and card edition as everyone at your table. The card specifies the winning patterns, their values and any restrictions; those patterns change each year.

Start with the card

The set has the usual suits, winds and dragons, plus 8 flowers and 8 jokers. Most players start with 13 tiles; East has 14. Aim for an exact complete card line, not a generic four-sets-and-a-pair hand. Colours on the card describe suit relationships, not necessarily the actual colours printed on your tiles.

Pass tiles in the Charleston

Before ordinary play, pass three unwanted tiles face down: right, across, then left. A second Charleston — left, across, then right — happens only if everyone agrees. Opposite players can agree a courtesy pass of up to three tiles. Never pass a joker. Consult the card’s instructions for permitted blind passes.

Draw, claim or discard

On your turn, draw a tile and discard one. A discard can usually be called to complete and expose an identical group of three or more that fits your card hand. You cannot call a single, pair or run just to build an exposure. The exception is a tile that completes Mah Jongg.

X hands allow legal exposures. C hands stay concealed until the win; you may still claim the final winning tile. Flowers stay in your hand when the card calls for them — they are not automatically replaced.

Use jokers in the right places

Jokers can replace tiles in identical groups of at least three, never singles or pairs. On your own turn, an exact natural tile can redeem a matching exposed joker, including one in your own exposure. A discarded joker cannot be claimed.

Read the value, then work out payments

Let V be the printed card value. On a discard win, the discarder pays 2V and the other two players pay V each. On self-pick, everyone pays 2V. A qualifying jokerless hand doubles these payments, except hands in the Singles and Pairs section.

Agree scoring units before play. These examples use points. Check the whole hand against the current card before scoring; this page does not supply or reproduce that card.

Keep it handy

American scoring cheat sheet

NMJL-style payment rules, jokerless bonus and a 30-point example. Your current annual card supplies the actual hand patterns and values.

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