Guides
Short answers to the questions new players ask most, from the tiles to hosting a game night.
Start here
- How to play American mahjongA plain guide to American mahjong for beginners: the tiles, the card, the Charleston, a turn, calling, jokers, and how to win.›
- American mahjong rulesThe rules of American mahjong on one page: tiles, sets, the card, the Charleston, turns, calling, jokers, winning and payment.›
- Mahjong tiles explainedAll 152 American mahjong tiles explained with pictures: Dots, Bams, Craks, winds, dragons, flowers and jokers, and how to tell them apart.›
- How to read a mahjong cardHow to read an American mahjong card: what the numbers, letters and colors mean, how to count a hand to 14, and what X, C and values mean.›
- How to choose a hand in American mahjongHow to choose a hand in American mahjong: start from your tiles, match them to a section of the card, count what you have and settle after the Charleston.›
Rules
- The Charleston in mahjongThe Charleston in American mahjong, step by step: pass right, across and left, the optional second round, blind passes and the courtesy pass.›
- Mahjong joker rulesHow jokers work in American mahjong: where you can use them, where you can't, how to swap a joker from an exposed set, and the jokerless bonus.›
- Calling tiles in mahjongHow calling works in American mahjong: when you can take a discard, how to expose a set, who gets a tile two players want, and concealed hands.›
- How mahjong scoring worksHow payment works in American mahjong: hand values, who pays double on a discard or self-drawn win, the jokerless bonus, and worked examples.›
At the table
- How to set up mahjongHow to set up American mahjong: choosing East, building the wall 19 tiles long and 2 high, breaking it with the dice, and dealing 13 or 14 tiles.›
- Mahjong strategy for beginnersSimple American mahjong strategy for beginners: choosing a hand, using the Charleston, safe discards, reading the table and when to switch.›
- Mahjong etiquetteMahjong etiquette for new players: naming discards, keeping pace, table talk, calling, handling mistakes and dead hands kindly, and settling up.›
Buying and hosting
- How to host a mahjong nightHow to host a mahjong night at home: the table, what you need, food and music that suit the game, and how to teach friends who have never played.›
- How to choose a mahjong setWhat to look for in an American mahjong set: 152 tiles with 8 jokers, corner numbers, tile size and weight, racks with pushers, and a good case.›
Hong Kong mahjong
- How to play Hong Kong mahjongA plain guide to Hong Kong mahjong for beginners: the 144 tiles, chows, pungs and kongs, a turn, calling, flowers, faan and how to win.›
- Hong Kong mahjong scoring (faan) explainedHow faan scoring works in Hong Kong mahjong: what scores, the 3 faan minimum, limit hands, how to add up a hand and what each player pays.›
- Hong Kong vs American mahjongThe main differences between Hong Kong and American mahjong: tiles, jokers, chows, the card, the Charleston, calling, flowers and scoring.›
Reference
- American vs Chinese mahjongThe main differences between American and Chinese mahjong: 152 vs 144 tiles, jokers, the yearly card, the Charleston, no runs, and scoring.›
- Mahjong glossaryA plain A to Z of American mahjong terms, from Bam, Crak and Dot to pung, kong, quint, Charleston, joker swap, dead hand and wall game.›
If you're new, the free American and Hong Kong courses teach the same rules with tiles on the screen, one short lesson at a time.