# American mahjong rules

In American mahjong, four players take turns drawing a tile and throwing one away (discarding). The first player to hold 14 tiles that exactly match a hand on the card wins. The rules below are for the standard game.

Groups often add a few house rules of their own. Agree on them before the first hand.

## The tiles and the card

- The game uses 152 tiles: Dots, Bams and Craks numbered 1 to 9 (four of each), four of each wind, four of each dragon, 8 flowers and 8 jokers.
- Red Dragons go with Craks, Green Dragons with Bams, and Soap (the white dragon) with Dots. Soap is also used as zero in year hands.
- All 8 flowers count as the same tile, even if the pictures differ.
- Every player uses the same card. It lists the winning hands, each with a value. Groups usually buy a new official card each year. This site uses its own [House Card](https://learnmahjongquick.com/american-mahjong-card), which works the same way.

## Sets

Hands on the card are made of sets of matching tiles. Matching means the same number and the same suit, or the same wind, dragon or flower.

| Set | Tiles | Jokers allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single | 1 | No |
| Pair | 2 alike | No |
| Pung | 3 alike | Yes |
| Kong | 4 alike | Yes |
| Quint | 5 alike | Yes, and it needs at least one, unless it is flowers |

There are no runs. A 4, 5, 6 of Bams is not a set. The card can still ask for sets of numbers in a row, such as a pung of 4s, a pung of 5s and a pung of 6s.

Tiles: 4 Bam, 5 Bam, 6 Bam | 4 Bam, 4 Bam, 4 Bam

## Seats and the deal

- One player is East. East deals, starts the game, and takes the first turn.
- Play moves to the right: East, South, West, North.
- Each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and 2 high. East rolls two dice to break the wall.
- East starts with 14 tiles. Everyone else starts with 13.
- After each hand, the player to East's right becomes the new East.

The full setup is in [how to set up mahjong](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/how-to-set-up-mahjong).

## The Charleston

- Before play, players pass tiles in a fixed pattern, 3 tiles at a time, face down.
- First round, required: right, across, left.
- Second round, optional: left, across, right. Any player can stop it after the first round.
- Courtesy pass, optional: 0 to 3 tiles with the player across.
- On the last pass of each round, you may pass on tiles you just received without looking. This is a blind pass.
- Never pass a joker.

See [the Charleston](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/mahjong-charleston) for more on each pass and what to pass.

## Turns

- East begins by discarding one tile, without drawing.
- On every other turn, draw one tile from the wall, then discard one tile.
- Discard face up in the center and say the tile's name out loud.
- Between turns, you always have 13 tiles, counting any you have exposed on your rack.

## Calling discards

- You can only call the tile that was just discarded, and only before the next player puts their new tile on their rack.
- You can call to finish a pung, kong or quint, then expose that set face up on your rack.
- You can't call a tile for a pair or a single, unless it gives you mahjong.
- After calling, you discard. Play continues to your right, so players in between lose their turn.
- If two players call the same tile, the player who needs it for mahjong gets it. If two players both need it for mahjong, the one next in turn gets it. Otherwise the player next in turn gets it.
- Exposed sets stay exposed for the rest of the hand.

Hands marked C on the card are concealed. For those, you can't call a tile to make a set. You can still call your last tile for mahjong. More in [calling tiles](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/calling-tiles).

## Jokers

- Jokers can stand in for any tile in a set of 3 or more.
- Jokers can never be used in a pair or as a single tile.
- A discarded joker can't be called by anyone.
- On your turn, you can swap a real tile for a joker in any exposed set, yours or another player's, and keep the joker.

Tiles: 9 Dot, 9 Dot, Joker | East, Joker

## Winning and payment

- When your tiles match a hand on the card, say "Mahjong" and lay all 14 tiles face up.
- The other players check the hand against the card.
- Win on a discard: the player who threw it pays double the hand's value. The others pay the value.
- Win from the wall: everyone pays double.
- No jokers in the winning hand: every payment doubles again. Hands of only singles and pairs don't get this extra double, since they can't use jokers anyway.

Worked examples are in the [scoring guide](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/mahjong-scoring).

## Wall games and mistakes

If the last tile is drawn and discarded and no one has won, the hand is a wall game. No one pays. Mix the tiles and deal again with the next East.

If a player's hand can no longer match any hand on the card, for example after exposing a set that doesn't fit, the hand is dead. That player stops playing for the rest of the hand. The other three play on. If someone wins, the player with the dead hand still pays. Some groups let a dead hand keep drawing and discarding, so agree on this before you start.

## Questions

**Can you pick up a discard to make a pair?**

Only if that tile gives you mahjong. Otherwise you can call a discard only to finish a pung, kong or quint.

**Who goes first in American mahjong?**

East. East starts with 14 tiles and begins the game by discarding one tile, without drawing.

**Can you pass a joker in the Charleston?**

No. Jokers can never be passed in the Charleston.

**What happens if the wall runs out?**

It is a wall game. No one wins and no one pays. The tiles are mixed and the next player becomes East.

**Can you take a joker from your own exposed set?**

Yes. On your turn you can swap the real tile for a joker in any exposed set, including your own.

Web version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/american-mahjong-rules