How mahjong scoring works
In American mahjong, only the winner gets paid. Each hand on the card has a value. The player who discarded the winning tile pays double. The other two pay the value. If the winner drew the tile from the wall, everyone pays double.
A hand with no jokers doubles all of those payments. The examples below show how it adds up.
Hand values
The value of each hand is printed on the card, at the end of the line. Harder hands are worth more. On our House Card, values run from 25 to 50. Concealed hands (marked C, where you can call only your last tile), and hands made only of singles and pairs, tend to be worth the most.
Who pays
Your last tile can come from a discard or from the wall. That decides who pays what.
- Win on a discard: the player who threw your winning tile pays double the value. The other two players pay the value.
- Win from the wall (self-drawn): all three players pay double the value.
- Jokerless: if your winning hand has no jokers, every payment doubles again.
- Singles and pairs: these hands can't use jokers, so they don't get the jokerless double.
Players who didn't win never pay each other. Only the winner gets paid.
Worked examples
Here is a hand worth 25, won four different ways.
| How you won | Discarder pays | Each other player pays | You collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| On a discard | 50 | 25 | 100 |
| From the wall | — | 50 | 150 |
| On a discard, no jokers | 100 | 50 | 200 |
| From the wall, no jokers | — | 100 | 300 |
Now a singles and pairs hand worth 50. It never uses jokers, so the jokerless double doesn't apply.
| How you won | Discarder pays | Each other player pays | You collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| On a discard | 100 | 50 | 200 |
| From the wall | — | 100 | 300 |
Wall games
If the wall runs out and no one has declared mahjong, it is a wall game. No one pays anything. The tiles are mixed, and the next player becomes East for the new hand.
Keeping score at home
Groups keep track in different ways. Agree on one before you start.
- Points on paper. Write each payment down and total up at the end. Good for friendly games and for teaching.
- Chips or coins. Give each player the same starting stack and pay out after every hand.
- Small stakes. Some groups treat the value as cents, so a 25 hand is a quarter. Keep it light, and follow your local laws.
Some groups add their own rules, such as a payment for calling mahjong by mistake. These vary a lot, so ask before you play with a new group.
Check before anyone pays
When someone says "Mahjong", they lay all 14 tiles face up. Before paying, everyone checks the tiles against the line on the card. Look for the right sets, the right suits for each color, and jokers only in sets of 3 or more. If the hand doesn't match, it isn't a win. Our etiquette guide covers how to handle that kindly.
Common questions
Who pays double in mahjong?
The player who discarded the winning tile pays double. If the winner drew the tile from the wall, all three players pay double.
What is a jokerless hand worth?
A winning hand with no jokers doubles every payment. Hands of only singles and pairs are the exception, because they can't use jokers anyway.
Does anyone pay in a wall game?
No. If the wall runs out with no winner, no one pays and the next hand is dealt.
Do losing players pay each other?
No. Only the winner collects. The other players don't pay each other.