How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?
An American mahjong set has 152 tiles: 108 suit tiles (Bams, Craks and Dots, 1 to 9, four of each), 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. Some sets add a few blank tiles, which are only used for house rules.
The breakdown
3 suits × 9 numbers × 4 copies = 108. Winds 4 × 4 = 16. Dragons 3 × 4 = 12. Flowers 8. Jokers 8. Total 152.
Chinese sets are different
Chinese sets have 144 tiles and no jokers, so they won't work for American mahjong.
Blanks
Extra blank tiles are not part of the League's rules; some groups use them in a house rule.
Common questions
Why do some sets have 166 tiles?
Many American sets include extra jokers, spare tiles or blanks beyond the 152 you play with. The extras are useful as replacements; the game itself uses 152.
How many tiles does each player get?
East starts with 14 tiles and everyone else with 13. After each turn, every player holds 13 tiles.
How many tiles are in a wall?
Each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and 2 high: 38 tiles. Four walls make the full 152.