Lesson 9 of 12
Jokers
Jokers can stand in for any tile in a group of three or more (a pung, kong, quint or sextet), but never in a single tile or a pair. You can't pass jokers in the Charleston. On your turn you may take a joker from any player's exposure by giving them the real tile it stands for.
Step by step
- Groups of three or more only. A joker can replace any tile in a pung, kong, quint or sextet. It can't be used as a single tile (like one wind in a NEWS) or in a pair.
- Never passed. Jokers can't be passed in the Charleston.
- Redeeming a joker. On your turn, if a player has exposed a group containing a joker and you hold the real tile it represents, you may swap your tile for the joker. You can do this from anyone's exposure, including your own.
- Discarded jokers are dead. Players rarely throw a joker, but when one is discarded no one can call it.
- Jokerless pays double. A winning hand with no jokers at all pays double. Singles-and-pairs hands can't use jokers anyway, so they don't get this bonus.
Common mistakes
- Trying to use a joker for a pair or a single tile.
- Forgetting to look for joker swaps in other players' exposures on every turn.
Words from this lesson
Joker · Single · Pair · Redeem a joker
Questions people ask
Can you use a joker for a pair in mahjong?
No. Jokers can only be used in groups of three or more identical tiles.
Can you swap a joker from another player's exposure?
Yes. On your turn, give them the real tile the joker represents and take the joker.
What does jokerless mean?
A winning hand that contains no jokers. It pays double.