Lesson 1 of 12
What is American mahjong?
American mahjong is a four-player tile game played with 152 tiles, including 8 jokers. Everyone races to build a 14-tile hand that exactly matches one of the hands printed on that year's card from the National Mah Jongg League. Before play starts, players swap unwanted tiles in a passing round called the Charleston.
Step by step
- It's a matching game, not a trick-taking game. You win by collecting 14 tiles that match one pattern on the card, then saying "Mahjong!". There are no tricks and no points to add up during play.
- The card changes every year. Each spring the National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card of about 50–70 winning hands. Everyone at the table plays from the same year's card, so the game keeps changing.
- Jokers and the Charleston make it American. Other versions of mahjong have no jokers and no passing round. In American mahjong, 8 jokers stand in for missing tiles in groups, and the Charleston lets you trade away tiles you don't want before the first turn.
- What you need. A 152-tile American set with racks, two dice, this year's card (one per player) and three friends. A game takes about 15–20 minutes once everyone knows the rules.
Common mistakes
- Buying a Chinese or Hong Kong set: it has no jokers and often no racks, so it can't be used for American mahjong without adding them.
- Using last year's card: every player must use the current year's card.
Words from this lesson
Questions people ask
Is American mahjong the same as the mahjong game on my phone?
No. Most free phone and web games called "mahjong" are mahjong solitaire, a one-player tile-matching puzzle. American mahjong is a four-player game with a card, a Charleston and jokers.
How many players do you need?
Four is standard. There are recognised versions for three players and for two (often called Siamese mahjong).
Is it hard to learn?
Most people can play a slow first game after one or two sessions. The rules are simple; reading the card quickly takes a few weeks of practice.