🀄WELCOME TO AMERICAN MAHJONG!

You're about to learn one of the most social, strategic, and addictive games in the world. Whether you've never touched a tile or you've watched others play and felt completely lost, this guide will take you from confused beginner to confident player.

• Complete game rules (no confusion)
• How to read the NMJL card
• Charleston passing strategy
• When and how to expose tiles
• Joker rules that actually make sense
• Beginner winning strategies
• Dallas Mahjong (blanks) variation

Let's get started!

🀄CHAPTER 1: WHAT AMERICAN MAHJONG IS (AND WHAT IT IS NOT)

🀄The Core Concept

American Mahjong is a tile-based rummy game for four players where you:

1. Choose a hand from the official card
2. Collect tiles to match that hand pattern
3. Complete your hand and call "Mahjong!"

🀄It's NOT:

• Chinese Mahjong (different rules, different scoring)
• A luck-only game (strategy matters enormously)
• Impossible to learn (you can play your first game today!)

🀄Three Things Make American Mahjong Unique:

Every year, the National Mah Jongg League publishes a card with ~50 winning hand patterns. You choose one and build toward it.

Jokers can substitute for any tile in your hand—except in specific situations (we'll cover this).

Before play begins, you pass tiles to other players. This is your chance to improve your starting hand.

🀄Your Goal Every Game:

Be the first to complete a winning hand pattern from the card.

🀄CHAPTER 2: YOUR EQUIPMENT + SETUP

🀄The Tiles (166 Total)

• 1-9, four copies of each number

• 1-9, four copies of each number
• Note: 1 Bam often looks like a bird

• 1-9, four copies of each number

• East, South, West, North
• Four of each wind

• Red Dragon (紅)
• Green Dragon (發)
• White Dragon (often blank or framed)
• Four of each dragon

• Usually numbered 1-8
• Often have floral artwork

• Marked "JOKER" or special symbol
• Your wild cards!

🀄The Racks

• Each player has a rack to hold their 13-14 tiles
• Angled racks make it easier to see your hand

🀄The Dice

• Two dice (sometimes four)
• Used to determine who breaks the wall

🀄The NMJL Card

• Published annually (buy new each year)
• Contains all valid winning hands
• Organized by section/category

🀄Optional Accessories:

• Chips/money (for scoring)
• Pushers (help build walls)
• Wind indicator
• Card holders

🀄CHAPTER 3: TILE CATEGORIES (BEGINNER CHEAT SHEET)

Understanding tile terminology is essential for reading the card.

🀄Singles, Pairs, Pungs, and Kongs

• One tile
• Example: 3 Dot

• Two identical tiles
• Example: 5 Crak, 5 Crak

• Three identical tiles
• Example: North Wind, North Wind, North Wind

• Four identical tiles
• Example: 2 Bam, 2 Bam, 2 Bam, 2 Bam

🀄Runs (Sequential Tiles)

• Three or more tiles in numerical order from the same suit
• Example: 4-5-6 Dots

• 4-5-6 Dots = Valid
• 4 Dot, 5 Bam, 6 Crak = Invalid

🀄Like Numbers

• Same number across different suits
• Example: 7 Dot, 7 Bam, 7 Crak

🀄Suits vs. Honors

• Suits: Dots, Bams, Craks (have numbers 1-9)
• Honors: Winds and Dragons (no numbers)
• Some hands use only suits, some mix suits and honors

🀄CHAPTER 4: THE NMJL CARD - HOW TO READ IT

The card looks intimidating at first, but it's actually very logical.

🀄Card Structure

Each year's card has ~8-10 sections, such as:

• 2468
• Consecutive Run
• 13579
• Winds & Dragons
• Year (specific to current year)
• Singles & Pairs
• Quints

Each section contains 4-6 hand patterns.

🀄How to Read a Hand Pattern

Hands are written in shorthand. Here's how to decode them:

• DDDD = Four dragons (any dragon—you pick)
• 111 = Three ones (1-1-1 of any suit)
• 222 = Three twos (2-2-2 of any suit)
• 333 = Three threes (3-3-3 of any suit)

🀄Common Card Symbols:

• Parentheses () = Optional/can be different suits
• Capital letters (DDDD, FF, NEWS) = Honors
• D = Dragon
• F = Flower
• N = North, E = East, W = West, S = South
• Numbers = Tile values
• Spaces = Separate groups
• Same line = Same suit

🀄Beginner Tip:

Start by looking at hands that use "Any Like Numbers" or "One Suit + Dragons" patterns. These are usually easier to complete.

🀄CHAPTER 5: THE DEAL + STARTING THE GAME

🀄Seating

1. Each player draws a Wind tile
2. Arrange yourselves: East, South, West, North (clockwise)
3. East is the dealer for the first game

🀄Building the Walls

1. Takes 34-36 tiles (depending on variations)
2. Arranges them face-down in a wall
3. Wall is 17 tiles long × 2 tiles high
4. Place your wall in front of your rack

🀄Breaking the Wall

1. East rolls both dice
2. Count counter-clockwise from East (1 = East, 2 = South, etc.)
3. The player indicated rolls again
4. Count that many stacks from the right end of THAT player's wall
5. Break the wall at that point

🀄The Deal

• East takes 4 tiles (2 stacks), then South, West, North
• Repeat until everyone has 12 tiles
• East takes tiles 1 and 5 from the next group (14 total)
• South, West, North each take 1 tile (13 total)

• East: 14 tiles (goes first)
• South, West, North: 13 tiles each

🀄CHAPTER 6: THE CHARLESTON (STEP-BY-STEP)

The Charleston is American Mahjong's unique tile-passing ritual. It's your chance to improve your hand before play begins.

🀄What It Is

A structured series of tile passes where you:

1. Choose 3 tiles to pass
2. Pass them to specific players
3. Receive 3 tiles from others
4. Repeat several times

🀄Why It Exists

• Improves your starting hand
• Gets rid of unwanted tiles
• Starts shaping your hand toward the card

🀄The Three Passes (Mandatory)

• Choose 3 tiles you don't want
• Pass them to the player on your right
• Receive 3 tiles from your left

• Choose 3 tiles
• Pass to the player across from you
• Receive 3 from across

• Choose 3 tiles
• Pass to the player on your left
• Receive 3 from your right

After the first three passes, the group can vote to do a second Charleston (same pattern: Right, Across, Left).

After all Charlestons, you may pass 0-3 tiles across to the player opposite you.

🀄Beginner Passing Strategy

Pass tiles that:

• Don't fit any hand you're considering
• Are from suits you're not using
• Are isolated (single tiles with no matches)
• Are honors you don't need

Keep tiles that:

• Form pairs (you have 2 of them)
• Form pungs (you have 3 of them)
• Are jokers (ALWAYS keep jokers)
• Fit multiple hand possibilities

🀄CHAPTER 7: HOW TO PLAY A TURN

🀄Turn Structure

1. Draw a tile (from the wall)
2. Evaluate your hand (does this help?)
3. Discard a tile (announce it clearly)

OR

1. Call a discard (if someone throws what you need)
2. Expose your meld (show what you're making)
3. Discard a tile

🀄The Flow

• East goes first (has 14 tiles)
• East discards
• South draws and discards
• West draws and discards
• North draws and discards
• Repeat until someone wins

🀄When You Can't Win

If all tiles are drawn and nobody has won:

• The hand is a "wall game"
• No winner
• Reshuffle and start a new game

🀄CHAPTER 8: JOKERS 101

Jokers are wild cards, but they have rules.

🀄What Jokers CAN Do:

• Replace any tile in a Pung, Kong, or Quint
• Replace any tile in a Run (sequential tiles)
• Be swapped out if an opponent has the real tile (advanced rule)

🀄What Jokers CANNOT Do:

• Replace tiles in a Pair
• Replace Flowers or Singles
• Be used for isolated tiles

• 5-5-Joker (Pung of 5s)
• 3-4-Joker-6-7 (Run with joker as 5)
• 8-8-8-Joker (Kong)

• 9-Joker (Pair—NO)
• Single Joker for a "2" requirement (NO)
• Joker for Flower tile (NO)

🀄The #1 Joker Mistake Beginners Make

🀄Joker Strategy for Beginners

• Keep your jokers through the Charleston
• Use them to complete pungs/kongs
• Don't waste them early
• Having 2-3 jokers gives you huge flexibility

🀄CHAPTER 9: CALLING TILES + EXPOSURES

🀄When You Can Call a Tile

When any player discards a tile you need, you can:

• Example: "Three Crak!"

• Place the tiles face-up on your rack
• Include the joker if you're using one

🀄What You Can Call For:

• Pungs (you have 2, need the 3rd)
• Kongs (you have 3, need the 4th)
• Runs (you need a specific tile to complete a sequence)
• Mahjong (the tile completes your entire hand)

🀄Calling Priority:

1. Mahjong (wins the game—highest priority)
2. Exposure (pung, kong, or run)
3. If two people call for exposure, the player closest to the discarder's right goes first

🀄When NOT to Call

• It locks you into a hand you're not sure about
• You're still keeping options open
• The tile isn't critical yet
• You'd rather stay concealed for flexibility

🀄CHAPTER 10: EXPOSURES

🀄What Exposing Means

When you call a tile and show your meld face-up on your rack, you've exposed.

🀄Pros of Exposing:

• Shows progress (psychological pressure)
• Prevents others from using those tiles
• Can speed up your hand completion
• Commits you to a path

🀄Cons of Exposing:

• Reveals your hand to opponents
• Reduces flexibility (you're locked in)
• Can't change hands easily
• Makes you a target for defensive play

🀄The Exposure Decision

• You're close to winning (1-2 tiles away)
• The tile is critical and rare
• You have jokers supporting your plan
• Your hand is clear and likely to finish

• You're still undecided on your hand
• You have multiple possible hands
• It's early in the game
• You need very specific tiles later

🀄CHAPTER 11: WINNING, MAHJONG, AND END OF HAND

🀄Calling Mahjong

When you complete your hand:

1. Call "Mahjong!" immediately
2. Lay your tiles face-up
3. Show which hand from the card you made
4. Other players verify it's correct

🀄What Happens After a Win:

• You score points (or collect payment)
• Winner becomes East for next game
• Tiles are reshuffled

• You pay a penalty to all players
• Hand continues without you
• Be certain before calling Mahjong!

🀄Dead Hands

Your hand becomes "dead" if:

• You expose an invalid meld
• You pick up the wrong number of tiles
• You call Mahjong incorrectly

🀄Common Table Etiquette:

• Announce discards clearly
• Don't rush other players
• Keep your tiles organized
• Be respectful if someone feeds you a win
• No gloating—everyone wins and loses

🀄CHAPTER 12: DALLAS MAHJONG / BLANKS VERSION (BEGINNER RULES)

Dallas Mahjong is a popular variation where jokers can be swapped out during play.

🀄What Blanks Are

"Blanks" usually refers to the jokers, which can be swapped when exposed.

🀄How Swapping Works

Another player can:

1. Take their turn normally (draw a tile)
2. Before discarding, swap the joker by giving the real tile
3. Take the joker into their hand
4. Then discard normally

You exposed: 6-6-Joker (Pung of 6 Craks)

Opponent has a 6 Crak they don't need.

They can:

• Give you their real 6 Crak
• Take your joker
• Now you have 6-6-6 Craks (no joker)
• They have a joker to use elsewhere

🀄Important Rules:

• The joker is in an exposed meld
• You have the exact tile the joker represents
• It's your turn

• Jokers in concealed hands
• Jokers after the player has discarded
• Multiple jokers in one turn (usually—check house rules)

🀄Beginner Safety Rules for Dallas Mahjong

1. Only swap on YOUR turn (after drawing, before discarding)
2. Announce the swap clearly ("Swapping for the 6 Crak joker")
3. Place the real tile where the joker was
4. Take only one joker per turn (most tables)

🀄Strategic Note:

Blanks/swapping speeds up the game. Players can get jokers mid-game, which increases surprise wins and changes defensive strategy.

🀄What Is Allowed vs. House Rules

• One swap per turn
• Must use the exact tile
• Announce before swapping

• Some allow swapping multiple jokers
• Some require payment for swaps
• Some don't allow swapping at all

🀄CHAPTER 13: BEGINNER STRATEGY THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

🀄The FAST Framework

Choose the hand that matches your current tiles, not the "coolest" hand on the card.

Don't chase tiles nobody has discarded. If your suit is getting burned, pivot.

Keep 2 possible hands alive early. Don't commit until you have clear progress.

When exposing helps you finish and doesn't kill flexibility, do it.

🀄3 Beginner Hand Types to Target

• Example: All Dots + Dragons
• Easier because you're focused
• Fewer tile types to track

• Hands with lots of pairs
• Easier to build (pairs are common)
• Less hunting for exact singles

• Example: 5-5-5 (any suits), 7-7-7 (any suits)
• Flexible—can use dots, bams, or craks
• More tiles available to complete

🀄Hands to Avoid as a Beginner

• Hands requiring 5+ exact singles
• Hands needing tiles you haven't seen
• Hands with complex requirements
• "Year" hands with unusual patterns

🀄CHAPTER 14: BEGINNER HAND SELECTION

🀄After the Charleston, Ask:

1. What suits do I have the most of?
2. Do I have pairs or pungs already?
3. Which hands match my tiles RIGHT NOW?
4. Do I have jokers to help?

🀄The Two-Hand Rule

Pick your primary hand (most likely) and a backup hand (Plan B).

Stay flexible until you have clear progress toward one.

🀄When to Commit

Commit to a single hand when:

• You've completed 2+ melds
• You're drawing tiles that fit
• You have jokers in place
• You're close to finishing (3-4 tiles away)

🀄When to Pivot

Switch hands when:

• Your tiles aren't coming
• Someone exposed your needed tiles
• Your suit is getting discarded heavily
• You're stuck after 10+ turns

🀄CHAPTER 15: CHARLESTON STRATEGY (BEGINNER)

🀄Your Charleston Goals:

1. Cleaner hand (fewer random tiles)
2. More pairs (building blocks)
3. Focused suits (1-2 suits, not all 3)

🀄What to Pass (in order):

• Tiles from suits you're not using
• Isolated honors

• More suit cleanup
• Tiles that don't fit top 2-3 hands

• Final cleanup
• Anything clearly useless

🀄What to ALWAYS Keep:

• Jokers (never pass these)
• Pairs (2 identical tiles)
• Pungs (3 identical tiles)
• Tiles that fit your strongest 2 hands

🀄Don't Overthink It

The Charleston isn't about predicting the whole game. It's about reducing chaos and creating options.

🀄CHAPTER 16: JOKER DISCIPLINE (BEGINNER)

🀄Rule #1: Keep Jokers Through Charleston

Never pass jokers. Ever. They're gold.

🀄Rule #2: Use Jokers for Hard-to-Get Tiles

Use jokers to complete:

• Pungs you're unlikely to finish naturally
• Kongs
• Critical parts of runs

Don't use them on tiles that are being discarded freely.

🀄Rule #3: Don't Expose Joker Melds Too Early

If you expose a meld with a joker, opponents can swap it out (Dallas rules).

Wait until you're close to winning before exposing joker-heavy melds.

🀄How Many Jokers Is Good?

• 0 jokers: Tough but doable
• 1-2 jokers: Standard, use wisely
• 3+ jokers: Powerful—lean into faster hands

🀄CHAPTER 17: DEFENSE FOR BEGINNERS

🀄The #1 Defensive Rule:

If someone is exposed and close, play carefully.

🀄How to Spot Danger:

• They have 2-3 exposures showing
• They're calling tiles quickly
• They look focused/confident
• They have jokers exposed

🀄Safe-ish Discards:

When someone looks close:

• Discard tiles already heavily thrown
• Discard tiles that don't match their exposures
• Avoid tiles in their "range"

🀄Example:

Opponent exposed: 3-3-3 Bams and Red Dragon-Red Dragon-Joker

• Other Bams (they might need runs)
• Dragons (they might need more)

• Dots or Craks
• Tiles already discarded 3+ times

🀄CHAPTER 18: WHEN TO PIVOT VS. WHEN TO COMMIT

🀄Pivot Triggers (Change Hands):

1. No progress after Charleston + 8 draws
2. Your needed tiles are being discarded
3. Two players exposed in your tiles
4. You need 4+ exact tiles you haven't seen

🀄Commit Triggers (Stick with Hand):

1. You have 2+ complete melds
2. You're 3-4 tiles from winning
3. You have jokers supporting the hand
4. Your tiles are coming regularly

🀄The Sunk Cost Trap

If no, switch hands.

🀄CHAPTER 19: YOUR FIRST GAME CHECKLIST

🀄Before You Start:

• ☐ Set up tiles and walls correctly
• ☐ Each player has a card
• ☐ Confirm if playing with blanks/swapping
• ☐ Know who is East (dealer)

🀄During Charleston:

• ☐ Keep jokers
• ☐ Pass unusable tiles
• ☐ Stay calm (it's just passing!)

🀄During Play:

• ☐ Choose 1-2 possible hands
• ☐ Organize tiles by suit on rack
• ☐ Announce discards clearly
• ☐ Watch for dangerous players

🀄When Calling/Exposing:

• ☐ Make sure the tile helps
• ☐ Show the meld clearly
• ☐ Discard after calling

🀄Before Calling Mahjong:

• ☐ Double-check you have all tiles
• ☐ Verify it matches a card hand
• ☐ Count tiles (should be 14)

🀄CHAPTER 20: COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES (AND THE FIX)

🀄Mistake #1: Passing Jokers in Charleston

🀄Mistake #2: Choosing the "Pretty" Hand

🀄Mistake #3: Exposing Too Early

🀄Mistake #4: Not Pivoting

🀄Mistake #5: Feeding Wins

🀄Mistake #6: Using Jokers for Pairs

🀄Mistake #7: Holding Too Many Suits

🀄Mistake #8: Rushing

🀄CHAPTER 21: QUICK REFERENCE PAGES

🀄Turn Checklist

Every turn:

1. Draw a tile (or call a discard)
2. Evaluate: Does this help my hand?
3. Discard a tile you don't need
4. Announce it clearly

🀄Charleston Cheat Sheet

• Pass Right: Get rid of worst tiles
• Pass Across: Continue cleanup
• Pass Left: Final refinement
• Keep: Jokers, pairs, pungs

🀄"Can I Use a Joker Here?" Cheat Sheet

• Pair? NO
• Pung? YES
• Kong? YES
• Run (3+ sequence)? YES
• Single tile? NO
• Flower? NO

🀄Hand Selection Flowchart

1. What suits do I have most of?
2. Do I have pairs/pungs already?
3. Which card hands match this?
4. Pick top 2 hands
5. Stay flexible until clear progress

🀄CHAPTER 22: BONUS WORKSHEET - MY FIRST 5 GAMES TRACKER

Use this to improve quickly!

🀄Game 1:

• Hand I chose: _____________
• When I committed: _____________
• Did I expose? (Y/N): _____________
• Did I pivot? (Y/N): _____________
• Who won? _____________
• What I learned: _____________

🀄Game 2:

• Hand I chose: _____________
• When I committed: _____________
• Did I expose? (Y/N): _____________
• Did I pivot? (Y/N): _____________
• Who won? _____________
• What I learned: _____________

(Repeat for Games 3, 4, 5)

🀄After 5 Games - Reflection:

• What hands worked well for me?
• What mistakes did I make repeatedly?
• What do I need to practice?

🀄CONGRATULATIONS!

You now have everything you need to play American Mahjong confidently.

1. Practice! Play 10-20 games to internalize the rules
2. Review this guide between games
3. Use the cheat sheets at the table
4. Track your progress with the worksheet

🀄READY TO WIN MORE?

Once you're comfortable with the basics and have played 10-20 games, it's time to level up your strategy.

🀄👉 Get Mahjong 201: The Consistency Playbook

Learn the SCAN-SHAPE-COMMIT-DEFEND framework that intermediate players use to win consistently—without relying on luck.

• Advanced hand selection
• When to expose vs. stay concealed
• Table reading & opponent tells
• Joker management strategies
• 30+ intermediate rules of thumb
• Real-game scenarios with solutions

© 2026 Mahjong Mastery • www.winningatmahjong.shop