American Mahjong: Play Daily
One hand. Everyone plays it.
American Mahjong is a game for four players using 152 tiles, including 8 jokers, and a card of winning hands that changes every year. This site deals one American Mahjong hand a day. Every player gets the same tiles, the same Charleston and the same computer opponents, so you can compare your result with friends. It is free, and you don't need an account.
Learn to play American Mahjong
New to the game? Start with how to play American Mahjong, or take June's free lessons, short voiced lessons from your first look at the tiles to your first win.
- How to Play American Mahjong: Rules for Beginners, Step by Step: American Mahjong rules in plain English: the 152 tiles, picking a hand from the card, the Charleston, drawing and discarding, calling tiles, jokers, calling Mahjong and paying up.
- American Mahjong Tiles Explained: All 152 Tiles, With Pictures: A picture chart of every tile in an American Mahjong set: bams, cracks, dots, winds, dragons, flowers and jokers, with counts, how to tell them apart, and which dragon goes with which suit.
- American Mahjong Scoring: Who Pays What, With Examples: How scoring works in American Mahjong: hand values on the card, why the discarder pays double, self-drawn wins, the jokerless bonus, wall games and dead hands. With a payout table and a calculator.
- How Payouts Work in American Mahjong: Playing American Mahjong for money: what the thrower and everyone else pay, worked examples in dollars and cents, and the house rules: quarters, the pie, the kitty and wall games.
- American Mahjong Glossary: 40+ Terms in Plain English: What pung, kong, quint, Soap, Charleston, blind pass, courtesy pass, exposure, dead hand, jokerless and other American Mahjong words mean, each in one or two sentences.
- American Mahjong Etiquette: 12 Table Manners Every Player Knows: The unwritten rules of an American Mahjong table: naming your discard, not racking too fast, calling clearly, no coaching, paying promptly, and the house rules to agree on before you start.
- How to Host a Mahjong Party: Tables, Timing, Food and Theme Ideas: Plan an American Mahjong night: tables for your guest count, what each table needs, a three-hour schedule, food that keeps tiles clean, teaching first-timers, and theme ideas.
- How to Find a Mahjong Group Near You, or Start Your Own: Where to find an American Mahjong group near you (community centers, libraries, clubs, teachers, online groups), what to ask before you join, and how to start and keep a weekly game going.
- How to Read the 2026 National Mah Jongg League Card: The little NMJL card looks like a code at first. Here is how to read it line by line, with a symbol legend, the colors-to-suits rule, and a worked example.
- American Mahjong Charleston Rules, Explained Simply: The Charleston is the tile-passing round that opens every American Mahjong game. The full sequence, the blind pass, the courtesy pass, and the joker rule.
- What Is American Mahjong? A Friendly Beginner's Guide: A warm, plain-language introduction to American Mahjong: the 152-tile set, the yearly NMJL card, how a game flows, jokers, scoring, and how to start.
- American Mahjong vs Chinese Mahjong: What's the Difference?: They share the same beautiful tiles but play like two different games. A side-by-side comparison of the card, jokers, the Charleston, scoring, and more.
- What Do You Need to Play American Mahjong?: A clear shopping list for American Mahjong: the 152-tile set, racks, dice, the yearly NMJL card, price ranges, and where to buy. Plus a starter checklist.
- What Is a Joker in American Mahjong?: Jokers are the wild tiles of American Mahjong. What they do, where they can and cannot go, the joker exchange, and the mistakes new players make.
- Why Isn't This a Winning Hand? American Mahjong Dead Hands Explained: The most common American Mahjong question: why is a hand dead, or not a valid win? The real reasons a hand dies, and how to avoid it.
- Can You Play American Mahjong Alone? How to Practice Solo: American Mahjong is a four-player game, but you can practice the skills that matter on your own. Here are the best ways to get better solo.
- When Can You Call a Discard? American Mahjong Rules: When are you allowed to claim a discarded tile, and when is the chance gone? The window of opportunity, who can call, and what closes it.
Play with people near you
Find open play and classes near you, listed by the hosts and teachers who run them.