Guides
How to play American Mahjong
Plain-language guides to American Mahjong, from your first look at the tiles to hosting your own game night. Free, no signup needed.
Start here
- 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.
Tools
- American Mahjong payout calculator
Who pays what for one hand: enter its value, how it was won, jokers, your stake and 3 or 4 players.
Rules, tiles and table life
- 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.
- Who Pays in American Mahjong? Payouts Explained
Who pays in American Mahjong: the thrower pays double, everyone else once, and on a self-pick everyone pays double. Worked examples in dollars and cents, plus quarters, the pie and the kitty.
- 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.
- American Mahjong Apps and Online Games (2026): Every One, Compared
38 American Mahjong apps and web games compared, plus 30 newer ones: price, where each runs, a daily, the Charleston and the 2026 card, with sources. Checked weekly.
- How to Read the 2026 National Mah Jongg League Card
How to read the 2026 card line by line: the colors-to-suits rule, the symbol legend, how to pick a hand, which sections players actually win with in our daily games, and the mistakes we see most.
- 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? Dead Hands in American Mahjong
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.