American Mahjong Tiles Explained: All 152 Tiles, With Pictures
An American Mahjong set has 152 tiles: 108 suit tiles (bams, cracks and dots, numbered 1 to 9, four of each), 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. The jokers are what make an American set different: a typical Chinese set has the same 144 other tiles and no jokers.
Here is every tile, with a picture, so you can sort a new set or check a tile you don't recognize.
The tile count at a glance
| Tile family | Tiles in the family | Copies of each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bams (bamboo) | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Cracks (characters) | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Dots (circles) | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Winds | North, East, West, South | 4 | 16 |
| Dragons | Green, Red, White (Soap) | 4 | 12 |
| Flowers | 8 different pictures | 1 | 8 |
| Jokers | Joker | 8 | 8 |
| Total | 152 |
Many sets come with a few spare jokers or blank tiles. Put them away before you play, so the count stays at 152.
Bams
Bams show sticks of bamboo. The 1 bam is the odd one out: it usually shows a bird instead of a stick.
Cracks
Cracks (short for characters) show a Chinese character, with a number in the corner on American sets.
Dots
Dots show circles. Count the circles to get the number.
Winds
There are four winds, marked N, E, W and S on American sets. The winds don't belong to a suit.
Dragons
There are three dragons, and each one is linked to a suit. The card relies on this link, so it is worth learning early.
| Dragon | Goes with | Also called |
|---|---|---|
| Green dragon | Bams | Green |
| Red dragon | Cracks | Red |
| White dragon | Dots | Soap. On the card it also stands for zero, as in the year |
Flowers
A set has eight flowers. Some show flowers and some show seasons, but in American Mahjong all flowers are the same tile. Any flower matches any other flower, so three different flower pictures still make a group of three flowers.
Jokers
There are eight jokers. A joker can stand in for any tile in a group of three or more matching tiles. It can never be used as a single tile or in a pair, and it can never be passed in the Charleston. (All the joker rules.)
How to tell tiles apart quickly
- Look at the corner number first. American tiles print the number, or N, E, W, S, in a corner.
- Don't confuse the 1 bam with a flower. The 1 bam has a number in the corner. A flower does not.
- The Soap is not a blank tile. It usually has a frame or border. A true blank is a spare.
- Flowers only have to be flowers. You never need a matching picture.
Sorting your rack
Most players sort their 13 tiles by suit, then by number, with winds, dragons, flowers and jokers at one end. It makes it easier to see which hand on the card you are closest to. Keep the sorting to yourself, though: some players rearrange their tiles now and then so others can't read their hand.
See the tiles in a real hand
Knowing the tiles is step one. Our beginner's guide to playing shows what you do with them, and the free daily hand lets you play with them today.
Frequently asked questions
- How many tiles are in an American Mahjong set?
- 152: 36 bams, 36 cracks, 36 dots, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers.
- What is the Soap tile in mahjong?
- The Soap is the white dragon. It goes with the dots suit, and on the American Mahjong card it also stands for zero, for example in hands built on the year.
- Are all flower tiles the same in American Mahjong?
- Yes. All eight flowers are interchangeable. A flower with a plum and a flower with a season picture count as the same tile.
- Which dragon goes with which suit?
- The green dragon goes with bams, the red dragon with cracks, and the white dragon (Soap) with dots.
- How many jokers are in American Mahjong?
- Eight. Sets often include spares, but a game uses eight.
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