How to Play Mahjong

What do you need to play mahjong?

To play mahjong in real life, you need a set of tiles, 4 players and a table. You will also want dice and racks.

• A set. American sets have 152 tiles, with 8 jokers. A joker is a wild tile. Chinese sets have 144 tiles and no jokers.
• Dice. They pick the dealer and show where to start taking tiles.
• Racks. A rack holds your tiles upright, so only you can see them.
• A card, for American play. The National Mah Jongg League prints a new card of winning hands each year. The 2026 card costs about $14, or about $15 in large print. Prices can change.

What is the goal of mahjong?

The goal is to be the first to build a winning hand. You hold 13 tiles. You win when one more tile completes your hand, for 14 in all.

Hands are built from small groups of tiles, called sets.

• Pair: 2 of the same tile.
• Pung: 3 of the same tile.
• Kong: 4 of the same tile.
• Quint: 5 of the same tile. There are only 4 of most tiles, so a quint usually needs a joker. American only.
• Chow: 3 in a row in one suit, like 4, 5, 6. Not used in American mahjong.

In Chinese styles, a win is 4 sets plus a pair. In American mahjong, your 14 tiles must match a hand on the card.

How do you start a game of mahjong?

You start by building the wall and taking your tiles. These directions for playing mahjong follow American rules.

1. Pick the dealer. Everyone rolls the dice. The highest roll is East, the dealer.
2. Sit in order. Seats go East, South, West, North. Play moves to the right, which is counterclockwise.
3. Build the wall. Mix the tiles. Each player builds a wall 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high. Push the 4 walls into a square.
4. Break the wall. East rolls 2 dice and counts that many stacks from the right end of East's wall. East splits the wall there.
5. Take your tiles. Starting left of the break, take 4 tiles at a time, 3 times. Then East takes 2 more and the others take 1.
6. Pass tiles. American players now swap tiles. This is called the Charleston. You pass 3 tiles right, then across, then left.

Chinese styles build walls 18 stacks long and skip the Charleston. See how to set up mahjong for more.

How do you play mahjong step by step?

East goes first by discarding, or throwing away, 1 tile. After that, every turn has the same 3 steps.

1. Take a tile. Draw the next tile from the wall. Or call the last discard, if the rules allow it.
2. Check your hand. See if the new tile helps you.
3. Discard. Put 1 tile face up in the middle and say its name.

Then the player on your right goes. That is how mahjong gameplay works, turn after turn. The basic turn is the same in every style.

When can you call a discard?

To call is to claim the tile someone just threw away. You must call before the next player takes a tile. Then you show the finished set face up. This is called an exposure.

• American: call only to finish a group of 3 or more of the same tile, or to win. You cannot call for a pair unless it wins.
• Chinese: call anyone's discard for a pung, kong or win. Call a chow only from the player on your left.

Learn the full rules in how to play American mahjong and how to play Chinese mahjong.

How does a hand end?

A hand ends when someone wins or the wall runs out. Each round of play is called a hand.

• Someone wins. In American play, the winner says "Mah Jongg" and shows all 14 tiles. Only the winner gets paid. The player who threw the winning tile pays double. The others pay the hand's value.
• The wall runs out. No one wins. This is called a wall game.

Chinese styles score with points called faan or fan. Many groups play for chips or points, not money.

How are American and Chinese rules different?

The turn is the same, but many details differ. Mahjong began in China, where it is called majiang. American rules come from the National Mah Jongg League, founded in 1937.