Rules and scoring
How to Win at Mahjong: 10 Simple Tips
Quick answer
To win at mahjong, be the first player to finish a winning hand and call Mah Jongg. In American mahjong, your 14 tiles must match a hand on this year's card. To win more often, keep 2 or 3 hands in mind and hold your jokers. Watch the discards, and play safe late in the game.
At a glance
- Winning hand: 14 tiles that match a hand on the card
- Jokers: wild tiles, used only in groups of 3 or more of the same tile
- Win on a discard: the player who threw it pays double
These mahjong tips and tricks follow American rules, and many help in other styles too.
What should you do before play starts?
Before play, learn the card and look for a few hands that fit your tiles.
1. Learn this year's card
You win only when your 14 tiles match a hand on the card. The card changes every year, so study the new one. See how to read it in our guide to the mahjong card.
2. Pick 2 or 3 hands early
Find 2 or 3 hands that fit your tiles. Do not lock in too soon. If the tiles you need stop coming, switch.
What are the best mahjong tips for the Charleston?
The best Charleston tips help you keep your options open. The Charleston is a tile swap before play, 3 tiles at a time.
3. Pass tiles that fit none of your hands
Keep tiles that work in more than one hand. Pass the ones that fit nothing. You can never pass a joker, so every joker you get stays with you.
4. Use the blind pass and the stop
On the last pass of each Charleston, you may pass blind. That means you pass along 1, 2 or 3 tiles you just got, without looking. Any player may also stop the second Charleston, so stop it if you like your tiles.
How should you use your jokers?
Use jokers in big groups, and hold on to them.
5. Aim for hands with big groups
A joker only works in a group of 3 or more of the same tile. It can never be a single tile or part of a pair. So if you hold jokers, aim for hands with pungs (3 of a kind) and kongs (4 of a kind).
6. Hold your jokers and look for swaps
A discarded joker is dead, so no one can claim it. An exposure is a group shown face up on a rack. On your turn, swap the real tile for a joker in any exposure. Learn more in our mahjong jokers guide.
What mahjong strategy works during play?
During play, think before you call, and keep your eyes on the table.
7. Think before you call a tile
To call is to claim a tile someone just threw away. Then you must show that group face up, so everyone can see your plan. You also can no longer make a hand marked C, which means concealed.
8. Watch the discards and the racks
There are only 4 of most tiles. If 3 of a tile you need are gone, that hand gets harder. Think about switching. The groups on other racks also hint at what other players need.
How do you play safe and improve your skills?
Play safe when the wall gets short, and practice often. Good defense is a big part of advanced mahjong strategy.
9. Play safe late in the game
If someone wins on your discard, you pay double. So when the wall gets short, do not throw a tile another player seems to need. Sometimes it is smart to give up on your hand to stay safe.
10. Practice often
The more you play, the faster you spot good hands. Play with friends, join a group, or try these ways to practice mahjong online.
Ready to put these tips to work?
Practice at home with an American set that has all 8 jokers.
Questions people ask
Is mahjong luck or skill?
Both. Luck decides which tiles you get. Skill decides what you keep, pass and throw away.
Who pays when you win at mahjong?
Only the winner is paid. If you win on a discard, the player who threw it pays double. If you draw the winning tile yourself, all three pay double.
Do these tips work for Chinese or Singapore mahjong?
Many do, like watching the discards and playing safe late. But those styles have no yearly card. Chinese hands are 4 sets plus a pair, and Singapore games score in points called tai.