How Dice Work in Mahjong

What are mahjong dice used for?

Mahjong dice have two jobs, and both happen before play starts.

• Picking East. Everyone rolls. The highest roll is East, the dealer. East starts with 14 tiles and goes first.
• Breaking the wall. The wall is the square of tiles you draw from. East rolls to find where to split it, so the deal can start.

You do not roll on your turn. After the deal, the game is all about the tiles.

How do you play mahjong with dice?

In American mahjong, you use 2 dice at the start of the game. Here is each step.

1. Everyone rolls. The highest roll is East.
2. Build the walls. Each player builds a wall 19 stacks long and 2 tiles high. A stack is 2 tiles, one on top of the other. Push the 4 walls into a square.
3. East rolls 2 dice. Add the two numbers.
4. Count the stacks. East counts that many stacks from the right end of East's own wall.
5. Break the wall. East splits the wall at that spot.
6. Take tiles. Players take tiles from the stacks to the left of the break.

Say East rolls a 2 and a 6. That makes 8. East counts 8 stacks from the right and breaks the wall there.

For the full deal, see how to set up mahjong.

How many dice do you need for mahjong?

You need 2 dice for American mahjong. Other styles use 2 or 3, and their walls are a little shorter.

How are dice used in Chinese mahjong?

In Chinese and Hong Kong games, the dice pick whose wall to break.

1. The dealer rolls. Add up the dice.
2. Count the players. Count around the table to the right, starting from the dealer. Stop when you reach the total.
3. Break that wall. The player you stop on counts the same number of stacks from the right end of their wall. The wall breaks there.

Dice can also pick seats. The highest roll is East. Many groups draw wind tiles face down instead. Learn about mahjong wind tiles.