# What is a dead hand in American mahjong?

[Canonical page](https://jongg.app/learn/american-mahjong/dead-hand)

Last updated: 2026-11-04

What makes a hand dead, what a dead hand can't do, and how to check a hand at a real table.

## The short answer

A dead hand sits out until the next deal, but still owes at the end. It can't call a discard, declare mahjong or swap for a joker.

## What makes a hand dead

The wrong number of tiles.

A laid-down group that no hand on the card can hold, together with the player's other exposures.

An incorrect mahjong declaration can make a hand dead or incur payment penalties. What was exposed and what happened next determine the outcome. A verbal declaration retracted before exposing tiles can be corrected without penalty.

## Practice this in JONGG

At a real table, enter a hand or its exposures to check it against the supported card edition.

- [Check a hand](https://jongg.app/companion/check)

## Keep exploring

- [The glossary: exposures](https://jongg.app/glossary)
- [The glossary](https://jongg.app/glossary)
- [All American mahjong learning resources](https://jongg.app/learn/american-mahjong)