American mahjong
Your first night at the table
A little room to learn. Keep your own NMJL card beside you and ask questions as you go.
Three suits.
Each suit runs 1–9. Four of each tile.
Dragon partners
Dots + white (soap)
Bams + green · Craks + red
Four winds, three dragons; four of each. Eight flowers and eight jokers. Flowers are interchangeable. Soap can be 0 in a year.
The Charleston.
Pass to: Right · Across · Left
Receive from: Left · Across · Right
Pause. Anyone may stop here.
Pass to: Left · Across · Right
Receive from: Right · Across · Left
Second round only if everyone agrees. Stop before anyone looks at second-left tiles. Once begun, finish all three passes. Pass three; receive three. Blind only on first left and last right; your tiles plus unseen tiles total three. No jokers.
Courtesy: exchange 0–3 agreed tiles across.
Then take turns.
- Draw a tile, unless you legally call a discard.
- Check your options against your card.
- Discard one tile and say its name, or declare a complete mahjong.
East starts with 14 and discards first, without drawing. Play moves to the right.
Think before you call.
Call the latest named natural discard before the next player racks, discards, starts a joker exchange or declares mahjong. Drawing alone does not close the window. A simultaneous call/rack favors the call.
To expose: complete a matching group of 3 or more that fits an exposed hand on your card and earlier exposures.
For mahjong: a discard may complete a single, pair or concealed hand if the whole hand matches your card.
Never singles or pairs, even to win. Never in a pass. Never call a discarded joker.
The goal: complete a 14-tile hand on your own card. Match its suits, numbers and all the notes.
Four-player American mahjong reminder. A dealer dealt a complete winning hand may declare before the Charleston.