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How to Play Modern American Mahjong

Mahjong is an extremely skill-based game and luck, which originated in China several centuries ago. It was introduced across the West in the 1920's after publishing of Joseph Park's "Rules of Mah-Jongg."

American mahjong (also often known as " Mah Jongg" or " Maajh") is different from Asian mahjong, in many ways. American mahjong is played with racks and jokers as well as "Hands and Rules" score cards, and has a variety of unique gameplay mechanics. While the American mahjong set is utilized in the game of Chinese

Mahjong, the rules apply to those playing an American game. Mahjong is played by four players sitting around the table. The tiles in mahjong 247 game is shuffled, dice are rolled, and rituals are performed to determine the number of tiles. Then the tiles are exchanged. The first person who matches an ace of 14 tiles and "call mahjong" ends the game. Then, the tiles are scored and the winner is declared.

Mahjong is a game played by four players of chance and skill that was first played in China. There are numerous versions of Mahjong but in this post, we will focus at the American version, which is played according to National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. The Mah Jongg version is typically known as "Mah Jongg" and often just referred to as "mahj".

The sections in this manual will be illustrated by images of tiles on screen from our Mah Jongg Online Game. Be aware that there's an array of tile designs to choose from, so the tiles that you play with could look different from the ones shown in this guide.

It is thrilling winning a hand, as also regret for not being brave enough to make the right decision. As with poker, you'll discover a lot about the opponents you face when playing mahjong and adapt your strategy based on the strengths as well as weaknesses of your opponents.

The Tiles

A typical American Mah Jongg set is comprised of the 152 tiles in various designs.

Numbered Tiles

These tiles feature the symbol (based in the suit) as well as an arbitrary number. There are three suits (cracks dots, bams, and cracks) as well as numbers that range between 1 and 9. There are four instances of each tile.

Cracks

Dots

Bams

The one-bam bird is typically depicted as a bird.

Winds

There are four types that wind tiles are: North, East, West, South. There are 4 different instances of each wind tile within the game.

Dragons

There are three types that are dragons. Green Dragon, Red Dragon, White Dragon (also known as Soap). There are four variations of every dragon tile within the game.

Every dragon is associated with an outfit

• Bangs and Bams Green Dragons
• Cramps and Cracks Red Dragons
• Dots with White Dragons (Soap)

We will look at these associations more in depth as we look at how to interpret the card.

It is important to note that the white dragon can also be used to symbolize a Zero within the game.

Flowers

There are 8 flower tiles in the game. In some sets, they are represented as different varieties of flowers and may also have seasons printed on them. These differences are irrelevant for American Mah Jongg and all flower tiles are interchangeable. This illustration is the flower used in the I Love Mahj online game.

Jokers

In addition to the regular tiles mentioned above, a Mah Jongg set also includes 8 jokers. Jokers are a wildcard and can substitute for any tile when building a hand. However, there are some restrictions. More on that later.

The Card

Contrary to other types of mahjong American Mah Jongg employs cards that describe most winning tiles (called "hands"). The aim in the game is matching your tile to one of these patterns.

This adds a new variation to the game, as you need to be familiar with the card sufficiently in order to be able quickly match the pattern to the tiles dealt to you. And to make things even more complicated the fact that a new card is issued every year. Therefore, even when you think that you've memorized and understood the card, you'll need to master a new card!

There are a handful of companies that create cards However, the most famous of them is National Mah Jongg League (NMJL). Because of copyright restrictions We are unable to show you the card. You'll have to buy your own card from the NMJL. This section will show you what to do with the cards so that you know what tile combinations are acceptable.

Hands

Every line of the deck signifies a winning hand. Each hand is comprised from 14 pieces. Notes and colors help define the hand's characteristics.

Abbreviations

The card is based on the abbreviations below:

• 1-9 : numbered tiles
• D Dragon
• F Flower
• N, E, W SW, North, East, West and South winds
• 0: soap (white dragon)

Combinations

A given hand is divided into tiles of the same color:

• Single: 1 single tile
• Two identical tiles
• Pung 3 tiles
• Kong 4 tiles identical to each other
• Quint: 5 tiles that are identical
• Sextet: 6 tiles that are identical

For example:

• A Pung of West winds is represented as WWW
• A 3rd kong is represented by 3333
• A bouquet of flowers can be represented by the letter FFFFF

It is important to note that they are all the combinations comprised of the same tiles. Sometimes, the card contains sets of tiles displayed together, but as they are made up of different tiles, they should be considered individual tiles.

For instance, NEWS is not a kong, but rather a collection of all four separate wind tiles. A year hand (eg 2020) is an individual set of four tiles. It is a common mistake for beginners as well, and it would aid in avoiding confusion if NMJL will mark these by placing an asterisk in between every tile of the deck.

Colors

Three colors are utilized in the design: blue green and red. Those colors do not designate a particular suit. Any color could represent any suit. However, within a particular hand, every tile of one color must be of that same color.

Example: 222 444 6666 8888

Both the 2s and 4s have be part of the same suit. Likewise, the 6s and 8s have to be in a different suit. For example, your 2s and 4s might be dots, and the 6s or 8s could be are cracked while the 2s and 4s might be bams with you have your 8s and 6s are dots or cracks. Each of these combinations is equally relevant.

etc.

If dragons are included in the same combination, and are marked with the same color as the rest the palm, the dragons must to match the suit in use:

• Green Dragons with Bams
• Red Dragons with Cracks
• White Dragons (Soap) with Dots

Example 22, 444 DDDD 666 88

In this case the characters and numbers are similar colors therefore they have to be of the same color and with the same dragons. A winning hand might consist of a pair of 2 cracks or a pung of four cracks and a cong with red dragons pung comprising six cracks, and a pair of 8-cracks.

In some cases, the dragon appears in a different hue than other combinations, which means that it's not in line with the others (this is known as "opposite dragon").

Example 2244 666, 888 DDD

We will have to choose a suit that is suitable to deal with the 4s and 2s. The other suit for the 6s and 8s and dragons must match the suit of 3. A winning hand might be a pair of two dots and a pair of four dots or a pung of 6 cracks and a pung of eight cracks and an oblong of green dragons.

Sections

The cards' hands are divided into sections that are generally the same between years:

• These hands are a representation of the year in which they are written, as well as numbers on soaps and tiles
• 2468 These hands contain only even numbers.
• Every Like Numbers: in these hands, all numbers are identical (eg all 3s).
• Quints as the name suggests the hands are comprised of quints (5-of-a-kind)
• Consecutive run These hands contain numbers in ascending order (eg 1, 2 3, 4, 5,)
• 13579 These hands contain only odd numbers.
• Dragons and winds as the name suggest this hand type consists of the majority of dragons and winds (though some contain numbers too)
• 369 These hands contain three numbers, 6, and 9.
• Ones, and pair the hands are only single tiles and pairs (no other tiles in a group are included)
• Some cards also contain an area that is based on the concept of multiplication and additions
  (eg: FFFF 5555 x 3333 = 15)

Notes:

• In each of the sections the hand can include dragons, flowers and/or dragons
• To calculate Any Like Numbers, the numbers are represented by 1s, however they can be any number.
• For Consecutive Runs The numbers are shown starting at 1 however they could be any combination of numbers (unless otherwise specified).

For instance, for FFFF 1111, 22 33333 the winning hand could be a flower-shaped kong that is a combination of 4 cracks and a pair of cracks of 5 and a cong of 6 cracks.

Hands concealed

Hands are marked by an X (which indicates exposed) while others are marked have a C. This signifies a concealed hand. If you are playing with an unintentional hand, you are not able to use a tile you have discarded (more details on this on that in section "Calling a Tile" section).

Notes

Every one of the lines on the cards is accompanied by an explanation within parenthesis beside the hand. When there is ambiguity regarding the hand's representation the note clarifies the rules and what's not.

For instance, the first line of consecutive runs usually includes the phrase "These numbers only". In the past, when discussing continuous runs, any combination of numbers that are consecutive can be used, however for this particular case only those numbers are acceptable.

Another illustration is FFFFF DDDD 11111. Because the numbers are different colors as the dragons one could think that they must have different suit. But the note states "Any number, any suit, any dragon", meaning that suits don't matter in this situation.

Make sure you go through the notes attentively.

Points

The final item included on this card is number of points per hand. This is the amount of points you'll earn in the event of winning with this particular hand. You can also earn bonuses points (these will be discussed in a later article).

Participating in the game

We've already discussed the different tiles and how to read the cards to find winning combinations. Now, let's start playing! There are many steps involved in an activity and we'll go over each one in each turn.

Installation

If you play online, the setup of the game is completed by the game's creators, so it is easy to start playing. If you are playing in person and using physical sets Here are the steps for setting to play:

1. Set up the four players around a small table
2. Set up a rack in front each player.
3. Set all tiles in the middle facing down, then move them around
4. Every player creates the "wall" of tiles, 19 tiles long and two tiles high before their rack
5. Player's dice, and the one with the highest score is classified as "East"
6. East is the one who rolls and breaks through their wall at the point as indicated by the roll of the dice (starting from the left)
7. East is the fourth of the tiles following the break in the wall.
8. In a counter-clockwise direction every player picks 4 tiles, and they have all 12 tiles. Tiles are first taken by east's (partial) wall. They are then picked from the next wall and then from the wall next to it (in the clockwise direction)
9. East picks 2 tiles of the wall (the second and third ones above the wall) and the other players (in clockwise counterclockwise order) choose 1 tile at a time.
10. East currently has 14 tiles while the other players have 13 tiles.
11. Tiles are placed on the tilted sides of the rack each player uses (visible just to the players)

After this, players can begin placing their tiles onto their racks, and analyzing their options, and making plans for their hands. If you need advice regarding strategy, you can go through our Comprehensive guide on American Mah Jongg Strategy.

The Charleston

The Charleston is exclusive in American Mah Jongg as it involves the transfer of unwanted tiles among players, in this manner:

First Charleston (mandatory)

12. Each player passes three tiles each to the players to their right
13. The players pass three tiles each to the players that is across from them.
14. Each player passes three tiles to the player to their left. This time, players don't have be able to transfer their own tile. They can choose between 0 and 3 from their tiles, and any remaining shortfall must be comprised of tiles that are received from the player to their right. The tiles must be passed through without taking a look. This is called "blind pass" "blind pass".

A second Charleston (optional)

If all players are in agreement that they are all in agreement, a second Charleston begins, beginning with a passing towards the left, this time. If any players want to stop in this moment, they proceed towards their Courtesy Pass directly (see below).

15. Each player passes three tiles each to the person to their left
16. Each player passes three tiles each to the players who is across from them.
17. Each player passes three tiles to the player who is to their right. This could comprise the tiles of 0 to 3 and a few tiles they receive from the previous game (see the previous note on "blind passes")

Courtesy Pass

Every player informs the person in front of them how many tiles they want to exchange (0-3 tiles). The players exchange tiles that are that are equal to the smaller number of two.

It is important to note that jokers are not taken out in the Charleston.

After the Charleston is completed and the players are ready to begin the game in its entirety. The purpose that the players must end with the tiles that match with the hand on the cards.

Order of Play

This section will discuss the general structure of the game. In subsequent sections, we will discuss each step and the rules of each.

Because East contains 14 tiles, this player begins the game by removing the tile. The game then shifts towards the player on their right, who selects one of the tiles from the wall and throws away a tile. Each player has the option to call a draw for the game more interesting (see the section below).

The player calling the call then discards the tile. The game continues in a clockwise counterclockwise direction and each player picks one tile from the wall, and discarding the tile until a player calls Mah Jongg and there aren't any more tiles to choose (this is known as "wall game") "wall game"). We'll discuss the various aspects in more detail later.

Walls

Walls are pulled out each time after the tiles are all picked from the wall before. The process proceeds in a clockwise direction with the right-most edge on the wall moved toward the middle of the table. This leaves the left-most edge close to the one pushing it out.

Tiles for drawing and removing

The excitement is now in full swing when each player attempts to improve their hand. Because East holds 14 tiles she begins the game by removing one tile. If the tile that was thrown away does not get called (claimed by the other players) The turn is then handed over with the player to the right.

The next player will draw one of the tiles off the wall. The tile is drawn from where the breaking the walls occurred. When a person pulls a tile off an area on the wall, she will take the top tile, if the tile next on the stack is two tiles tall and, if not, she chooses the lower tile.

The player may choose to either throw the tile away or put it in her hands and then throw away another tile out of her hand. It is announced that the name of the discard tile is announced before it is laid on top on the table. Be cautious as every tile you dispose is noticed by other players, and it will not take long before they can figure out the kind of hand you're trying to construct.

If the tile being thrown away is not called, the turn is continued until the next player is who is on the other side. The process of drawing, removing, and subsequent turns is repeated unless it is interrupted by a request.

calling tiles

The most recent roll can be used by any player, if the tile has the pung, kong quint, sextet or any other combo of an open hands (a hand that is marked by " X" beside its value on the card that shows score).

• A tile is not used to complete a set of hands that require only one tile.
• A tile cannot be used to complete a pair unless it is part of the mahjong hand.
• Tiles that are discarded prior to the most recent can't be considered dead and therefore are not tiles.

If a player is asked to remove a tile, and it doesn't result in mahjong, then the sequence it creates has to be displayed in front of their table for everyone to see. It is not changed during the course of game. The player is then able to discard the tile, and should it not be called by another player, the turn continues to the player who is to their right. Be aware that certain players could get their turns shortened when the tile gets called.

There are provisions in case two or more people is calling:

• The player who makes a call to make a complete mahjong set is superior to calls made by other players to complete an entire set.
• If none of the calls are enough to make a mahjong hand the player who is closest in turn is awarded the discard.

Note: If you are aiming at a hidden hand (a hand that is marked by a " C" beside its score on the scorecard) All of the tiles you hold must be taken from the wall. All of them cannot be referred to as tiles, except for the final tile, which will permit the player to declare Mahjong.

Using jokers

Jokers are able to substitute for regular tiles, but only when they are combined with three plus tiles (ie kongs, pungs quints, pungs) and not for pairs or singles. Keep in mind that sequences such as NEWS and 2020 although they appear together on the card, are actually 4 tiles. This means that you cannot utilize a joker for these.

Making a joker swap

If it's your turn (either obviously based on your order, or due to the fact that you've called the tile) it is possible to switch an open joker to the same tile on your rack.

As an example, suppose that Mary has exposed two cracks as well as two jokers. If you own a crack of 5 then you can swap this tile with Mary's joker. If you had two cracks you could swap them for two jokers. It is also possible to swap tiles you hold in your hands to a joker from the one you own exposes.

In person you'd ask for the joker from a different player, instead of getting it off their rack.

Mah Jongg

If a player has fourteen tiles which match the cards on their deck, they may declare themselves winners by saying "Mah Jongg". They must announce the win by speaking and then place all of their tiles on their rack.

The winner is awarded the total number of points that the hand has (as stated in the cards) and points bonus in the event that the hand was joker less or the tile that was picked by the player himself (rather than calling). The player who threw the winning tile can be punished.

There are rules on payouts that apply to players who are playing for money, as well as points accrual rules in tournaments. Online games may have specific rules for players. It's beyond the purpose of this guide to explore the many payment options.

Wall Games

If the players are unable to collect tiles before the other player has reached Mah Jongg the game will end in the draw. This is known as "Wall Game" "Wall Game".

Dead Hands

There are times when the hand of a player could get declared to be dead by the other players. In this case the player is unable to participate at all (ie they are unable to select from the wall or discard tiles, or call them) as the play will continue by the other players.

Here are a few conditions that could make a hand dead

• You ask for Mah Jongg but in error. You might say, for instance, that you want to claim Mah Jongg however your tiles don't correspond to a hand on the deck or they are in a hidden hand when you are exposed
• Your hand is not viable anymore. For instance, your exposures suggest you're only playing one hand and that hand needs two North winds. If there are already three North winds in your exposes or discards There's no way you'll be able to complete your hand. Therefore, it's dead.
• You wrongly consider another person's hand dead. Your hand is dead.
• It's possible that you get an error in the number of tiles. It's best to have 13 tiles all the time, and 14 when you're on your own or you are playing Mah Jongg.

by jacobduncanj on 2022-04-30 09:33:37