American Mahjong Cheat Sheet
A quick-reference cheat sheet for American Mahjong. Covers setup, Charleston, turns, calling, Joker rules, and winning — all on one page.
Game Setup
4 players, 152 tiles (108 suits, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers, 8 jokers). Each player builds a wall 2 tiles high, 19 stacks across.
Roll dice to choose East (dealer). Deal counter-clockwise: each player draws 4 at a time until everyone has 12, then 1 more each. East takes 14 total, everyone else 13.
You also need the current year's NMJL card ($14). It defines every valid winning hand and changes each spring.
The Charleston
FIRST CHARLESTON (Mandatory): Pass 3 tiles right → 3 across → 3 left. You may blind-pass on the left pass.
SECOND CHARLESTON (Optional, unanimous): Pass 3 left → 3 across → 3 right. Any player can stop it.
COURTESY PASS (Optional): Exchange 1–3 tiles with the player across, if both agree on the number.
Jokers may NOT be passed during the Charleston.
Your Turn
DRAW one tile from the wall (or call a discard). OPTIONAL: exchange a natural tile from your hand for a Joker in any exposed meld. DISCARD one tile face-up, announcing its name clearly.
Play moves counter-clockwise. East discards first.
Calling Rules
You may call a discard to complete a Pung (3), Kong (4), Quint (5), or Mahjong. You CANNOT call for a pair unless it wins the game.
PRIORITY: Mahjong beats all other calls. If tied, the caller closest in turn order (counter-clockwise from discarder) wins.
You can only call the most recent discard — previous discards are dead.
Joker Rules
Jokers substitute for any tile in groups of 3 or more (Pung, Kong, Quint, Sextet). They CANNOT be used in pairs or singles.
EXCHANGE: If an opponent's exposed meld contains a Joker, you may swap the matching natural tile from your hand for it (on your turn, after drawing, before discarding).
A discarded Joker is a safe tile — no player can call it for any reason.
Winning
Complete a hand that exactly matches one on the NMJL card, then call 'Mahjong!' You can win by self-draw (from the wall) or by calling a discard.
SCORING: Winner collects the hand's point value from each player. Discarder of the winning tile pays double. Self-draw means all opponents pay double.
FALSE MAHJONG: If your hand doesn't match the card, it's dead — you stop playing for the rest of the round.
Key Takeaways
- 4 players, 152 tiles, counter-clockwise play, East starts with 14
- Charleston: right → across → left (mandatory), then reverse (optional). No Joker passing.
- Draw → optional Joker exchange → discard. Call discards for sets of 3+ or Mahjong only.
- Jokers work in groups of 3+, never in pairs. Discarded Jokers are safe.
- Match a hand on the NMJL card exactly to win
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