The American Mahjong Cheat Sheet
One page, everything you forget mid-game. No email, no download, no sign-up — just print it.
On this page
No email, no sign-up, no download — the whole thing is on this page. Hit print, or keep this tab open on your phone beside the rack.
Print it (it's formatted to fit one sheet), or leave it open during your first few games. Everything here is the stuff people forget in the moment — not the stuff you learn once and keep.
The Charleston, in order
Blind pass is legal on the third pass of each Charleston only — First Left and Second Right. Never pass a joker, at any point.
Your turn, in order
Where a joker is allowed
Three or more identical tiles: fine. One or two: never — including card layouts that look like sets but are legally singles and pairs.
When you can claim a discard
Any player can claim the most recent discard, but only to complete a pung, kong, quint or sextet, or to declare mahjong. Never for a single or a pair unless you're winning with it. Discarded jokers can never be claimed.
You cannot claim a discard to make a run. Sequences don't exist in this game. The card's "consecutive run" hands are groups of identical tiles whose numbers ascend — not runs of different tiles.
Who pays what
Naming your discards
| Tile | Say |
|---|---|
| Suit tiles | Number then suit — "two bam", "seven crak" |
| Winds | The direction — "north" |
| Dragons | "red", "green", "white" or "soap" |
| Flowers | "flower" — never a number |
| Same as the last discard | "same" |
Down is down. Once you name it or it touches the table, it's gone. You can correct a wrong name; you can't take the tile back.
The counts
| Thing | Number |
|---|---|
| Tiles in the set | 152 |
| Jokers | 8 |
| Flowers | 8 |
| Your wall | 19 stacks, 2 high |
| East's opening hand | 14 tiles |
| Everyone else | 13 tiles |
| Tiles passed per Charleston pass | 3 |
| Courtesy pass | 0–3, across only |
Five things that go wrong at beginner tables
- Chasing five hands. After the Charleston, commit to one or two.
- Discarding without looking. Every exposure on the table tells you what that player needs.
- Silent discards. Name every tile — the timing rules depend on it.
- Touching other people's tiles. Ask; let them hand it over.
- Announcing your own dead hand. Don't. Keep playing and say nothing.
Where this comes from
Every rule summarised here follows the American Mah-Jongg Association's published rulebook, cross-checked against the National Mah Jongg League's public materials.
No hands from the League's annual card appear on this page. You need your own current card to play — it's sold by the League directly, and this sheet is not a substitute for it.