For brand-new players
Your first mahjong night starts at this table.
Just joined a club or got invited to play American Mahjong? Learn the tiles, the Charleston and the payouts here first, at your own pace. Free, and no sign-up.
- Tools
- 5 free
- Guides
- 17
- Sign-up
- None
Every American set has 152 tiles. Turn these over to meet a few of them.
01 Your path
Three evenings to your first game.
You don't need to master anything before game night. Learn these three things and the table will happily teach you the rest.
- Evening 1 Learn the tiles Three suits, Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers. Ten minutes of flashcards a day and you will read them at a glance. Start the tile quiz →
- Evening 2 Practice the Charleston Before every game, everyone passes tiles: right, across, left. Rehearse it here until your hands know the rhythm. Try the simulator →
- Evening 3 Read the card Colors mean suits, X and C mean exposed or concealed. We decode it with our own practice hands. Read the card guide →
Your progress
Six small steps to your first game night.
- Learn the tilesTake the tile quiz(not done yet)
- Practice the CharlestonTry the simulator(not done yet)
- Read the card guideRead the guide(not done yet)
- Spot your handOpen the hand finder(not done yet)
- Finish a practice gamePlay a game(not done yet)
- Win a practice gameGo for Mahjong(not done yet)
Saved on this device only.
02 Practice at home
Five free tools, no pressure.
Each one works on a phone, tablet or computer, and remembers your progress on your device.
New · Practice game
Play a whole game before your first game.
Three friendly computer players, a full Charleston, calls, Jokers and payouts. Switch on the coach and it shows your closest hand and the tile it would discard.
Deal me in
03 The game in four numbers
The game in four numbers
- tiles in an American set
- 152 tiles in an American set Three suits, Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers.
- Jokers
- 8 Jokers Wild in groups of three or more, never in a pair.
- passes each way
- 3 passes each way Right, across, left, then the other way around.
- new card every spring
- 1 new card every spring Published by the National Mah Jongg League.
04 Read at your own pace
Plain-English guides.
- 01 How to Play American Mahjong The whole game in plain English, start to finish.
- 02 How to Read the Card Colors, X and C, and what all those numbers mean.
- 03 Charleston Rules Right, across, left — and the optional second round.
- 04 What's in an American Set All 152 tiles, racks, dice, and what you can skip.
- 05 How Jokers Work When you can use them, and when you can swap for them.
- 06 2- and 3-Player Mahjong Yes, you can play with fewer than four. Here is how.
05 For the table
Bring a cheat sheet to your first night.
The First Game Night Kit is a printable 15-page PDF: a two-page table cheat sheet, the Charleston step by step, 12 original practice hands with drills, and a hosting guide.
Free printable
Get the free First Night Quick Card
One printable page with every tile, the Charleston order and the Joker rules, so you can glance down instead of asking.
06 A game with deep roots
From China in the 1800s to your table tonight.
Mahjong was born in China and came to America in the 1920s. American players added Jokers, the Charleston and a new card every year, but the tiles still carry their Chinese names. Knowing a little of that story makes every game richer.
Read the story →We never reproduce the official card. Our examples use original practice hands. Get the real card from the National Mah Jongg League.