Feeling lost in a sea of tiles? Mahjong might seem overwhelming at first, but once you learn the basics, it’s a strategic, social game that becomes seriously addictive. This post is for anyone who’s said, “I want to learn, but where do I even start?”
🔢 Tile Breakdown
- Bamboo, Characters, Circles: Numbered 1–9 in each suit
- Honor Tiles: Winds (North, South, East, West) and Dragons (Red, Green, White)
- Jokers: Used in American Mahjong to complete hands
Need help remembering? Just print this simple cheat sheet.
🎯 Objective of the Game
The goal? Build a complete Mahjong hand, made up of sets like pungs (3 of a kind), chows (3 in a row), and pairs. Each version of Mahjong has different combinations and strategies.
Basic Terms to Know
- Pung = 3 identical tiles
- Kong = 4 identical tiles
- Quint = 5 identical tiles (used in special hands)
- Joker = Wild tile used in sets (but never in pairs!)
- Charleston = The name for the tile-passing portion at the start of the game
- Soap = Another name for the white dragon tile, often used as a “zero”
US American vs. Chinese Mahjong
American Mahjong (played with a National Mah Jongg League card) involves Jokers, more strategy, and an annually updated list of winning hands. Chinese Mahjong sticks to traditional rules and tile arrangements.
✨How to Start
The goal is to build a complete hand of 14 tiles that match one of the official combinations on the scorecard (make sure to use a National Mah Jong League card, not just some random one off Amazon). Players draw and discard tiles in turn, watching what others are collecting while working on their hand. Jokers help complete sets, but can’t be played in a pair. The Charleston helps you fine-tune your strategy before game play begins.
That’s a very basic breakdown, but is all you need to get started! So grab your group and let me know how much you love Mahjong!
