The player may agree with the player across from them to exchange up to three tiles. The player may blind pass these tiles.Īt the end of the second Charleston, a player may make an optional ' courtesy pass'. The second Charleston proceeds in the following sequence: 1)Įach player passes 3 unwanted tiles to the player to the left.Įach player passes 3 unwanted tiles to the player to the right, known as ' last right'. The Charleston may proceed a second time if all the players agree. If less than three tiles are blindly passed, unwanted tiles from your hand are added for a total of three tiles. A blind pass is taking the tiles received and passing up to three of without looking at them. 1)Įach player passes 3 unwanted tiles to the player to the right.Įach player passes 3 unwanted tiles to the opposite facing player.Įach player passes 3 unwanted tiles to the player to the left, known as ' first left'. It is an exchange of tiles that gives each player a chance to improve their hand by passing unwanted tiles face down to other players. The Charleston is a ritual unique to American mahjong with roots to its beginnings in the early 1920's. Next to the hand is an 'X' or a 'C' indicating whether that hand is exposed or concealed (explained later):īefore actual play starts, it's time for The Charleston. Next to each hand is the value of the hand for scoring or gambling purposes. Six identical tiles, with the use of Jokers. These are known as: Pairįive identical tiles, with the use of Jokers. Some combinations contain non-matching tiles, but most generally have two or more matching identical tiles. Patterns requiring wind and dragon tiles.Įach hand is grouped into several different combinations. Patterns that require odd numbered tiles. Hands that have at least one quint (5 identical tiles) where at least one of which is a Joker. Patterns that require even numbered tiles. In such case 2's, 0's, and 3's would be used. Patterns that make up a year, such as 2023. The score card is organized into categories for hands based on common patterns: YEAR Flowers and zeroes are not considered to be part of any suit and will always be blue.Ĭorrespond to the specific number on the tile (not including flowers) The colors are not specific to any one suit, and different colors simply mean different suits have to be used. The hands on a score card are represented in numbers or letters in either red, blue, or green. The goal of mahjong is to match your tiles exactly with a hand from the score card. Each player arranges the tiles on their rack in a logical order and start to realize their goal of putting together a mahjong hand. Like poker, you will learn a lot about your opponents as you play mahjong and adjust your strategy according to their strengths and weaknesses.īeyond The Basics - Online Mah Jongg Resources

Is it preferable to discard a tile and thus gain an advantage, or would it be more prudent to stay with a decent hand? There is the exhilaration of winning a hand as well as regret at not having been bold enough to have made a different choice.

The excitement of mahjong lies in the decisions that you will constantly have to make. The first person to match a hand of 14 tiles and thus 'call mahjong' ends the game, whereupon tiles are scored and a winner is declared. Tiles are shuffled, die are cast, and rituals involving the allocation of tiles and then the exchange of tiles begin. Mahjong is always played with four players seated around a table. Although an American mahjong set can be used to play Chinese Mahjong, the rules that follow are for the American game.

American mahjong utilizes racks, jokers, 'Hands and Rules' score cards and has several distinct gameplay mechanics. Mahjong is a game of both skill and luck that originated in China many centuries ago and was brought to the West in the 1920's with the publication of Joseph Park Babcock's 'Rules of Mah-Jongg.' American mahjong (also sometimes spelled ' Mah Jongg' or called ' Maajh') is unique from Asian mahjong in several ways.

Mahjongg solitaire tile matching