Frequently Asked Questions for Mahjong

General Mahjong FAQ’s

• Q: How many tiles are in an American Mahjong set?
• A: A standard American Mahjong tile set contains 160 tiles. This includes 135 traditional suit tiles (Bams, Craks, Dots), 16 Winds and Dragons, 8 Flowers, 8 Jokers, and 3 blank spare tiles. (Be sure to checkout our collection here)
• Q: What is the difference between American Mahjong and Chinese Mahjong?
• A: American Mahjong utilizes 152–160 tiles, including 8 Jokers, and relies on an annually updated score card published by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) or similar associations. Chinese Mahjong typically uses 136 to 144 tiles, does not use Jokers, and uses a fixed scoring system based on standard sequence and triplet combinations.
• Q: How long does a game of Mahjong take to play?
• A: A single game of Mahjong usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. A standard session or "table match" consists of multiple games and generally lasts around 1.5 to 2 hours.

Rules & Strategy FAQs

• Q: What is the Charleston in American Mahjong?
• A: The Charleston is a unique tile-swapping sequence performed before game play begins in American Mahjong. Players pass three unwanted tiles face-down to opponents in a specific order to help build their starting hand. (Checkout our Mahjong Tips here)
• Q: Can you use a Joker tile for a pair or single tile in Mahjong?
• A: No. In American Mahjong rules, Jokers can only be used as substitutions in tile combinations of three or more (Pungs, Kongs, Quints, or Sextets). They can never represent a single tile or a pair.
• Q: What happens when you run out of tiles in the wall?
• A: If all tiles in the wall are drawn without any player declaring "Mahjong," the game ends in a draw, commonly referred to as a "Wall Game."