Before you can play American Mahjong, you need to understand two things: the tiles and the Card. Let’s start with the tiles.

The 152 Tiles

American Mahjong uses 152 tiles (vs. 136 in Asian variants). Here’s the breakdown:

Suit Tiles (108 tiles)

Just like Asian mahjong, there are three suits with numbers 1-9:

Bams (Bamboos): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)
Cracks (Characters): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)
Dots (Circles): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)

Honor Tiles (28 tiles)

Dragons: White (Soap), Green, Red — 4 of each = 12 tiles
Winds: East, South, West, North — 4 of each = 16 tiles

Flowers (8 tiles)

Unlike Asian variants where flowers are bonus tiles, in American Mahjong they’re regular tiles used in hands:

4 different flower designs, usually numbered 1-4, one of each repeated twice = 8 tiles

Jokers (8 tiles)

This is the big difference! American Mahjong includes 8 Joker tiles that can substitute for any tile (with some restrictions).

Understanding Jokers

Jokers are powerful wild cards, but they have rules:

✅ Can be used for:

Any suit tile (Bams, Cracks, Dots)
Any Dragon or Wind
Flowers

❌ Cannot be used for:

Single tiles or pairs (must be in groups of 3+ tiles)
2024+ NMJL rules: Cannot be used for certain hands marked “No Jokers”

Example: If your hand needs three 5 Dots and you have two 5 Dots + one Joker, that works!

The Card: Your Playbook

The Card is American Mahjong’s defining feature. Published annually by the National Mah Jongg League, it lists 60-70 valid winning hands organized into categories.

Card Structure

The Card is organized into sections:

2024 (or current year) - Hands using the year number
Consecutive Run - Sequential tiles like 111 222 333
369 - Hands using 3, 6, and 9 tiles
Singles and Pairs - Unique hand patterns
Winds - Hands focused on Wind tiles
Dragons - Hands focused on Dragon tiles
Quints - Five of a kind
And more…

Reading the Card

Each line on the Card represents one valid hand. Here’s how to read it:

Example hand: FF 1111 2222 3333

FF = Two Flowers (any flowers)
1111 = Four 1s in any suit
2222 = Four 2s in the same suit as the 1s
3333 = Four 3s in the same suit

Point value: Each hand shows a point value (usually 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, or 75 cents/points).

Card Abbreviations

FF = Any two Flowers
N, E, S, W = North, East, South, West winds
D, G, R = Dragon tiles (White/Soap, Green, Red)
1111 = Four of that number in any suit
1111 2222 in same color = Same suit for both

Concealed vs. Exposed Hands

Some hands have two point values:

Higher value: Hand is completely concealed (no exposures)
Lower value: Hand has at least one exposed combination

Choosing Your Hand

At the start of each round, you’ll look at your initial 13 tiles and the Card, then decide which hand to pursue. Tips:

Look for patterns - What tiles do you have multiples of?
Consider Jokers - Jokers make complex hands easier
Stay flexible - Early in the game, keep options open
Check point values - Higher point hands are usually harder

Beginner Tip: Start with simpler hands in the “Consecutive Run” or “Winds/Dragons” sections. Save exotic hands for when you’re more comfortable.

Practice Exercise

Look at these tiles (imagine you just received them):

1B 2B 3B 3B 5C 6C 7D 7D 7D E E S FF

Which Card hands could you build toward?

A Consecutive Run hand (you have 1-2-3 Bams started)
A hand with 7 Dots and Flowers
A Wind-heavy hand (you have two Easts, one South)

The beauty of the Card is there are always multiple options!

Key Takeaways

American Mahjong uses 152 tiles including 8 Jokers
Jokers substitute for any tile in groups of 3+
The Card lists all 60-70 valid winning hands for the year
Each hand has a point value (25-75)
You choose one hand from the Card and build toward it

Next Chapter: Gameplay Flow - Learn how a round works from setup to Mah Jongg!