Mahjong Rules: American, Chinese and Hong Kong Styles
Mahjong is a 4-player tile game, but "mahjong" covers several rule sets that don't mix. American mahjong follows the National Mah Jongg League; its tile count, jokers and hands are explained on our American rules page. Chinese and Hong Kong mahjong use 144 tiles, no jokers, and let you win with any 4 sets and a pair.
Find your style in the table, then follow the links. Not sure which one your table plays? Compare the 7 rows below with the tiles and habits you actually see at your own table, then open the starting page for that style. Row 7 of the table links the starting page for American play and for Hong Kong play.
Which mahjong do you play?
| American (NMJL) | Chinese / Hong Kong | Japanese riichi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiles | Tile counts | 144, or 136 without flowers | 136 |
| Jokers | Joker rules | None | None |
| Yearly card | See American rules | No | No |
| Runs like 4-5-6 | See American rules | Yes (chows) | Yes |
| Tile passing before play | The Charleston | None | None |
| How you win | See American rules | 4 sets + 1 pair | 4 sets + 1 pair, plus a scoring element |
| Start here | American rules | How to play | Coming later |
American mahjong
Chinese and Hong Kong mahjong
- How to play mahjong: sets, calls and the 5-point win check
- How to score mahjong: faan and payments, counted out
Setup, tiles and player counts
- How to set up mahjong: building the 4 walls, rolling the dice and breaking the wall
- How many tiles are in a mahjong set: every common set size, category by category
- Mahjong for 2 or 3 players: official short-handed rules and house variants
Sets and gear
Buying a first set? Decide the style first, because a Hong Kong game needs 144 tiles and 0 jokers, while American sets differ on both counts; our set guide compares them. Then check the listed tile width against your racks with the tile size guide.
- How to choose a mahjong set
- Mahjong tile sizes compared
- Racks, pushers and accessories
- Automatic mahjong tables explained
- Mahjong tile materials and vintage sets
Looking for other games? See all card game rules.
Sources: this hub only points to inner pages, and the American (NMJL) details live on the linked American pages, each with its own sources and rule book check. Hong Kong and Chinese facts follow commonly published Hong Kong rules and the Chinese Official (MCR) rules; tile counts are rechecked by script before every update to this page. Every rules page names the rule book it follows and labels house rules separately. Last updated 2026-10-10.
Sources
- Hub page: no NMJL rule claims; American details are linked to G02, G04, G06, G07, G10 (each carries its own sources and rulebook check)
- Hong Kong (Cantonese) mahjong as commonly published, per G03 and G09; Chinese Official (MCR) rules for comparison
- Tile counts per G04 (verify/tiles_check.py)