Written by a Certified Oh My Mahjong Instructor
How to Learn American Mahjong
A complete beginner’s guide — from “what even is mahjong?” to playing your first winning hand.
What Is American Mahjong?
American Mahjong is a tile-based game played by four players, each building a hand of 14 tiles toward a winning combination. It’s a game of strategy, memory, and a little luck — and it’s one of the fastest-growing social games in the United States.
Unlike the Chinese or Hong Kong versions you might have seen, American Mahjong is played using the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card— a card that changes every year and contains all the winning hands for that year’s play. This is the version taught and played at most mahjong groups, clubs, and events across the US.
The Tiles
A standard American Mahjong set has 166 tiles, divided into several categories:
- Bams (Bamboo) — numbered 1–9, shown with bamboo stalks
- Craks (Characters) — numbered 1–9, shown with Chinese characters
- Dots — numbered 1–9, shown with circles
- Winds — North, South, East, West
- Dragons — Red (Chun), Green (Fa), White (Soap)
- Flowers — numbered 1–4, used in special hands
- Jokers — wild tiles, unique to American Mahjong
The NMJL Card
The NMJL card is updated every year and lists all the valid winning hands for that year. Learning to read the card — and choosing which hands to build toward — is the core skill of American Mahjong.
The card is organized into categories (Like Numbers, Quints, Consecutive Run, etc.) and uses symbols like P (Pair), K (Kong), and N (Number) to describe the structure of each hand. It looks intimidating at first — but within one lesson, most students are reading it confidently.
How a Game Works
Each player starts with 13 tiles. You take turns drawing and discarding tiles, trying to build one of the hands on the NMJL card. When you complete a hand, you call “Mahjong!” and win the hand.
You can also “call” a tile that another player discards if it completes an exposed section of your hand (a Pung, Kong, or Quint). Jokers can be used as any tile, but other players can swap a real tile for your joker if they need it.
How to Get Started
Take a Lesson
The fastest way to learn. One 2–3 hour lesson with a certified instructor gets most people playing confidently. If you're in Las Vegas, that's us.
Get a Set
You don't need your own set to learn — instructors and groups provide them. But once you're hooked, you'll want your own. See our recommended sets below.
Buy the NMJL Card
The card costs about $14/year and can be ordered from the National Mah Jongg League website. New card releases every March.
Join a Group or Open Play
Playing with others is how you actually get good. Find a local group, attend open play events, or join a league.
Recommended Mahjong Sets & Accessories
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Learn Mahjong in Las Vegas
If you’re in the Las Vegas Valley, I’d love to be your instructor. I offer beginner lessons (MAHJ101), intermediate lessons (MAHJ102), private lessons, and open play events across Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Henderson. Most students are playing confidently after their first session.