Learning Resources.
A little extra help between games. Explore our mahjong guides, printables, and articles for explanations you can revisit and ideas to try at your next game.
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Guides, printables and articles
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BlogFree
Just Learned Mahjong? Here’s What to Do Next
You’ve taken a class. Now what? We share how we recommend practicing, getting comfortable with your card, and finding people to play with.
Beginner -
Printable Guide$14.99
Mahjong for Beginners Table Guide
There’s a lot to remember when you’re learning American mahjong. We’ve created an easy-to-use printable table guide that keeps the essentials beside your rack, so you can spend less time trying to remember and more time playing.
Beginner -
GuideFree
How to Do a Joker Exchange
Know when you can exchange for an exposed joker and how to make the swap, with the rules and etiquette explained.
Beginner -
BlogFree
Jokers in Mahjong
Can you use a joker there? Learn where jokers are allowed and why they don’t work in singles, pairs, or runs of singles like NEWS.
Beginner -
Practice Pack$4.99
Joker Rules & Practice Pack
Get more comfortable using jokers with an illustrated rules reference and seven practice situations. Check your answers with explanations that help you understand why each move is or isn’t allowed.
Beginner -
GuideFree
The Pantry Method
You wouldn’t choose a recipe without checking your pantry. Learn to connect the tiles in your rack to the hands on the card by thinking about what you can make with what you already have.
Beginner -
PrintablesFree
Solitaire Mahjong Visual Aid and Instructions
No group? You can still get a game in. Use our printable visual aid and step-by-step instructions to practice American mahjong on your own.
Beginner -
GuideFree
The Unspoken Etiquette of American Mahjong
Knowing the rules is one thing. Knowing the courtesies is another. Get familiar with the table manners that keep the game running smoothly and make you someone people enjoy playing with.
Beginner · Beyond the Basics -
GuideFree
Find Your Hand Framework
Not sure which hand to play? Work through a repeatable process for making sense of your tiles and narrowing down your options.
Beginner · Beyond the Basics -
GuideFree
2026 Charleston Discard Strategies
Deciding what to pass can be harder than remembering which way to pass it. Explore what to keep, what to let go, and how the 2026 NMJL card can help guide those decisions.
Beginner · Beyond the Basics -
GuideFree
Top 8 Pivot Hands for 2026
When the tiles aren’t working out for the hand you’re going for, it helps to have a backup plan. We’ve identified the eight most flexible pivot pairings on the 2026 NMJL card so you can see which tiles can help you switch to a different hand.
Beyond the Basics -
GuideFree
The Ink vs The Math: 2026 Edition
Understand which sections and hands offer the most flexibility on the 2026 NMJL card. Our analysis looks beyond the printed lines to show how many ways those hands can actually be played.
Beyond the Basics -
Teacher AnswerFree
What happens when two players call the same discarded tile?
Learn who gets the tile when two players call the same discard.
Beginner · Beyond the Basics
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Ask the Mahjong Teachers
Quick answers to the questions we hear most at our tables.
How many people do you need to play American Mahjong?Read Answer
American Mahjong is traditionally played with four people, but there are variations where you can also play with three or two people. There are also ways to be able to practice and play on your own when you don’t have a group available.
How do you win at American Mahjong?Read Answer
You win by completing a 14-tile hand that matches a line on the mahjong card. Your tiles must meet all the line’s requirements, including the numbers, suits, group sizes, and any special instructions. When you have the complete hand, call “Mahjong!”
What is the National Mah Jongg League?Read Answer
The National Mah Jongg League, often called the NMJL, is the organization that sets the rules we follow for American Mahjong. The NMJL publishes a new card each year showing the combinations of tiles that make a winning hand for that year.
Does the NMJL card change every year?Read Answer
Yes. The National Mah Jongg League releases a new card each year with a new set of winning hands. Everyone at the table should use the same year’s card. You’ll have new patterns to learn, but the skills you’ve built reading the card carry over.
Do I need to memorize the mahjong card?Read Answer
No. Keep your card in front of you and refer to it throughout the game. Focus on understanding how to read the numbers, letters, colors, and instructions. The more you play, the more familiar the hands will become.
What is a natural tile in mahjong?Read Answer
A natural tile is the actual tile a hand calls for, rather than a joker standing in for it. For example, if you make a group with two 6 Dots and a joker, the 6 Dots are the natural tiles.
What are the three suits in American Mahjong?Read Answer
The three suits are Dots, Bams (short for Bamboo), and Craks (also called Characters). Each suit has tiles numbered 1 through 9, with four copies of each tile. The artwork can vary between sets, but the suits and numbers stay the same.
Are all flower tiles interchangeable?Read Answer
Yes. In American Mahjong, all eight flower tiles are interchangeable, even if they have different designs, numbers, or labels. When a hand calls for flowers, you can use any of them.
What are the wind tiles?Read Answer
The wind tiles are North, East, West, and South, with four copies of each. On the mahjong card, they appear as N, E, W, and S. These letters usually tell you which winds you need, but always read the notes. For example, a line showing NNNN with a note that says “any wind” allows you to use a kong of any wind for that line.
Which dragon goes with each suit?Read Answer
Here’s how we teach it in class: bamboo is green, so Bams go with Green Dragons. Firecrackers are red, so Craks go with Red Dragons. Dots look like bubbles, so Dots go with Soaps (White Dragons).
What is Soap in mahjong?Read Answer
Soap is another name for the White Dragon. It is the matching dragon for the Dots suit and it also represents zero when a hand on the card calls for 0.
What are neutral tiles?Read Answer
Think “neutral = no suit.” Flowers, winds, and Soap when it represents zero are neutral tiles. They aren’t associated with Bams, Craks, or Dots, so they can be used with any suit.
What do the colors on the NMJL card mean?Read Answer
The colors tell you how many suits to use and which numbered tiles belong in the same suit:
- One color means the numbered tiles all use one suit.
- Two colors mean you use two different suits.
- Three colors mean you use all three suits.
The colors don’t tell you which suits to choose. If a line uses two colors, you could play Dots and Bams, Dots and Craks, or Bams and Craks. Keep numbers printed in the same color together in the same suit, and follow the line’s notes.
Dragons follow these suit relationships too. If the D’s are the same color as a group of numbers, use that suit’s matching dragon: Green Dragons with Bams, Red Dragons with Craks, or White Dragons with Dots. If the D’s are a different color, use a dragon associated with a different suit, following the line’s notes.
Flowers, winds, and zeros are neutral, so their printed colors don’t count toward the number of suits. Soap follows the dragon rules when it is used as a White Dragon, but it is neutral when it represents zero.
Further ReadingThe Pantry Method
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