Why this site exists
American mahjong is a wonderful game with a frustrating learning curve. Most newcomers meet one of two walls: a rule book written like a legal contract, or a forum thread where five players give six contradictory answers. We built this site to be the wall that is not there.
Every page here tries to do one thing well: explain the NMJL standard in plain American English, point you to the exact section of the official card when it matters, and tell you plainly when a table near you plays a variation. The goal is that you finish a page knowing what to do at the table, not just what the words mean.
Who writes it
Tileborne is written and maintained by a small remote team of enthusiasts who came to American mahjong from other mahjong traditions, and have played to the NMJL standard since 2021. We started it to keep our own rule notes straight, and we still get together for Charleston practice and real-game review. It began because rule pages were full of house-rule guesswork and copy-pasted contradictions that sent new players home more confused than when they arrived.
We are not affiliated with the National Mah Jongg League. We explain the NMJL standard as clearly as we can, and when a rule is ambiguous or a table uses a local variation, we say so rather than pretending there is only one answer. The official card you buy each spring remains the final authority on every hand.
How we keep it accurate
We do not publish a rule because it "sounds right." Our working standard:
- Check the card and the manual. The NMJL card and Mah Jongg Made Easy are the primary sources for what a hand is and how it is scored.
- Cross-check community references. Established teaching sources (Mahj-Life, the American Mah-Jongg Association's Rules Companion, Tom Sloper's FAQ, club and tournament guidance) are used to confirm phrasing and catch disagreements.
- Flag uncertainty. Where sources disagree, or where a table may vary, the page says so. We would rather tell you "ask your table" than invent a rule.
- Update every spring. When the new card drops, the affected pages are reviewed against it. You can see the last-reviewed date in the footer of every page.
Every external source we lean on is listed in one place: the Sources page.
Our editorial standards
Plain language over clever language. Real examples over abstract rules. Transparency over authority. If a page ever reads like it is guessing, that is a bug, and we want to hear about it.
Corrections and contact
We are only as good as our next correction. If you spot a rule stated wrong, a card section described inaccurately, or a link that has gone stale, tell us. Send the page URL and what you believe should change, and we will check it against the sources above.
The fastest way to reach us is by email: [email protected]. We read every note and reply when a fix is in.
This is an independent learning resource. Core lessons are free; an optional paid plan adds member-only practice tools. The name "Tileborne" is our brand name for this site, mahjongschool.net; this is not an accredited school, charges no tuition for the free tier, and grants no diplomas. It is not affiliated with the National Mah Jongg League; the official NMJL card is always the final authority.